45 COLT BULLDOG

[45MAN]

MY BULLDOG HAS A 2.5 INCH BARREL, IT IS THE ONLY CHARTER ARMS REVOLVER I HAVE EVER SHOT.

[aciera]

Thanks. I’m looking at 2 1/2 or 4

[groo]

Groo here
For best grouping with Trailboss.....
Fill case to bottom of bullet [do not compress] use hot primers.
Then use a HEAVY crimp...[think like black powder]

[45MAN]

Jun 19, 2021 13:34:44 GMT -5 groo said:

Groo here
For best grouping with Trailboss.....
Fill case to bottom of bullet [do not compress] use hot primers.
Then use a HEAVY crimp...[think like black powder]

AGREED

[45MAN]

MY BUDDY TOOK .020 OF AN INCH OFF THE FS AND SQUARED IT UP. WENT TO THE RANGE WITH THE XL BULLDOG 45 COLT YESTERDAY AND TODAY. LOAD WAS 7.7grs OF TRAILL BOSS, STAR LINE CASES, WLP PRIMERS, AND THE MATT's 250 WADCUTTER. DOUBLE AND SINGLE ACTION, OFFHAND AT 10 YARDS, THE GUN SHOT TO POA. NEED TO MOVE BACK AND SEE WHAY MY PRACTICAL RANGE MAY BE FOR SMALLER CRITTERS BUT POA/POI COMMONALITY AT 10 YARDS WORKS FOR ME FOR A SELF DEFENSE SNUBBIE.

ONE ISSUE I HAD YESTERDAY WAS A COUPLE OF MISFIRES/LIGHT PRIMER STRIKES (2ND TRY ON EACH AND THEY FIRED). CLEANED OUT THE ACTION WITH SOME SPRAYED IN GUN SCRUBBER AND TODAY NO MISFIRES. YESTERDAY WAS THE ONLY TIME I HAD MISFIRES.

[jeffh]

Oct 10, 2021 12:50:38 GMT -5 45MAN said:

MY BUDDY TOOK .020 OF AN INCH OFF THE FS AND SQUARED IT UP. WENT TO THE RANGE WITH THE XL BULLDOG 45 COLT YESTERDAY AND TODAY. LOAD WAS 7.7grs OF TRAILL BOSS, STAR LINE CASES, WLP PRIMERS, AND THE MATT's 250 WADCUTTER. DOUBLE AND SINGLE ACTION, OFFHAND AT 10 YARDS, THE GUN SHOT TO POA. NEED TO MOVE BACK AND SEE WHAY MY PRACTICAL RANGE MAY BE FOR SMALLER CRITTERS BUT POA/POI COMMONALITY AT 10 YARDS WORKS FOR ME FOR A SELF DEFENSE SNUBBIE.

ONE ISSUE I HAD YESTERDAY WAS A COUPLE OF MISFIRES/LIGHT PRIMER STRIKES (2ND TRY ON EACH AND THEY FIRED). CLEANED OUT THE ACTION WITH SOME SPRAYED IN GUN SCRUBBER AND TODAY NO MISFIRES. YESTERDAY WAS THE ONLY TIME I HAD MISFIRES.

This is no "tall tale," and I will temper the story with the fact that I was much younger (eyes) and it was a Stratford-era, stainless, 3" 44 Special Bulldog, but I was able to regularly (every time) connect, off-hand/single-action, with a "torso-sized" steel plate at a hundred yards.

Store-bought 240 grain cast over 6.5 grains of Unique - 2" to 2.5" groups at 25 yards - easy money.  200s shot 3" to 4" low, but grouped as well.

Granted, any decent shot, using any decent revolver or auto could do that, but no one expected it of a neophyte pistolero with a budget snubbie.  Shut a few nay-sayers up.

'Round about that time, one of the gun writers I actually had some faith in penned that he'd done similar with the same gun, but at 400 yards (or so) shooting at a rock about the size of a small car.  I don't remember who the writer was, but a friend scoffed at that.  I told him that if I could hit a man at a quarter that distance with that gun - THAT guy could certainly hit a rock the size of a small car.  The friend was painfully aware that my $225 "cheap revolver" was already out-shooting his beloved custom 1911 and that was the end of that doubt.  Details of the  article are fuzzy, but I remember it was a lot farther than I was shooting and I had no reason to disbelieve based on my personal experience as a mediocre shot.

