Charter Arms Bulldog in .45 ACP

[PED1945]

I have had good results in my 44 BD using 44 Russian cases and lighter bullets with modest charges of Bullseye and HP-38. Lee mold 429-214 SWC drops bullets at 218 grains, which also works for light loads in 44 Magnum. This bullet does not work well in my 1984 Marlin.; it is too small for the microgroove barrel.

For defensive uses, a 200 grain .430 bullet at 600 fps should be sufficient.

 

[BeeMan]

I'm thinking that if I ran across a CA in 45 ACP I might have to go pull out some fun money. I just haven't seen any in my random wanderings through the local retail places.

 

[Winelover]

I'm thinking that if I ran across a CA in 45 ACP I might have to go pull out some fun money. I just haven't seen any in my random wanderings through the local retail places.

Most likely you won't. CA's large caliber revolvers are rare as hens teeth. Never seen any in Detroit, nor here in Arkansas. I bought mine off GB, as a Buy it Now.

 

[richhodg66]

I've sèen two of these show up in local shops here in the past year or so. The shop here in town has several in .38/.357. I did see one in Topeka not long ago in .45 Colt, should have bought it.

 

[RicinYakima]

"Pocket carry" to me is the gun in the front pocket. That gets you to talking about just what kind of trousers you wear and how you wear them.

For the last 10 years I only buy Duluth Trading Company blue jeans. They have deep pockets made of very heavy material. I'm portly and wear suspenders, that helps a lot not having to wear a belt. FWIW

 

[Winelover]

I'm wearing Duluth 40 Grit twill, right now. Model 642 in Mika pocket holster, in the normal pocket. They are a Carpenter style with cargo pockets. These are my transition weather pants.

During the winter, I wear Wrangler Workwear Riggs Ripstop Ranger Carpenter Cargo Pants.

https://www.wrangler.com/shop/wrangler-riggs-workwear-ripstop-ranger-cargo-pant-3W060.html?merchCategory=WRG_MEN_WORKWEAR&dwvar_3W060_color=3W060BR

Summer, its Bass Pro Redhead Stanley Cargo pants or Redhead 8 pocket hiker shorts.

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/redhead-stanley-pants-for-men?searchTerm=2490998

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/redhead-8-pocket-hiker-shorts-for-men

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Charter Arms went through a lot of changes in management and there were QC issues at a few points, but the Bulldog I bought about 1989 which was used, has always been great.

The .45 ACP certainly offers some things, brass is very plentiful and I have more .45 molds than .44. Kind of on the fence about that rimless system of headspace and extraction. Might not worry me in a sporting pistol, but a gun designed for what this is designed for needs to work absolutely, positively 110% of the time.

Valid observations.

There have been several iterations of Charter Arms with varying degrees of quality. In the “For what it’s worth” category, my opinion is the basic design is very good but the execution of the final product has been a bit inconsistent over the life of the design. This is not meant to be disparaging of Charter Arms as a whole, just an observation of varying degrees of quality control over the years.

Moving on to the comment about the ejection system for the 45 ACP CA revolver. I share the concerns that Richhodg66 expresses. It’s not a question of “will it work”? Obviously, it will work. The question is, how long will it work and how reliable will it be?

Not being able to just drop cartridges into the chambers seems like a drawback. The durability of those tiny individual spring-loaded extractors also seems questionable. And I would be concerned with a casing under the extractor type malfunction with that system.

The ability to use small primer 45 ACP cases would be a plus because it gives you the ability to pick large or small primers. The plentiful availability of 45 ACP brass is also a plus. But that rimless cartridge thing in a revolver gives me some concern.

 

[Winelover]

Valid observations.

There have been several iterations of Charter Arms with varying degrees of quality. In the “For what it’s worth” category, my opinion is the basic design is very good but the execution of the final product has been a bit inconsistent over the life of the design. This is not meant to be disparaging of Charter Arms as a whole, just an observation of varying degrees of quality control over the years.

S&W went though the same thing back in the 80's, IIRC, when Punta was in charge.

 

[RBHarter]

Moon clips are all the rage again and solve the Speed loader and fumled brass deal without needing all those neat little claws .......there's always 45 cowboy brass , like AR but with a Colts rim.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm wearing Duluth 40 Grit twill, right now. Model 642 in Mika pocket holster, in the normal pocket. They are a Carpenter style with cargo pockets. These are my transition weather pants.

Two big thumbs up for the Mika pocket holsters. Some of the best money I ever spent and it wasn’t even a lot of money.

A close second is the old “El Raton” leather pocket holster. It needs to be cut away a little to make clearance for the cylinder, but my example is pushing 25 years old and still going strong.

On the topic of pocket carry, I cannot over stress the importance of a pocket holster. Not only does the holster keep the gun oriented correctly in the pocket, it also breaks up the outline of the gun so that it doesn’t print. And most important, it shields the trigger.

The material used in the Mika seems a little low tech at first but after just a little use; the advantages are plainly evident. It just flat WORKS!

As for the style of pants for pocket carry, that will entirely depend on each individual. I agree that cargo pants have a lot of value in that application. In some environments, cargo pants blend in and in other environments they scream “gun”. In situations where cargo pants look out of place, there are more business-like options. The key is to find what works for you. Fortunately, khaki blends in well just about everywhere and there are lots of options with adequate pockets.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

S&W went though the same thing back in the 80's, IIRC, when Punta was in charge.

Yep, very true.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

Moon clips are all the rage again and solve the Speed loader and fumled brass deal without needing all those neat little claws .......there's always 45 cowboy brass , like AR but with a Colts rim.

