Couple handgun questions (Charter Arms, Rock Island)

[Dantheman]

Hey guys,

Couple questions

1. Anyone shoot a Charter Arms bulldog concealed hammer in .44 special or know anything about them? I'm looking to purchase my first handgun and from my searches, I'm getting mixed reviews on it.

The reviews that concern me the most are that it doesnt go boom when you pull the trigger sometimes.

2. My second question is about the gun I'm most likley going to buy next. A Rock Island 1911. From what Ive read, it seems like a solid little gun for the price. But I read that theres no guarentee that it will fully function with JHP ammo. Can anyone elaborate on that? Do all 1911's have that problem?

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Dan

 

[august1410]

As far as the Bulldog goes, my research tells me that the original Charter Arms guns were pretty reliable for an inexpensive revolver. However, recoil was a bear.

Since Charter 2000 and Charco, I believe the quality has dropped a couple of notches. For the same price, you could find a much more manageable S&W .38spl that would get the job done just as well, if not better.

 

[mikec]

Other than handling a Charter Arms in a gun shop many years ago, I have no experience with them.

As for the RIA 1911's, I have a 5" Tactical model. So far I have only tried to fire JHPs through it once and all five Black Hills 230gr JHPs fed without a hitch. All the other ammo through the gun has been 230gr FMJ "ball" and the gun is 100% with that, even during a session at Continental when it was rather cold and the gun sat about an hour before being used.

On another forum RIA has said the gun was built to military specs and JHPs may not work. Armscor has a very good service center in NV and they take care of the guns and their customers. The company doesn't hide their contact info and help the buyers if it is needed.

 

[Brychan]

I have 2 RIA's a compact that I bought used and a new 1911A1 the only feeding issue I had with the compact was caused by the magazine (a promag if I recall correctly) other than that it eats what ever I feed it. The new one took about a 100-150 rds to break it in and it eats what ever I feed it. JHP or ball have had no problems.

 

[Dantheman]

Thanks for the replies guys! I think I'll just plan on picking up an RIA 1911. that is, until I change my mind, which I'm bound to do, LOL.

August,

I've been considering a 38 special. But, if I'm ever in the position to have to shoot someone, I'm not sure if 38 is gonna lay 'em down and the last thing I need is a lawsuit and hospital bills for not getting the job done. I'm still thinking though, LOL.

 

[Fester60]

RIA 1911A1

I just got a RIA 1911A1 last week. I field stripped it and oiled it. The next day I went to the range and put 200 rounds of winchester white box FMJ through it. Performed perfectly. No FTF or FTE. Once I got used to the sights it was very accurate also. I got it for $450 and for that price I am very happy with it. It was fun to shoot and might now be my favorite pistol.

 

[hole punch]

An RIA 1911 is making it's way to the top of my long list, if there is such a thing. Good to hear more positive reviews. I'm always wary of affordable guns after being stung on a couple cheap guns in the past.

Keep the comments coming

 

[NathanJ]

I have had a RI for about three to four years now. Had one problem with it and sent it in to Armscor. Had it back in less then two weeks. Arnel put his magic on it and have not had one problem since and it will eat a steady diet of HP's.

 

[j8064]

Can't comment on Charter, but I truly love my RIA 1911a Tactical. I've had it for about a year. I've never fed it HP ammo and sometimes it doesn't like my reloads (my own fault - we're still getting to know each others tastes), but it'll eat anything else it's fed.

 

[vette97]

I have no problems with JHP feeding my RIA Compact Tactical. I got 2 spare Chip McCormick Match Grade mags for it and it runs AOK! I'm considering selling it since I have three .45's and this one doesn't get used much.

 

[ThawMyTongue]

I have no problems with JHP feeding my RIA Compact Tactical. I got 2 spare Chip McCormick Match Grade mags for it and it runs AOK! I'm considering selling it since I have three .45's and this one doesn't get used much.

selling it? hmmmm, if you sell it are you going to post it in the classified?

 

[Fester60]

I have the base parkerized RIA model 1911 and I love it. It was my first 1911 and now I want more. I have only shot ball ammo through it and it has never had any problem in hundreds of rounds. I was very happy with that $440 purchase.

 

[4g64loser]

the RIA 1911s are great guns. shop i work at has sold many many examples of this weapon in various configurations. three of the guys in the shop own them.

on the charter arms, i've shot it and the recoil with defensive special loads (.44 special Winchester Silvertip) is not as bad as you would expect (i shoot a .44 mag with 300 gr handloads for hunting and target use, so take my opinions with a grain of salt, i guess).

