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Post by 45MAN on Aug 15, 2021 7:09:57 GMT -5
CHARTER ARMS HAS A 7 SHOT, 3" BARRELED, REVOLVER IN 32 H&R, LOOKS NICE, NOT EXACTLY A POCKET GUN, BUT MIGHT SERVE WELL AS A KIT GUN CARRIED IN A HOLSTER, OR A NIGHT STAND GUN FOR HOME DEFENSE, OR A LADY's GUN CARRIED IN A PURSE. ANY ONE OUT THERE HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE TO SHARE WITH THIS MODEL?
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Aug 15, 2021 10:24:30 GMT -5
No info here - and I've TRIED!
It seems like all the information released by gun companies is the minimal, useless fluff, incomplete, inadequate and often meaningless (like the comparisons made of the 350 "Legend" by Winchester).
Charter doesn't help much at all with the limited or non-existent information on their site.
There is also a "new"(?) "Professional" six-shot 38 on the Bulldog frame, for which there is an equally large void of info - to include when the heck it even came out! I have a stainless, 3", 5-shot 357 Mag "High Polish" model that I THOUGHT was a NEW thing, but apparently got in on that two or three years late - right when they stopped making it. I struggled getting that one dialed in for cast and to shoot to POA (Nick Ecker helped), but I LOVE the size, shape, weight of the Bulldog framed guns. If it weren't a Charter, I'd have pitched its pieces in a river by now, but I DO love my Charters.
One thing I like on the "Professional" models is the fixed rear sight. My 357 has adjustable sights and I don't like Charter's adjustable rear sights and I just don't need it for this kind of gun anyway. Like pulling a leader with a fish-hook on it out of your pocket.
One thing I DON'T like on the "Professionals" is the "light-pipe" FRONT sight. They are a fuzzy blob for me and I can't see enough detail on the limited pics to determine how the plastic rod is attached.
Their "Professional" concept looks great to me and I'd buy one in 38 if I were looking for a 38, even if I had the money for a "nicer" gun.
This last one I bought has an amazing DA pull, but a crappy SA pull, which is the FIRST-EVER sucky SA pull I've had on a Charter. I'll have to remedy that. For as many Charters as must be out there, the aftermarket grip support isn't what I'd like it to be. No one makes an exposed back strap rubber grip for these except the "boot-grips," and I want more than two fingers on a sub-20 ounce revolver shooting even moderate 357s. Pachmayr Compacs are just too bulky and sticky for concealment for me, but very nice for a "trail gun," "house gun," "truck gun," etc.
If I find any more information on these, I will post it here, but I've come up very short so far. I think I read ONE review/article, and it was as typically useless (the writing, not the gun) as 90% of writing today, now that all one needs to qualify as a writer/expert is to have an Internet connection.
I am tickled to see someone else interested in these revolvers. Since 1984, I have looked for a 4", six-shot Charter 32 Mag. I knew ONE guy who had one and I helped him work out his cast loads for it and I shot it a lot. Coolest little revolver I think I've shot. It was a "straight/no taper" barrel, but if they made that with the old "pencil barrel," I'd probably pay way more than I should for something I don't even have brass for any more.
I HAD a 2" Charter 32 Mag made shortly after their second-coming and THAT gun was about as useful as something that might fall out of a dog's butt. I sold 1k new Starline cases and GAVE that gun away with the cases. The carter is an amazing fit for the 32 Mag. Not too tiny, not too big and heavy,...
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Post by needsmostuff on Aug 15, 2021 10:32:00 GMT -5
Hey Rey , Being a 32oholic of course I had to get one . Have not shot enough for more than basic thoughts.
Not really a Charter arms fanboy but I figure in 32H&R it is tough enough to not shoot itself to pieces and do duties much as you described.. It is built on a larger frame than the Undercoverette but no bulkier than a 3" J frame . Times well , extracts well but not gonna push the envelope as far as load pressure with this one.
Seems to group well but point of impact is an issue . Centered well but low , way low , way way low. If you use the groove rear sight in the frame and the front sight at 20 feet you could aim at their face and hit um in the junk.
At that range it works pretty well to look over the rear and use the front , point shootin style.
Every time I hold it I wonder WHY it was not made with a adjustable rear sight as that is it's weakest point.