[nhithaca]

I currently have 4 Charter Arms revolvers; in order: a 45ACP in dark SS, a 32 H&R SS (same frame as a 5 shot 38SP), a 44sp w/ factory laser, and a 6 shot 38SP SS (same frame as the 44SP/45ACP). The 45ACP has never performed right (at least 50% miss fires, appears to be excess head space, and crooked barrel) and I am due to return it to the factory for warranty work. Recoil is brutal with full power 230gr hard ball ammo (22 oz. gun). The 32H&R from the start was the worst gun I ever bought new (bad cylinder gap, miss fires, crooked barrel, out of time, etc.), but a trip to the factory mostly fixed things. Both the 44SP and the 38SP worked fine right out of the box. They all have more than acceptable triggers, it's just the quality control on the assembly line is not that good. I appreciate that they are American made here in New England and the warranty can't be beat.

[jeffh]

Oct 11, 2021 9:19:55 GMT -5 nhithaca said:

I currently have 4 Charter Arms revolvers; in order: a 45ACP in dark SS, a 32 H&R SS (same frame as a 5 shot 38SP), a 44sp w/ factory laser, and a 6 shot 38SP SS (same frame as the 44SP/45ACP). The 45ACP has never performed right (at least 50% miss fires, appears to be excess head space, and crooked barrel) and I am due to return it to the factory for warranty work. Recoil is brutal with full power 230gr hard ball ammo (22 oz. gun). The 32H&R from the start was the worst gun I ever bought new (bad cylinder gap, miss fires, crooked barrel, out of time, etc.), but a trip to the factory mostly fixed things. Both the 44SP and the 38SP worked fine right out of the box. They all have more than acceptable triggers, it's just the quality control on the assembly line is not that good. I appreciate that they are American made here in New England and the warranty can't be beat.

I've said before, maybe not here, that I don't think there are a lot of people at Charter who know a lot about guns - maybe a gunsmith or two?  I believe they set the B/C gap with a file - they seem to get it "right enough" most times, but not to the level of enthusiasts' expectations.  I noticed on my last one that when it was returned with the new barrel that it was set up with a "variable B/C gap," meaning that there was some inherent end-shake - enough that buildup of fouling on the face of the cylinder would drag after ten shots or so.  The hand/pawl would push the cylinder forward enough that it would tie up in DA or SA.  A .002" stainless shim inside the crane barrel cured that.  I can't remember if I made the shim or bought it from the good folks at triggershims.com who have been nice people to deal with in the past.

I'll be trying to sell off the rest of what is superfluous to my needs at a local show soon, and have pared down to a very few cartridges I intend to support, to include some versatility should one or another of my choices dry up component-wise.  A couple cartridges I dearly love, which didn't make the cut were the 45 Colt Because there wasn't a pocketable 45 Colt at that time) and the 32 Mag., which I cover with light 357 loads.

I would easily fall off my wagon if Charter were to do a six-shot (or seven) 32 Mag. with a 3", 4" or even 5" or 6" "pencil barrel," like they used to do.  I'd prefer the old front sight as well and would be happy with fixed sights.  I just would not be able to resist that and would replace the dies and brass I traded away long ago.  I still have two moulds that are great for the little case, but size them down for my 30/30, so they're not gong anywhere.

Then, of course, I'd just have to have a 32 mag carbine and the whole cycle would start over.  I did load development for a fella in '85, who managed to snag a blued, 4" 32 Mag. and that was the coolest little revolver I ever shot.  We were both pretty broke and used itty-bitty charges of Bullseye, a couple LEE moulds and pan-lubed using crayons as lube. 

[45MAN]

RESURRECTING THIS THREAD BECAUSE I GOT AN INQUIRY FROM wpeel ABOUT MY 45 COLT BULLDOG.

[wpeel]

Aug 25, 2023 14:40:48 GMT -5 45MAN said:

RESURRECTING THIS THREAD BECAUSE I GOT AN INQUIRY FROM wpeel ABOUT MY 45 COLT BULLDOG.

And I am grateful that you did.  Precisely the type of information I was hoping to obtain.  Thank you, 45MAN.

[tentcamper]

Local dealer has a Pitbull 45 ACP that I’ve been curious about but after reading this thread I think I’ll hold off for the 45Colt. Good info here.

[45MAN]

UPDATE: UNFORTUNEATELY FOR THE 2.5" 45 COLT BULLDOG IT HAS NOT GOTTEN ANY FIELD OR CARRY TIME (NEED TO DECIDE WHEN TO CARRY IT FOR WHAT? ? ?), BUT I GOT A CHANCE TO CHRONO MY 250gr MATT'S WADCUTTER LOAD (STARLINE CASES, WLP PRIMERS & 7.7grs OF TRAIL BOSS) ON 4/11/24, IN MID 60's temps, 5 SHOTS, LOW OF 720, HIGH OF 747, AVERAGE OF 739fps. THAT BULLET, AT THAT SPEED, AT CLOSE RANGE SHOULD WORK.