This is what I think of Charter Arms

[Harrylee]

Last year I picked up a Charter Arms target pathfinder .22 so I could practice my point shooting in my yard, about as loud as I can get here, thought it would be a good tool. So after a lot of rounds thru it I started to have trouble with the timing of the cylinder it would jamb. Tried all that I could on it but nothing I did fixed the problem, so I finally called Charter Arms and I must admit the people there where nothing less than fantastic. Talked to Dee she is service manager and she sent me a UPS label that was last Thursday got it shipped that day they had it on Friday. Thought I was not going to see it for two weeks or so, well on Tuesday I got a call from Marissa in service saying it was going out that day, I was amazed how fast they got it back to me. Looked up the tracking number said it would be here Wednesday fantastic since that is my birthday thought that was a good gift. All the people there are stand up so I’m sending a copy of this to Charter Arms also. Charter Arms is a life time warranty they stand behind what they make

Thank you Dee Service Manager Thank you Marissa Service Thank you Donna Parts
You all made it a good birthday for me

[JFootin]

That's very good service! I hear a lot of junk about Taurus firearms. Most of it just ignorant prejudice from people who have no experience with them. I have owned a couple of them and found them to be high quality, well engineered guns. No pot metal. No Saturday night specials. The 738 TCP 380 that I got about a year ago had a couple of issues. I called Taurus CS and talked with a very nice young lady who was not hesitant about saying it needed to come back to the mothership. She had the FedEx man pick it up at my door the next day and it was back to me in 14 days, totally fixed. Taurus is another company with a lifetime warranty on all of their competitively priced guns, and stand behind it!

[Longitude Zero]

I have had several Taurus's and they all worked fine. I have never known a Charter Arms firearm that was worth a damn. That name has a bad connotation as being a Saturday Night Special. When in fact Charter Arms based sdvertising upon that very slogan.

[Bawanna]

I think in the early days Charter Arms and Taurus were in the same canoe.

If you got a good one you had a decent gun. Most of the internals were soft so trigger jobs and that sort of thing were not recommended and most good Smiths wouldn't touch them.
I had a Bulldog Pug? 44 Special that was a great little gun, so long ago I don't even recall how we took separate paths but I'm sure it's not in the toy box.

I'm not real familiar with Charter Arms of late, I'm sure they are under new management several times since those days.

Taurus has of course improved with time. Still not Smith or Colt but they put out some very decent stuff.

[Salty]

Good to hear that about the excellent customer service. I only have one Charter 5 shot snub 38 spcl. that is about 30 years old and never had a problem. It is not a pretty frame but does work and was really inexpensive when I bought as a carry back-up pistol in the early 80's. I have dealt with most manufacturers customer service / repair over the years. The only one I had a problem with was Magnum Research on a 2 month old rifle. Never did resolve the problem and they did not care one bit about it. Ruger would be my top recommendation and the old Marlin / NEF crew before they were sold and moved as second place.

[jocko]

jWe sold charters back years ago. basicaly they were a pretty good gun. IMO and just my opinion to. these guns could not take the rounds a Ruger or Smith could take, but again I have no basis for that either,other than just looking at the internals and lockup of the charters etc.

[ltxi]

I think in the early days Charter Arms ......

.....were excellent firearms and the company ended up on both Colt's and S&W's hit list. Anything made before the original company was forced under are equal and often better than the big two's comparable offerings. I think the .44 Bulldog was their final undoing. No competitive product so they had to be taken out. One of my never, ever sell arms is a '60s Undercover. Sixteen ounces of 2/3 of the weight and price J-frame sized carry gun that kept me away from J's until the stainless M60.

[jocko]

that would be news to me, as colt was reallynever a player much when charter was up and running. Smith and Ruger dominated. Coltswere great guns but their small whell guns never sold for crap, at least around my area. Charter was the poor mans wheel gun compared to Smith and Ruger.they were good guns but I thinkthe colonel said it well. their parts were not up to par toa colt or Smith or ruger. They could have been a threat to Smith had they been good guns to. I only had one to ever have to go back to the factory, but I have no doubt that they would not hold up to a Smith or Ruger or Colt for longivity, but again most guns were never worn out from shootin them.

IMO there is just not a wheel gun out there than can offer what the Smith J frames can offer,not trying to step on any otes either but this is my 21 cents worth and YMMV. Just sayin.

My ony J frame in my home today is my Model 60 vintage early 70's..

[Bawanna]

"My ony J frame in my home today is my Model 60 vintage early 70's.. "



Tell me it's a 9mm conversion and I'll die a happy man.

[ltxi]

Jocko....Ruger wasn't making "J's" in the '60s less I done missed a good bit. Early Charter's were every bit as good as the competition. The durability issue/question came about because of their aluminum frame....back before Smith had a clue and made practical because of one piece/no side plate. They could not stand a steady diet of abusive hand loads like a steel gun....'cept that mine actually survived some really stupid, youthful 70's abusive with nothing more than a slightly stretched frame. It's still completely functional.

My first M60 was very early production. Couldn't keep it.

[chuckt]

I have 3 from Taurus and one from Charter Arms as well as others. So far anything I have needed from any of the factories has been taken care of very quickly exceeding my expectations. This includes Taurus, Kahr, and Kel Tec.

[berettabone]

Wouldn't own either............................................ ................................T or C