Been staring at it with evil intent and wondering if it has enough backstrap to dovetail something in ?
Hmmmmmm ?
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Post by odessaman on Aug 15, 2021 12:33:22 GMT -5
You can find reviews on these, but you have to hunt to find honest evaluations as opposed to marketing drivel. The common thread you'll see in the honest reviews is that these shoot low - sometimes way low. If you carefully examine most photos of the .32 H&R Professional, you can see the barrel rib is about 1/16" higher than the front of the frame where they meet. It looks like hell - and anything but "professional" - more like, "hey these are out of spec, but let's use 'em up and we'll fix the next run." You'll also notice the fiber optic front sight is very low to the barrel and attached directly to the rib - more like a shotgun sight than a revolver sight. In part, the low profile sight is in keeping with the gun's intended self-defense role, but may have also been intended to compensate for the too-high barrel rib (that's purely my speculation.) On various forums, you can find several discussions of these going back to Charter to fix the "shoots low out of the box" complaint. Some come back slightly improved - many do not. The ones that have been fixed at the factory appear to have a step milled into the front of the barrel rib so the sight can be mounted lower. Some owners have had the entire barrel rib milled down a few thousandths and a new front sight fitted, which voids the warranty, but fixes the point of aim. The issue is prevalent enough somebody actually designed a glue-on rear sight to raise the point of aim, although I can't remember the name of it right now. I don't know if Charter has acknowledged this problem and reprofiled the barrel on recent guns or not. Looking at pictures of the Professional II in .357 magnum, the transition from frame to barrel is much better, so maybe they have.
Mine was made in 2019, and I bought it knowing about the tendency to shoot low. I suspect that's why I got a good deal on it from the previous owner, though he denied having any problems with it. After confirming mine shoots low (hey, might've gotten lucky, but no dice) I'm having mine milled down for the entire length and will install a new front sight - haven't decided between a dovetail sight and a screw-on base. Other than that, I've had no issues with the gun.
I love the concept of the gun - a concealable 7 shooter that can run everything from .32 magnum down to .32 S&W - it has the potential to be the perfect woods walking gun for me.
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Post by 45MAN on Aug 15, 2021 18:50:52 GMT -5
LOOKED AT PICTURES OF THE PROFESSIONAL AGAIN. IF I HAD ONE I WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THE BARREL RIB ON AND FIGURE A WAY TO ADD A HIGHER RS.
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Post by odessaman on Aug 15, 2021 22:05:29 GMT -5
LOOKED AT PICTURES OF THE PROFESSIONAL AGAIN. IF I HAD ONE I WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THE BARREL RIB ON AND FIGURE A WAY TO ADD A HIGHER RS. I wouldn't trust any rear sight that doesn't have a mechanical connection to the topstrap - no glue-on sights for me. But along the lines of needsmostuff's comment, maybe a dovetail rear like the one on the S&W Performance Center 640 could work. There's enough meat for a shallow dovetail, and might be able to drill & tap for a set screw. |
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Aug 15, 2021 22:33:37 GMT -5
LOOKED AT PICTURES OF THE PROFESSIONAL AGAIN. IF I HAD ONE I WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THE BARREL RIB ON AND FIGURE A WAY TO ADD A HIGHER RS. Since I don't care for the day-glow front sights, I've been trying to get a better picture of one to see how the FRONT sight is attached so I could remove it and put a regular sight on. This gun actually had me considering getting a 32 Mag again, but I eventually talked myself out of it. Then, along comes the 38 in the same format, except six-hots. Same question - how is the front sight attached? That front sight has saved me some money. I might have bought one or both otherwise.
The fairly recent 357 I got had the front sight filed way down (from the factory) and it shot WAY high. They took it back and replaced the whole barrel, because the sight is integral. They also reduced the height of the rear sight blade and deepened the notch, which is what I did to my 44 Special Flat Top to partially correct that one shooting way high.
