My favorite Charter Arms

[reflex264]

Early Target Bulldog. Great fun shooter.

[ezekiel38]

I remember when CA was producing those. So glad yours has been a "fun gun". I would like to find an original configuration 44 3" Bulldog. Just for fun. I'm tired of "desperate use" handgun purchasing and practice. Life has to be fun once in a while.

[reflex264]

Aug 30, 2022 14:14:22 GMT -5 ezekiel38 said:

I remember when CA was producing those. So glad yours has been a "fun gun". I would like to find an original configuration 44 3" Bulldog. Just for fun. I'm tired of "desperate use" handgun purchasing and practice. Life has to be fun once in a while.

I need to take a good pic of it but it is in awesome condition. I need to get it out and shoot it.

[Lee Martin]

CA's are great little guns. I'm partial to the earlier production (like yours). My 3" from 1984 is still a fine shooter. Some think they're inexpensive belly guns, but mine seems to find the target if I steer it right.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
"Chasing perfection five shots at a time"

[mk70ss]

My old, beat up Pathfinder in .22 is one of my favorites.

[reflex264]

Aug 30, 2022 18:00:47 GMT -5 Lee Martin said:

CA's are great little guns. I'm partial to the earlier production (like yours). My 3" from 1984 is still a fine shooter. Some think they're inexpensive belly guns, but mine seems to find the target if I steer it right.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
"Chasing perfection five shots at a time"

Except for the Charco fiasco most of them I have been around are good shooters. Those old target bulldogs like the one pictured can be exceptional shooter. That 3" Bulldog I posted shoots about 2.5" at 25 yards. Not bad for rudimentary sights and a short sight radius.

[silcott]

Aug 30, 2022 10:23:17 GMT -5 reflex264 said:

Early Target Bulldog. Great fun shooter.

I have an early target bulldog identical to yours. I just dug it out of the safe. I think it's going to the range with me this weekend when I go try out some loads in my 357 maximum.

Justin

[needsmostuff]

I have a love/hate relationship with C.A.
It started negatively years ago with a couple of 44 Bulldogs that did not survive load development. But in all fairness, they were an older model from one of the previous manifestations and I bought them used. So, there is that.
It did not end well, and I avoided them for years after that.
Then, being a 32oholic when they came out with same 32 mags, I had to give them a try.
This has also been a mixed bag.

This is my little 5 shot is wearing dog bone grips. It works well and has reasonable accuracy for a snub.



Both the 3" guns had horrible design on the front sights resulting in POI being about 6 inches low at about 20 feet.

This 7 shot just got the sight removed and now has a short cap screw for a front sight. Actually, works well but will probably get upgraded someday, if I ever get done working on the second one!



This second one is back to trials and tribulations. It has been back to the Mothership twice for separate mechanical failures. First got the crane replaced and the second was the cylinder bolt popping up too early locking the gun up.
Along with the front sight being stupid high it was 4 inches left at 20 feet. I believe the barrel is not on the frame straight, but the factory tech has not acknowledged that. So the top rib was lowered, and a dovetail sight installed. While the belt sander was running some of the silly underlug got tapered. It's been shooting OK for a while so fingers crossed.



If I ever do decide to try a bigmouth 44 C.A. again it probably would be an adjustable sight Pathfinder. They just look so convenient for packing around and such.

[kings6]

I found two of the Charter Bulldogs when inventorying the relatives safe last week. One plain blued gun and one engraved with 24 carat gold bulldog in the side. They will probably be in the next batch I post in the RF or GB fir the family.