Charter Arms 44 Bulldog Serial Numbers

No rust or pitting anywhere on this one. Serial # 250XXX range which from my estimate would be around 1967. Inside the barrel is very good and shiny. Everything functions great on this revolver. Barrel is marked 'CHARTER ARMS CORP BRIDGEPORT CONN' on the right side and 'UNDERCOVER.38 SPL' on the left side.

The Bulldog is a 5-shot traditional double-actionrevolver designed by Doug McClenahan and produced by Charter Arms. It was introduced in 1973. The Bulldog has been available for the .44 Special and .357 Magnumcartridges. It was a top-selling gun during the 1980s and it is considered to be Charter Arms' trademark weapon.^[4] It has been produced by four different companies since it was released.

History[edit]

Designed by the founder of the first version of Charter Arms,^[5] Doug McClenahan,^[6] the Bulldog was released in 1973. It was one of the best-selling weapons of the 1970s and the 1980s in the United States.^[7] Its design and execution, which were quite modern at the time, caught the attention of the gun press and combat shooters.^[8] By the mid-1980s, more than half a million units had been produced and nearly 37,000 were being manufactured every year.^[7] Bulldog production has been stopped a few times since 1992, when Charter Arms, the original manufacturer, went bankrupt.

Some time later, manufacturing began again under the Charco (descendant company of Charter Arms) trademark. This company also filed bankruptcy, and the models produced during this period showed obvious production flaws.^[9] It was produced again by Charter 2000; this company, which failed also, improved the weapon with a one-piece barrel, front sight, and ejector-shroud assembly.^[5] The original model had no ejector-shroud and the aluminum front sight was soldered to the barrel.

In June 2007, a version of the Bulldog with new features^[6] began to be produced by another company named Charter Arms,^[10] but this time was distributed by MKS Supply.^[11]

The Bulldog was used by the serial killerDavid Berkowitz aka 'The .44 Caliber Killer' and the 'Son of Sam' who was responsible for a series of attacks and murders in New York City during 1976–1977 (before he was caught due to an outstanding parking violation).^[12]

The name “Bulldog” was a homage to the original Webley revolvers of the same name.

Description[edit]

Like most Charter Arms weapons, the Bulldog is a relatively inexpensive yet serviceable, no-frills,^[5]snubnosed revolver.^[10] It was designed to be concealed easily because of its small size, yet also fire a 'big bore' caliber.^[10] The Bulldog has no sharp edges to contend with when carrying the weapon in a holster or a pocket.^[6] The Bulldog is a solid-framed traditional double-action revolver with a five-round cylinder which can be opened by pushing a release slide on the left of the gun, or in the original model by pulling the ejector rod. It features a concave sight.^[7] Its trigger pull, in both single and double-action modes, is quite light.^[5] If a large quantity of residue piles up inside the revolver because of heavy usage, the cylinder crane's axle screw can be removed and the cylinder pulled out from the gun for cleaning.^[6] Most critics believe the best use for the Bulldog is self-defense.^[6][9]

Performance[edit]

The accuracy of the Bulldog is aided by its trigger pull. According to reviews, it is more accurate than expected for a revolver of its size and type^[5] but probably not enough to be called an 'accurate' weapon.^[6][9]

When the gun is fired, the hammer does not actually strike the firing pin. Under normal firing circumstances a small steel bar (called a transfer bar) is raised as the trigger is pulled, placing it into a position between the firing pin and the hammer itself. The falling hammer strikes the transfer bar, which in turn strikes the firing pin, discharging the weapon.^[6] If the trigger is not being pulled when the hammer falls, the transfer bar will not be in position and the weapon will not discharge.

