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Welcome to the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association Forum, we hope you like what you find here and we strongly encourage you to with us, especially if you are from Pennsylvania. Once registered you will have access to participate in our community. Thanks for visiting and we hope you become a regular! Flash, Thanks for your info also.
Charter Arms Undercover.38 First Gen for sale in category Guns Pistols Quality and finish is superior to pre-600,000 First Generation serial numbers and all Tuff Quick Strip for fast reloading and five Silver Star.38 Special snap caps. 2 Jul 2010 - 2 min - Uploaded by GunblastdotcomGunblast.com.
The bobbed hammer was called the 'Pocket Hammer' in their catalogues. Is your piece an 'Undercover' model?Yes, it was called the 'Undercover' when I purchased it. It did originally come with the spur hammer, but I sent it back for the 'pocket hammer'. You are right on that name, I just kinda forgot in the two or three years since I bought it -LOL. I had a blued S&W 36 since late 60's, and one of my friends on the Wash, D.C. (city) PD department had a blued Charter with spur hammer and a nickel-plated Chief's Special, and it kinda set me afire for having anothe J-frame - but shiny, and when the Charter came out in stainless and at a price vastly less than the prized S&W, I opened up the wallet. Not sure if this is a Undercover or a Undercoverette.
As you can see in the scans the manual says 'Undercover' and shows an exact image of the gun I have. The back page has a picture of a 'Undercoverette' and it looks exactly the same. This was my mothers gun and I'm guessing she bought it in the mid 70's. I found it in it's original box (with wax paper) wrapped in newspaper.
The manual was in the box. There was also a box of bullets with 10 missing. I'm guessing she and my father both shot 5 rounds when they bought it at a local gunshop (I know that shop had a range). The box is a generic Charter Arms box with a sticker on one flap with 'Charter 2 38 SPL' and the serial number printed on it. Price sticker says 'List Price 173.00', 'Our Price 164.95'. I see some on the web going for $300 in good condition, this one looks like new. Serial Number is 644XXX.
It weighs 16 Oz's empty. It's a nice old gun, looks like it's well made. I never heard of a 5 shoot revolver.
Trigger guard and handle frame look like there aluminum. Hammer looks like hardened steel. Wooden grips. The barrel is about 1 1/4 inches long so I'm guessing it's the 2 inch barrel model I have been reading about on the web. The 4 scans are the entire manual. So is it a Undercover or a Undercoverette?
And when was it made? Well OK, so I should have read the manual.
The Undercoverette comes in.32 and mine is a.38, I have a undercover. Thanks for pointing that out Flash. (It says so in the manual, and I read it many times, it's in the third thimbnail, mental block I guess). I have two Charter Arms revolvers, both in.44 Spl., both with the Stratford, CT barrel impression.
The one is a Bulldog Pug, which was purchased new ca Sept 1987 and is serial Number 1018XXX. The second one was purchased new in January of 1990 and is a Target Bulldog. Even though this was purchased more than two years after the Pug, the serial number (735XXX) precedes it by quite a bit (assuming sequential serial numbers). I believe this resulted from the fact that this sat on the dealer's shelves for a long time. I purchased it during a clearance event for NOS guns. Not something I normally would have purchased, but couldn't pass it up for the price. I have the original walnut grips, box and all papers for the Target Bulldog.
Grips on the Pug are original. I may have the box and papers for the Pug also, but it would take some digging. Let me know if I can be of further help. Adios, Pizza Bob.
Alright gun gurus, need your wisdom. A lady down the street from me knew I was a gun guy and called to see if I'd take a look at two pistols she found while cleaning out her late mothers house. Both are Charter Arms snubbies. One is a nickle plated.38 special Undercover and the other is a.32 blued Undercoverette. No box or documentation with either, but from what I can find serial numbers indicate both were made in mid to late 60's in Charters original factory in Bridgeport Ct. The nickle.38 is in excellent condition with only one small spot where the plating has been roughed up.
The.32 is perfect. Does not look like a round has ever been through it. Sooo.anybody have any idea what they I should tell her they are worth? Jim, A little history about Charter Arms; The company first started in Doug McClennahan's home on Mill Road in Southport,CT just a short distance away from Ruger.