45man, what do you think of the grips? Are they the highly sculpted wooden ones? I ground a lot off the back of the rubber Charter grips and it's CLOSE to being a good fit, but I'd still like something better. |
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Aug 15, 2021 22:36:05 GMT -5
LOOKED AT PICTURES OF THE PROFESSIONAL AGAIN. IF I HAD ONE I WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE THE BARREL RIB ON AND FIGURE A WAY TO ADD A HIGHER RS. I wouldn't trust any rear sight that doesn't have a mechanical connection to the topstrap - no glue-on sights for me. But along the lines of needsmostuff's comment, maybe a dovetail rear like the one on the S&W Performance Center 640 could work. There's enough meat for a shallow dovetail, and might be able to drill & tap for a set screw. I wonder if a Smith J-frame sight would work? There's not a lot of top strap on the Charters, but they do already have quite a mortise for their version of adjustable sights and I've done a LOT of shooting out of the OLD Target Bulldog 44 Special with no problems. |
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Post by needsmostuff on Aug 15, 2021 23:31:20 GMT -5
I've been trying to get a better picture of one to see how the FRONT sight is attached so I could remove it Well the front sight is just as wonkey but easy to remove . Twist and remove the light pipe and a simple screw attachment to the barrel . So wonkey in fact if the screw gets loose the sight will spin around . The Bubba in me wants to remove the front sight and see if the screw head makes a better sight . SCHeech ! |
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Post by 45MAN on Aug 16, 2021 5:55:09 GMT -5
jeffh: THE PROFESSIONALS I HAVE SEEN ON GB LOOK TO HAVE WOODEN GRIPS. I TOO HAVE WONDERED ABOUT A J FAME ADJUSTABLE REAR SIGHT AS POSSIBLY BEING THE ANSWER.
TO THE OWNERS/SHOOTERS OF THE 32 PROFESSIONAL: HAVE YOU DONE THE CALCULATION OF HOW MUCH SIGHT ADJUSTEMENT IS NEEDED TO GET 'ER DEAD ON AT 25 YARDS?
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Post by needsmostuff on Aug 16, 2021 10:34:31 GMT -5
Ooops , double tap while editing .
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Post by needsmostuff on Aug 16, 2021 10:36:38 GMT -5
TO THE OWNERS/SHOOTERS OF THE 32 PROFESSIONAL: HAVE YOU DONE THE CALCULATION OF HOW MUCH SIGHT ADJUSTEMENT IS NEEDED TO GET 'ER DEAD ON AT 25 YARDS? Short answer , no. Long answer , I think if you went the route of a J frame rear you would up grade the front to a dovetailed blade . So between the two , plenty of adjustment room to dial it in |
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Post by odessaman on Aug 16, 2021 11:31:47 GMT -5
TO THE OWNERS/SHOOTERS OF THE 32 PROFESSIONAL: HAVE YOU DONE THE CALCULATION OF HOW MUCH SIGHT ADJUSTEMENT IS NEEDED TO GET 'ER DEAD ON AT 25 YARDS? Short answer , no. Long answer , I think if you went the route of a J frame rear you would up grade the front to a dovetailed blade . So between the two , plenty of adjustment room to dial it in I've not done the calculation either - my plan is to replace the front sight with a dovetail or screw on base after lowering the rib and adjust the blade height accordingly. If I still need more elevation, then I'll consider installing a rear sight, either a j-frame adjustable as needsmostuff suggests, or a low profile dovetail fixed rear. |
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jeffh
.375 Atomic
Posts: 1,606
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Post by jeffh on Aug 16, 2021 15:32:42 GMT -5
....................The Bubba in me wants to remove the front sight and see if the screw head makes a better sight . SCHeech !
 OK, seems we're on the same wavelength!
There's plenty of meat in the ribs on most of these that a fella (Bubba or Pro) could cut a dovetail though.
Using the screw, you could turn it up and down to zero the gun and answer the question of "how much" regarding lowering the front sight.
Shoot an e-mail off to Charter too. Maybe if they realize that real "gun people" buy their stuff too, they might put a little more effort into this issue. I read a scathing report about the 357 Bulldog on one of the blogs about how low his shot. My 3" 357 Bulldog shot way high. It doesn't take that much to figure it out and the mental work is done for the duration of production.
I don't know what all the new "boutique" self-defense rounds do regarding POA/POI, and maybe that's a problem they have trying to please everyone - I don't know.
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Post by oddshooter on Aug 16, 2021 16:58:17 GMT -5
David Bradshaw has supplied us with the formula for the calculation, I think for a couple of times.
Should be an easy search and easy calculation if you have the formula.
Prescut
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OK, seems we're on the same wavelength!