The problem is a bent moonclip will tie up the gun. The moonclip that is in the gun will be fine. A spare moonclip loaded with cartridges that is not in the gun, is easily damaged. So while moonclips look cool in competition, they have a weakness in real world settings.
This is one of the reasons that moonclips never replaced speedloaders in law enforcement applications back when DA revolvers were the norm in LE.
A speedloader can take a tremendous amount of abuse, not deform, and will still function. Not so much for a loaded moonclip.

 

[Winelover]

I have two of Mika's pocket holsters, both the square cut. I had Mika add one inch to the width/ bottom of his original design. The original has a tendency to turn in some of the wider pockets. Especially, the cargo ones.

 

[Bret4207]

I've found, if you're like me an absolutely will not pay over $20 for a pair of work jeans, that if you take the time to check the pocket size/opening size of the various discount type jeans you will often find some wide variations. Same thing for making sure ALL the belt loops are there. Brand name means nothing to me in work clothes. I'm currently wearing some gifted Levis, they suck just as band now as they did 40 years ago when I gave up on them.

 

[Jeff H]

Valid observations.

There have been several iterations of Charter Arms with varying degrees of quality. In the “For what it’s worth” category, my opinion is the basic design is very good but the execution of the final product has been a bit inconsistent over the life of the design. This is not meant to be disparaging of Charter Arms as a whole, just an observation of varying degrees of quality control over the years...

Man, am I glad to hear someone else speak objectively on that point. There were the bad years, but even today, their market does not demand the upper level of finesse that the design is worthy of. These were budget revolvers, even in their infancy, but were nicely finished and the tapered barrels were actually almost... classy.

This leads into @Winelover 's comment about not finding certain CAs. I think Mr. Ecker WANTS to sell things WE like, but he also knows his market - people who "need a gun" and want it cheap and then toss it into the glove box or sock drawer. I honestly believe that THOSE buyers keep CA afloat. I have a 3", 5-shot 357 CA Mag Pug that I love, but they aren't that easy to find. The HOT-SELLERS are the ones that are dainty and light and "feel good in the hands" of the uninitiated and THOSE sell like hot-cakes.

I'd pay another hundred bucks for a Charter big bore or 357 with a tapered barrel, NO "underlug" and a tad more attention to cylinder to bore alignment. I am quite fond of the design and they have served me well over the years. When I pared down, I could have sold off surplus and funded an SP101, an M60, Kimber or Colt. I stuck with the design I like the best. Yeah, Ruger made a GP100 in 44 Special,.... pshhhh! NO comparison to a Bridgeport, 3" Bulldog! Nothing against the Ruger, but Charter nailed it with the Bulldog well before Ruger copied aspects of the design in the late seventies. Charter had a head start is all.

 

[Jeff H]

I've found, if you're like me an absolutely will not pay over $20 for a pair of work jeans, that if you take the time to check the pocket size/opening size of the various discount type jeans you will often find some wide variations. Same thing for making sure ALL the belt loops are there. Brand name means nothing to me in work clothes. I'm currently wearing some gifted Levis, they suck just as band now as they did 40 years ago when I gave up on them.

Man after my own heart!

I found two pairs of BRAND NEW Rustlers (what I wear in jeans) at Goodwill for $3 per pair last fall! They were $11 per pair at WM last time I bought some. Once the holes in the ones I'm wearing now are bigger than the actual material left, I'll dig out those $2 Rustlers and break 'em in.

So, Rustlers don't really show off our manly figures like Lees or Levis, but at our age, that's a PLUS!

I was going to go bare-chested, biballs and barefoot last summer, but biballs are $40 now!!!

 

[RicinYakima]

Man after my own heart!

I found two pairs of BRAND NEW Rustlers (what I wear in jeans) at Goodwill for $3 per pair last fall! They were $11 per pair at WM last time I bought some. Once the holes in the ones I'm wearing now are bigger than the actual material left, I'll dig out those $2 Rustlers and break 'em in.

So, Rustlers don't really show off our manly figures like Lees or Levis, but at our age, that's a PLUS!

I was going to go bare-chested, biballs and barefoot last summer, but biballs are $40 now!!!

Well, the issue is that at 75 years of age, and living on the government dole, I don't have to live like I grew up in poverty any more.

My overalls are of soft cotton, no rotten vegetables in my fridge and I drive a less then 20 year old truck.

These last few years of my life are going to be "comfortable", damn the cost. Even put in a heat pump so I don't have install window AC units or chop fire wood anymore. You folks can do that, I'm done with it.

p.s. Even hired a guy to paint my house this year, so there.

 

[Winelover]

I purchase what works. Life it too short. However, I refuse to pay Duluth's regular prices, for their offerings. I signed up for their emails and get daily sales. Every pair of Duluth pants, I've purchased, were 40% off or better, with free shipping.

Same with Wrangler, they periodically run sales, with free shipping. Plus, by purchasing direct, I can get colors......most stores don't carry.

 

[Bret4207]

And here I was thinking I was living high on the hog because my 1986 F150 isn't a rust bucket! I must be doing something wrong.

To each their own.

 

[Petrol & Powder]

I grew up in blue jeans, I suspect many of us did. The recent quality of blue jeans is disappointing, to say the least. I have two pairs left in the closet and I doubt I’ll be in a hurry to replace those when they wear out. Blue denim was once the standard for inexpensive, tough pants; not anymore.

With age comes some hard-earned experience. I have found there are some good clothing options out there, but you must find what works for you. I have a mixture of inexpensive clothing and some not so inexpensive clothing. I will not bore members here with details but I will say that sometimes inexpensive clothing is absolutely the right path and sometimes paying for quality is the way to go. The key is knowing which path to take and when to take it.