CHAR UNDRCVR.38 2"-SS-RG

I just picked this firearm up at my FFL five days ago as I write this. I went straight to the range from the store that day, and put 65 rounds through it, 45 of these @ 12 yards and 20 @ 25 yards. The ammo consisted of 15 rounds of Underwood 125 grain P JHPs, and 50 rounds of Winchester 130 grain standard pressure FMJs. My initial impressions follow. Cons: - Finish is not at the same level as other major revolver makers such as Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger, or Taurus. There were some nasty tooling marks on the right side of the rear wall of the frame, aft of the cylinder. Didn’t effect functionality but reflects lower finishing standards. (I own both a Smith & Wesson and a Taurus revolver so I do have a basis for comparison on this metric and others noted below.) - Trigger guard and grip frame (or at least grip backstrap, as I haven’t removed the grips to look inside) are made of plastic. This is the first time I have ever seen this on a revolver. I guess this saves weight and cost, and again, doesn’t really impact functionality, but others at least use aluminum. I suppose when one considers that massive use of plastic is already accepted in semiautomatic pistols, it isn’t a big deal…but it does still seem chintzy. - When ejecting spent casings, one round always seems to get hung up on the left rubber grip panel. I suppose I could address this by switching to wood, but the pros of these grips still outweigh this issue, at least for me (see under “Pros” below). - Cylinder release is sticky. Perhaps this will go away with a little oil and use. But I still give it four stars. Here’s why. Pros: - Fixed sights are basic, but effective. They are dead on from the factory. No need for “Kentucky windage”. - Barrel seems to be of good quality, also contributing to accuracy. I believe Charter Arms uses more rifling grooves than other makers of this type of weapon. - Trigger pull is very good on double action, and simply awesome on single action. - Rubber grips are very comfortable and soak up recoil nicely. Even the high-powered Underwood ammo, while stout, was remarkably manageable for a 16 oz revolver. The standard pressure Winchester range ammo was a joy to shoot. I was very pleasantly surprised by the accuracy I could achieve with this revolver at 25 yards, especially for my first range session with it. Since I just got it, I can’t speak to long-term durability. But in terms of out-of-the-box accuracy and shootability, it is competitive with any other .38 snubbie from practically any other manufacturer you might care to name. It seems to be a very good value for the money. Anyone looking for a .38 snubbie with the performance features that really count can’t go wrong with a Charter Arms.

Great little revolver, fast shipping.

good value for a backup gun. Accurate and reliable

In my opinion, this is one of the best 38 Special I've owned. It's very concealable, fits well in a ankle holster, plus it packs a big punch.
I might cut the hammer
(Bobb it) 1 to 10 it's an 11

Great gun I love it not to big just the right size

Very happy with this revolver. Shoots straight and really fills the bill. Glad it came back in stock.

its like a zerox copy of some other revolver, finish is not a pretty, cast metal parts just dont seem as strong as the forged parts of other revolvers, front sight is cast to the barrel, it had some issues that required a few weeks at the manufacture to fix. over all I enjoy shooting this gun more than my LCR though -after the factory fixed it- the trigger is lighter than the LCR, single action is 2.5lbs and double is just over 8? the LCR was off the scale for my little 8lb trigger pull tester for double, single.. I dont recall but it was more than 2.5. recoil is a lot less with the Charter vs my LCR as well.

I have 100 rounds through this gun now. No failure to fires, and the empty rounds extract nicely. No problems with the cylinder binding, or failing to advance. The fit and finish is not as nice as my Rugers, but the gun looks and works just fine. The lock up on the cylinder is very clean, with no slop. The timing is perfect. The gun mechanics are smooth. I was pleasantly surprised with the trigger. It was much smoother brand new, than my Charter Pathfinder .22, and overall, very good. I am placing the rounds in a two inch group at 7 yards. The gun seems to shoot about an inch left of POI. The stock rubber grip is not bad at all. It is comfortable and fits my hand well. I will be putting a smaller Eagle wooden grip on the gun to reduce its imprint in my front pocket, but it is not necessary. The sight picture is fine in good light, and hard to pick up in low light. Some orange paint on the front sight would fix that. Overall I am happy with the gun, and it is my everyday pocket carry right now.

great wheel gun lightweight and made 100% in America you can carry this all day no problem

Very awesome revolver for a great price. High quality little revolver. The grip frame is plastic, which I didn't know before hand; which is ok - it's still a great gun!