The first Charters were made on Asylum St,Bpt,CT in the late fall of '64. The first Charters did not have bbl liners nor did the have shrouds over the ejector rods. The nickel CAs did not start showing up until about '67 if my memory is correct and the 3' bbls CAs started production at that time. The.32 Undercoverette was,I believe their second production and the name was shortly changed to Undercover with the theory that some men might be self conscience of the 'ette' on the bbl of their defensive firearms. Barrel liners and shrouds came in production later. Their first holsters offered for their revolvers were made by Paris Theodore of Seventrees Ltd in NYC, many of his designs were influenced by Chic Gaylord. Yes,the Charter Arms Company did experience many ups and downs but they still operate on a small scale with customer service their primary goal.
A case in point was in Jan of '65 was in 'Nam less than one month and Doug McClennahan sent me one of the first production Undercovers (cost was $42.05). In '98,the transfer bar broke after many thousands of rounds. I took it to their plant in Shelton,CT and in less than 1/2 hours,it was repaired,test fired and back in my hand.no charge. Jim, Let me put it this way,if you can keep those little revolvers,do so.
Money wise,they are not big for collectors but they do have history. I bought a C/A Undercover way back. I haven't fired it in a long time. At one time when I worked at a gunshop we had a range. I can't begin to tell you how many rounds I put through that little gun. Never a malfunction of any kind.
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I got it mainly for a truck gun. That was before Florida enacted the Right to carry in 1987. I didn't want to leave a 'J' frame Smith (that were like gold back then) in the truck and have it get stolen. I still have that Charter Arms right in my nightstand. For a inexpensive gun I've been satisfied and served it's purpose. It's far from a collectors item and they don't bring much. I have a Charter Off Duty 38spl, love it!
They aren't a Smith or a Ruger buy any means as far as looks. But these guns shoot and do it well. Mine is a hammer-less aluminum framed pocket gun that goes everywhere with me. I carry it in my shorts and have been known to pull it and dispatch a snake or two mowing the yard. I would buy a Bulldog 44spl they have and if Ruger doesn't put out a 5 shot double action 44 the size of the Charter I'll buy a Charter.
If you want to get rid of those you might not get much but if you keep em and use them you'll be happy enough and they will serve you well for years to come. I had a Charter Arms 44 bulldog from mid 70s to mid 80s. Since it was the only 44 special then in production, when The Son of Sam David Berkowitz was on his rampage in the latte 1970s local police asked owners of 44 bulldogs to come in to have the ballistics checked. I did somehow David Berkowitz never did. It show the rediculousness of some gun control efforts.
Would the real shooter have come in no. I tried old Elmer Lieth level loads in my charte and no problem. The things we do when young.
I did though wear heavy clothing and a welders aprom mask and gloves. No harm though recoil made a 12 ounce 357 seem tame. Ps for younger reader see the movie summer of sam for info about the time.
Weldermyass, Thank you,I read your response and had to go to my vault and pick out my Charter Off-Duty. It now rides in place of my North American Arms 22 mag PUG. It weighs just a tad more but disappears in an Uncle Mikes pocket holster in my left front jeans pocket.
The grips are the standard factory small wooden grips with a Tyler T-grip adapter and I have orange glow paint on the front sight. Your reply jogged my memory that I had that good gadget. I will have it out at the range on Wednesday to run it through it's paces. Weldermyass, Thank you,I read your response and had to go to my vault and pick out my Charter Off-Duty. It now rides in place of my North American Arms 22 mag PUG. It weighs just a tad more but disappears in an Uncle Mikes pocket holster in my left front jeans pocket. The grips are the standard factory small wooden grips with a Tyler T-grip adapter and I have orange glow paint on the front sight.
Your reply jogged my memory that I had that good gadget. I will have it out at the range on Wednesday to run it through it's paces. Top Dog Top Dog., I use a DeSantis Gunhide pocket holster it has a sticky outside and will stay put tucked inside the waistband as well.
One word, I shoot 38spl's and carry +P'S. Blue Glaser safety slugs to be exact. Happy shooting Pal.