Ammunition[edit]

The Bulldog is apparently intended for light, fast bullets, as with heavier and slower bullets it is less accurate.^[5] With most ammunition types the muzzle velocity tends to be between 705 and 1000 feet per second (215 and 305 meters per second, respectively).^[10][13] For self-defense the Blazer 200-grain (13 g) Gold Dot is, apparently, the load of choice for the Bulldog.^[13] If the Bulldog is used to hunt, the most effective ammo is, reportedly, the 240- or 250-grain (16 g) SWC. With this bullet type, the shot is very powerful and has a strong penetration but the recoil can easily be handled. Other ammo types are weaker or provide too much recoil.^[13]

Models[edit]

Five models of the Bulldog have been produced, allowing customers to choose between: .44 Special and .357 Magnumcartridges, gun lengths of 7.2 inches (184 mm) and 6.7 inches (171 mm) and barrel lengths of either 2.5 inches (64 mm) or 2.2 inches (56 mm).^[14][15] All Bulldog models have a cylinder of five shots.^[7] Currently, Charter Arms only offers its 14420, 74420 and 74421 versions.^[15] Charter's Police Undercover could also be considered as a Bulldog variant because it is produced with the same frame model but its caliber is different and it was built to resemble the Undercover by Charter.^[16]

References[edit]

1. ^'14420 Bulldog, Blue Standard'. Charter Arms.
2. ^'34431 .44 Special Classic Bulldog'. Charter Arms.
3. ^'74442 .44 Target Bulldog with 4.2' Barrel'. Charter Arms.
4. ^Williams, Dick. 'Pocket Protectors'. Guns and Hunting. Archived from the original on 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
5. ^ ^abcdefQuinn, Jeff. 'Charter 2000 .44 Bulldog Pug'. www.gunblast.com. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
6. ^ ^abcdefgTrzoneic, Stan (January 2008). 'Charter Arms Bulldog Pug – A classic .44 returns to production, with several CCW-friendly enhancements'. Guns & Ammo. Archived from the original on 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
7. ^ ^abcdeMcNab, p. 74
8. ^'Charter 2000's Bulldog Shows Why Experts Liked .44 Special'. www.gunweek.com. Archived from the original on 2006-11-15. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
9. ^ ^abcChris Luchini and Norman F. Johnson. 'Charter Arms Bulldog'. rec.guns. Archived from the original on 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
10. ^ ^abcd'The Gun Zone - Charter Arms Bulldog Pug'. www.thegunzone.com. Archived from the original on 2007-08-21. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
11. ^'MKS Supply Partners'. www.mkssupply.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-16. Retrieved 2007-10-28.
12. ^'David Berkowitz'. www.allserialkillers.com. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
13. ^ ^abcM.L. McPherson. 'Charter Arms 44 Special Bulldogs: Care and Feeding'. www.levergun.com. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
14. ^ ^abcdefgh'Bulldog parts and prices'(PDF). www.charterfirearms.com. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
15. ^ ^abcdefghi'The Bulldog from Charter Arms'. www.charterfirearms.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-14. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
16. ^'The Police Undercover from Charter Arms'. www.charterfirearms.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-10-25.

Bibliography[edit]

• Chris McNab. Atlas ilustrado de Armas de fuego (in Spanish). Susaeta Ediciones. ISBN84-305-5801-2.

External links[edit]

Media related to Charter Arms Bulldog at Wikimedia Commons

Charter Arms Co. is an American manufacturer of revolvers. During its history since 1964 and till today, Charter Arms has produced revolvers chambered in the following calibers: .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magnum, .357 Magnum, .38 Special, 9x19mm Parabellum, .40 Smith & Wesson, .41 Remington Magnum, .44 Special, .45 ACP and .45 Colt. The most famous revolvers manufactured by Charter Arms are the .44 Special Bulldog and .38 Special Bulldog Pug.

History[edit]

Douglas McClenahan, a young gun designer who had previously worked for Colt, High Standard, and Sturm, Ruger founded Charter Arms in 1964 to produce handguns. His first pistol was a five-shot revolver called 'The Undercover' chambered for .38 Special. Ynab 4 activation keygens. McClenahan's innovation was to avoid using the side plate designs manufactured by other revolver makers for a one-piece frame, giving the new revolver a strength that allowed it to safely shoot high loads.^[1] McClenahan also reduced the number of moving parts used in the gun and created a safety device for the firing pin.

The company, then located in Stratford, Connecticut, went bankrupt in the 1990s, but the Charter design and mark were resurrected by Charter 2000, which was founded by the Ecker family. The new company capitalized on the fame of the old Charter Arms revolvers. Operations were moved to Shelton, Connecticut.