The gun felt kinda cheesy....I almost ended up buying one but ended up with a 66 combat master instead (more coin, but .357 is much cheaper to buy and load than .44 special). 44 special is a weird round to find unless you are a handloader i don't recommend it.

 

[GNLaFrance]

If you find a Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special in good shape for less than $350, grab it. It's dependable, and .44 Special is better all around than .38 Special for self defense purposes without a lot more recoil.

 

[Jerry M]

Buddy has a CA Bulldog great carry gun. Recoil is manageable. Makes a big hole. it is not likely to win many matches, but it is great for what it is designed for.

Good luck

Jerry

 

[mikec]

Midway has some CCI Blazer .44 Special ammo that is loaded with 200gr Speer Gold Dots. A 200 gr .429" slug going 875 fps should get a bad guy's attention.

 

[pop-gunner]

I think given the choice between the two I'd have to go RIA.
The older Charters were fine revolvers but quality control has taken a dive.
I like the idea of large caliber snubnose revolvers but I think I'd go with a 2 inch .44 mag. if I were gonna do something like that.
230gr ball in a 1911 is no joke even if you can't use hollowpoints.

 

[damifinowfish]

Just my .02 worth about the Charter Arms bulldog concealed hammer in .44 special.
If you plan on carrying this then it make cents. If you are looking for a shooter / home defense gun then I have some questions.

First: What will the ammo cost be between the .44 spl and the .357 that you could also shoot .38spl out of the same gun?

Second: Try to find a stub nose and a 4 in barrel gun in the same cal that you can shoot side by side. Then form your own opinion.

I have not shoot very many short barrel guns that I would want to own. I have found a few but most of them were ported or pricey.

Just my opinion

 

[Cold Steel]

I owned a Charter Arms .44 Bulldog years ago as well as a .38 Spc. snubbie, and frankly, the guns, while easy to pack, don't hold up to sustained shooting. The solid frame was a good idea, but the guns themselves were on the flimsy side and tended to bind after awhile and loosen substantially. I finally got a Rossi .38 and a Taurus .357 (because they're gorgeous and I couldn't find a S&W 66). The Rossis were a little rough, but they shot well and I still have a .38 and a .22LR. The Taurus revolvers I ordered (I had an FFL at the time) were all horrible shooters, and when I gauged the cylinder throats I found out why. The chambers were essentially holes without throats, and the bullets tended to fly everywhere with reckless abandon.

To get to the point, go with a reputable gun and manufacturer, and I recommend you take a hard look at a Ruger, new or used. Smiths are ridiculously priced and the Rugers are strong and well made. I recently was at a gun store watching a fellow look at a Ruger GP1 and a S&W 686. Both guns are excellent, but the Smith was $200 more than the Ruger -- and the guns are a toss up. Sure the Ruger is made of investment cast steel, but many tests have shown that the Rugers are still stronger because they don't have a side plate.

You get what you pay for. When you want a good knife, you have to take many things into consideration: steel, heat treat, handles material and lock to name just a few. The same is true for a handgun. If you want a drawer handgun, the Charter Arms are fine. If you want to shoot them, I recommend you go with something else. The .44 Spc. also is a poor manstopper unless you handload. The bullet just doesn't go fast enough to break bones and do enough damage to stop people reliably. A .357 is ideal because it's powerful enough to take game and use for self defense with both calibers (.38 and .357).

My first revolver was a Ruger Security-Six. It's still my favorite revolver.

As for the .45 1911, I've seen few out-of-the-box 1911s that shoot reliably. Beginning with the S&W 459 and Beretta 92, auto designs have become much more reliable. For its day the 1911 was a great design, but modern designs are far better. Still, if you buy the new S&W 1911, you should be fine. But I've seen Kimbers jam on the firing line, and I'm just astounded. To pay that much for a gun and have to clear more than one jam per session...I just can't believe it. I have a S&W 659 that's NEVER jammed. And people with Sigs, Glocks and other modern designs also report few if any jams. In the first military trials, the Beretta malfunctioned an average of once every 2,000 rounds. The S&W 459, the second place winner, malfunctioned once every 952 rounds. The Colt .45 1911, on the other hand, was a dismal failure.

Hate to be so negative on the Charter Arms and 1911s, but if you can find a 1911 that works flawlessly out of the box, let me know!

The gun's solid frame and modular design adds greatly to its strength.

This S&W 645 is basically a .45 1911 designed to be a double action. But it can feed empty
cases into the chamber from the magazine, something most autos can't do.


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