357 in the S&W because it represents, as do the other guns, the highest power-to-weight ratio in their product line. I chose these guns for this comparison because they’re both powerful and lightweight, and have excellent triggers that are light and manageable. 38 Special +P, and the Smith & Wesson 340 M&P chambered for the. Three such Noisy Crickets are the Ruger LCRx and the Charter Arms Undercover Lite, both chambered in. Very Worthy Carry Revolvers The five-shot Ruger LCRx revolver is the newest of the test class and performed quite admirably. My choice of a five-shot compact revolver is the lightest and most powerful I can obtain. Because of this, I advocate carrying the most potent firearm you can handle. We all understand the stopping power of the firearm can have a profound effect on the number of rounds required to stop a determined assailant.Ĭertainly, most would agree that a single, well-placed, highly effective round would be more likely to stop a bad guy than one from a. The author puts three great compact carry revolvers through a little side-by-side testing. This one demands the dead-on hold.The S&W 340 M&P is an updated, lightweight version of the famed Model 36 Chief’s Special. The Hornady offering features a 165-grain bullet at a true 900 fps. I have also used the Hornady Critical Defense loading. For some time, the standard defense load in the Bulldog among most that carry this pug has been the Winchester 200-grain Silvertip. The Fiocchi Cowboy load has also proven pleasant to fire.Īt 15 yards, these bullets strike the center of the target with the six o’clock hold. Both average about 755 fps from the Bulldog’s 3-inch barrel. These include both the traditional 246-grain RNL load from Winchester and the new 240-grain flat point load. I have used a number of good quality practice loads with the. It isn’t hurtful and not as sharp as the. The Bulldog does have a kick, and some practice is required to master the revolver. This isn’t necessary with modern Bulldog revolvers. Note: The author’s revolver features grips that have been relieved for proper ejection of spent cartridge cases. 44 Special just seems the ideal Bulldog cartridge. The Magnum also kicks a lot in small-frame revolvers. 357 Magnum is its tremendous muzzle blast. 357 Magnum loses a lot of velocity in a short barrel, but the primary drawback to the. However, the bullet leaves the barrel at a true 0.429-inch with good bullet mass. 44 really doesn’t kick much more in a similar weight gun. Both have a good reputation in personal defense. 455 Webley at 650 fps with a 265-grain bullet. With a 246-grain RNL bullet at 750 fps, the. 44 Special have worn out many good revolvers. 44 Special, introduced in 1907, was intended as a mild and accurate big-bore cartridge. 44 Special cartridge is a good choice for a Bulldog revolver. The modern grip works better on factory guns. I have cut out the grip to allow easy ejection of spent cases. The modern grips are superior to the ones on my handgun. The new Bulldog revolver features a shrouded barrel and ejector rod, tall front sight, and is available in stainless steel. 38s are good guns as well, however, the Bulldog is my favorite of the Charter Arms revolvers. It isn’t a copy of an old-line revolver made to sell more cheaply rather it is designed to offer a reliable, but affordable option. The Charter Arms design is intended to allow inexpensive manufacture, but not cheap manufacture. Note the painted front sight for visibility. The Bulldog’s sights are excellent examples of combat sights. However, the modern revolver featured a transfer bar ignition system. The design featured an ejector rod that locked at the rear but not the front, and the finish was not on a par with the old-line makers. 38 was lengthened, and the revolver fitted with hand fitting grips and a 3-inch barrel. The frame of the Charter Arms Undercover. In 1973, it introduced the Bulldog revolver. Good guns were scarce, and the Charter Arms revolvers were available. A true Bulldog should be relatively compact.Ĭharter Arms made a name for itself with the introduction of a lightweight steel-frame revolver in the 1960s. The American Sheriff’s Model revolvers did not quite fit the bill, as most were six-shot revolvers on a large frame.
Back when the British were free people-ironically they are less free now than under a monarchy-these revolvers protected Brits the world over. The British Bulldog revolvers were typically small-frame revolvers with five-shot cylinders firing the. The first Bulldogs were developed about as soon as we had cartridge revolvers. The Charter Arms Bulldog isn’t a go-anywhere do-anything handgun like a 4-inch barrel.