Basing their new line of weapons on the basic Charter Arms design, the new company has made a few improvements such as the use of a one-piece barrel and front sight. The one-piece barrels of the new models are machined with eight grooves instead of six for higher velocity, flatter trajectory and better accuracy. The new models feature a completely blocked hammer system so that the gun cannot fire unless the trigger is held in full rear position.

In addition to reintroducing the .38 Special Undercover and the .44 Special Bulldog, Charter 2000 produces revolvers chambered for .22 Long Rifle/.22 Magnum (the Pathfinder), .357 magnum (the Mag Pug) and .38 Special (the Off-Duty and the Police Bulldog).

In 2005, Charter 2000 announced that it would be filing for bankruptcy, blaming the costs associated with nuisance lawsuits for their financial trouble.

In September 2005, MKS Supply entered into an agreement with Charter Arms where MKS Supply would handle the sales, marketing and distribution for Charter Arms.^[2]

In 2008, Charter Arms brought the new Patriot revolvers to the market.^[3] The Patriot revolvers were chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum, and were available in 2.2' or 4' stainless steel models. The Charter Arms web site as of August 2011 no longer lists this model under the products category.

Also in 2008, Charter Arms announced a new revolver: the Charter Arms Rimless Revolver. The new revolver would be able to load and fire rimless cartridges such as the 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP without the need for moon clips. Initially, the revolver was to ship in early spring, however, reported problems with the patents delayed the introduction.^[4] Charter Arms set a release date of April 2009 for the CARR. However, Charter Arms missed this deadline, and company representatives have suggested the release date may not be until 'late July' of 2009. The CARR which was subsequently called the Pitbull finally reached production in August 2011 and the first Pitbull models had a 2.3' barrel and were chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge as this is the most popular U.S. law enforcement round and would enable the Pitbull to be used as a back-up gun to the .40 service pistol.^[5]

In October 2010 MKS discontinued the sales and marketing of Charter Arms. Charter now has taken over the sales and marketing function.

At SHOT Show 2018 Charter introduced the .41 Remington Magnum Mag Pug and the .45 Colt Bulldog XL.

Historical and cultural significance[edit]

• The .44 SpecialBulldog revolver gained notoriety after it was used by Son of Sam serial killer David Berkowitz in his murder spree.^[6]
• A Charter Arms 'Undercover' .38 Special model was used by Arthur Bremer to attempt to assassinate George Wallace in 1972.
• A Charter Arms 'Undercover' .38 Special model was used by Mark David Chapman to murder John Lennon in 1980.^[7]
• A Charter Arms .38 Special was used in the murder of Police Officer Daniel Faulkner December 9,1981

Products[edit]

• The Bulldog: .44 Special
• The Bulldog XL: .45 Colt
• The Target Bulldog: .357 Magnum
• The Undercover: .38 Special
• The Undercoverette: .32 H&R Magnum
• The Mag Pug: .357 Magnum and .41 Remington Magnum
• The Patriot: .327 Federal Magnum
• The Pathfinder: .22 LR and .22 Magnum
• The Off Duty: .38 Special (similar to the Undercover but with a bobbed hammer and weighing 12 oz (340 g))
• The Dixie Derringer: .22 LR and .22 Magnum
• The Pitbull: .45 ACP, .40 S&W, and 9×19mm Luger (same frame as Bulldog and Pug)
• The Southpaw: .38 Special (similar to Undercover, but made for left-handed shooters)^{[8][citation needed]}

References[edit]

1. ^Charter Arms FAQArchived August 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
2. ^'MKS Supply Partners With Charter Firearms'. AmmoLand.com Shooting Sports News.
3. ^'Charter Arms .327 Fed. Mag. Snub Nose Revolver Is A Real Hot Rod!'. AmmoLand.com Shooting Sports News.
4. ^'Charter Arms' New Revolutionary Rimless Revolver'. AmmoLand.com Shooting Sports News.
5. ^Charter Arms websiteArchived June 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
6. ^http://www.vpc.org/studies/wgun7677.htm
7. ^http://www.vpc.org/studies/wgun801208.htm
8. ^'Southpaw'. Charter Arms.