I am new to the forum and glad to be here. I have a quick question regarding an inexpensive .44 magnum revolver and Charter Arms seems to be the least expensive. Is it a good handgun for the price? I want a short barrel revolver in the .44 magnum for camping in bear country and figure it is a reasonable price. Please give me some feedback and advice. Thank you all.
The Bull Dog Pug is chambered for 44 SPL not the magnum as far as I know and this may have changed since last I checked but Charter Arms Never Chambered a revolver for 44 Mag
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You put a price on your life???A Ruger isnt that much higher and as close as you will get to 100% dependable.I wouldnt go for a short barrel in the situation you are talking about.No bear is going to grab the barrel and you arent trying to conceal it.longer barrels line up easier and have more power. sam.
I am new to the forum and glad to be here. I have a quick question regarding an inexpensive .44 magnum revolver and Charter Arms seems to be the least expensive. Is it a good handgun for the price? I want a short barrel revolver in the .44 magnum for camping in bear country and figure it is a reasonable price. Please give me some feedback and advice. Thank you all.
the charter arms bulldog in .44special has a good standing for close range,meaning more power rather than .38 . but a .357 mag has no competition in velocity and muzzle. is true that the 44 caliber is a positive confident. as your description would be better a short .44 magnum ,wich be like s/w mountain pack,3 inch 629,taurus made this styles too. hope it helps in your desicion.
Charter Arms are not the best quality going. They're okay, but you ought to find a Smith & Wesson or Ruger instead. Charter Arms revolvers do not lock up at the front of the ejector rod, and tend to get loose around the cylinder with very little shooting. A new Charter .38 snubby goes for less than $300 now, and you can get a used S&W for less than $100 more, and have MUCH more quality. I know we're not talkin' .38's here, but you get the price comparison.
I read in Elmer Keiths old book "Sixguns" about a Montana outdoorsman who shot a bear that was gonna attack him with a .45 single action revolver. That amy be a better choice than a Charter. Lots of those around. Good used Rugers. I'd stay away from the Charter. I've had a few and been dissapointed with the quality.
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We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ
In my opinion the Charter Arms stuff is inexpensive poor quality junk. They have been in and out of business in the last several years; now MKS is marketing their stuff. There are much better arms in that price range for the money. I've been through their facility in Shelton, CT and it is not impressive to say the least....
Thank you all for the input and I have really liked what I see in the Super Redhawk Alaskan Ruger so I will probably go that direction. Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc.
I saw your other question about .44 magnums and I'm wondering... have you ever fired a .44 magnum?
I like to tease the fellows on the forums by telling them that I can't hit the broad side of a big thing, etc., but I've been shooting handguns for 30 years.
If you haven't shot a .44 magnum, you may want to find a person who has one and shoot 50 shots through it. To me, and this is my opinion...they are not a fun gun to shoot.
Now other guys in the forums like their hand canons, and I appreciate and respect their enthusiasm.
You can shoot .44 specials out of a .44 magnum for range and defense shooting.
How much time are you going to spend camping in bear country? Are we talking Grizzly or smaller bears? You may like a .357 magnum better. Just a thought.
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We old dogs can learn new tricks. We just may not like performng them. TJ
MY favorite gun was a Desert Eagle 44 when my cousin and I went shooting many years ago so I am familiar with them. I just wanted a very powerful handgun that was easy to carry and use but could be used for more serious protection.
The Bull Dog Pug is chambered for 44 SPL not the magnum as far as I know and this may have changed since last I checked but Charter Arms Never Chambered a revolver for 44 Mag
Hey there EZEarlN,
I hate to drag up an old post but I was doing a search for parts on the Chart Arms .44 when I ran across this post. Just wanted to let you know that Charter Arms made a Bulldog chambered in .44 Magnum, made in Spain. I'm not sure how many they (CA) made but one of my fellow officers have one of these little gems. He carries it in a fanny pack when he runs. I have fired it and the recoil isn't as bad as you'd think and I think he just pours the H110 in to the top of the case and crams the bullet in (let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if any of his reloads aren't compressed loads). I have fired some of his .44 Mag loads out of my 629 and they rock me and I'm not recoil sensitive by any means. I have to believe since the CA only has only a 2" barrel that it doesn't pack the punch of say a 7". The velocity would definitely decreased a bit because of barrel length. But they do exist. If we go shooting again so I will snap a pic of it and post it.
(let's just say I wouldn't be surprised if any of his reloads aren't compressed loads). I have fired some of his .44 Mag loads out of my 629 and they rock me and I'm not recoil sensitive by any means. I have to believe since the CA only has only a 2" barrel that it doesn't pack the punch of say a 7". The velocity would definitely decreased a bit because of barrel length. But they do exist. If we go shooting again so I will snap a pic of it and post it. 
