The Bulldog is a 5-shot

traditional double-action A trigger is a mechanism that actuates the function of a ranged weapon such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow, or speargun. The word may also be used to describe a switch that initiates the operation of other non-shooting devices such as a trap ...

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

Charter Arms Charter Arms Co. is an American manufacturer of revolvers. Since its founding in 1964, Charter Arms has produced revolvers chambered in the following calibers: .22 Long Rifle, .22 Winchester Magnum, .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, .327 Federal Magn ...

. It was introduced in 1973. The Bulldog has been available for the

.44 Special The .44 Smith & Wesson Special, also commonly known as .44 S&W Special, .44 Special, .44 Spl, .44 Spc, (pronounced "forty-four special"), or 10.9x29mmR is a smokeless powder center fire metallic revolver cartridge developed by Smith & Wesson in 1 ...

and

.357 Magnum The .357 Smith & Wesson Magnum, .357 S&W Magnum, .357 Magnum, or 9×33mmR as it is known in unofficial metric designation, is a smokeless powder cartridge with a bullet diameter. It was created by Elmer Keith, Phillip B. Sharpe, and Douglas B. ...

cartridges. It was a top-selling gun during the 1980s and it is considered to be Charter Arms' trademark weapon. It has been produced by four different companies since it was released.

History

Designed by the founder of the first version of Charter Arms, Doug McClenahan, the Bulldog was released in 1973. It was one of the best-selling weapons of the 1970s and the 1980s in the United States.McNab, p. 74 Its design and execution, which were quite modern at the time, caught the attention of the gun

press Press may refer to: Media * Print media or news media, commonly called "the press" * Printing press, commonly called "the press" * Press (newspaper), a list of newspapers * Press TV, an Iranian television network People * Press (surname), a fam ...

and combat shooters. By the mid-1980s, more than half a million units had been produced and nearly 37,000 were being manufactured every year. Bulldog production has been stopped a few times since 1992, when Charter Arms, the original manufacturer, went bankrupt. Some time later, manufacturing began again under the Charco (descendant company of Charter Arms) trademark. This company also filed bankruptcy, and the models produced during this period showed obvious production flaws. It was produced again by Charter 2000; this company, which failed also, improved the weapon with a one-piece barrel, front sight, and ejector-shroud assembly. The original model had no ejector-shroud and the aluminum front sight was soldered to the barrel. In June 2007, a version of the Bulldog with new features began to be produced by another company named Charter Arms, but this time was distributed by MKS Supply. The Bulldog was used by the

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

David Berkowitz David Richard Berkowitz (born Richard David Falco, June 1, 1953), also known as the Son of Sam and .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer who pleaded guilty to eight shootings that began in New York City on July 29, 1976. Berkowitz ...

aka "The .44 Caliber Killer" and the "Son of Sam" who was responsible for a series of attacks and murders in New York City during 1976–1977 (before he was caught due to an outstanding parking violation). The name “Bulldog” was a homage to the original

Webley revolver The Webley Revolver (also known as the Webley Top-Break Revolver or Webley Self-Extracting Revolver) was, in various designations, a standard issue service pistol for the armed forces of the United Kingdom, and countries of the British Empire an ...

s of the same name.

Description

Like most Charter Arms weapons, the Bulldog is a relatively inexpensive yet serviceable, no-frills,

snubnosed revolver A snubnosed revolver (colloquially known as a snubbie, belly gun, or bulldog revolver) is a small, medium, or large frame revolver with a short barrel, generally less than 4 inches in length. Smaller such revolvers are often made with "bobbed" or ...

. It was designed to be concealed easily because of its small size, yet also fire a "big bore" caliber. The Bulldog has no sharp edges to contend with when carrying the weapon in a holster or a pocket. The Bulldog is a solid-framed

revolver with a five-round cylinder which can be opened by pushing a release slide on the left of the gun, or in the original model by pulling the ejector rod. It features a concave

sight Visual perception is the ability to interpret the surrounding Biophysical environment, environment through photopic vision (daytime vision), color vision, scotopic vision (night vision), and mesopic vision (twilight vision), using light in the ...

. Its trigger pull, in both single and double-action modes, is quite light. If a large quantity of residue piles up inside the revolver because of heavy usage, the cylinder crane's axle screw can be removed and the cylinder pulled out from the gun for cleaning. Most critics believe the best use for the Bulldog is self-defense.

Performance

The accuracy of the Bulldog is aided by its trigger pull. According to reviews, it is more accurate than expected for a revolver of its size and type but probably not enough to be called an "accurate" weapon. When the gun is fired, the hammer does not actually strike the firing pin. Under normal firing circumstances a small steel bar (called a

transfer bar Close-up shot of a safety of an M16A2 rifle In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling. Safeties can generally be divided into subtypes su ...

) is raised as the trigger is pulled, placing it into a position between the firing pin and the hammer itself. The falling hammer strikes the transfer bar, which in turn strikes the firing pin, discharging the weapon. If the trigger is not being pulled when the hammer falls, the transfer bar will not be in position and the weapon will not discharge.

Ammunition

The Bulldog is apparently intended for light, fast

bullet A bullet is a kinetic projectile, a component of firearm ammunition that is shot from a gun barrel. Bullets are made of a variety of materials, such as copper, lead, steel, polymer, rubber and even wax. Bullets are made in various shapes and co ...

s, as with heavier and slower bullets it is less accurate. With most ammunition types the muzzle velocity tends to be between 705 and 1000 feet per second (215 and 305 meters per second, respectively). For self-defense the Blazer Gold Dot is, apparently, the load of choice for the Bulldog. If the Bulldog is used to hunt, the most effective ammo is, reportedly, the 240- or SWC. With this bullet type, the shot is very powerful and has a strong penetration but the recoil can easily be handled. Other ammo types are weaker or provide too much recoil.

Models

Five models of the Bulldog have been produced, allowing customers to choose between:

and

cartridges, gun lengths of 7.2 inches (184 mm) and 6.7 inches (171 mm) and barrel lengths of either 2.5 inches (64 mm) or 2.2 inches (56 mm). All Bulldog models have a cylinder of five shots. ,

only offers its 14420, 74420 and 74421 versions. Charter's

Police Undercover The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...

could be considered a Bulldog variant because it is produced with the same frame model but its caliber is different and it was built to resemble the Undercover by Charter.

References

Bibliography

External links

*{{official, http://www.charterfirearms.com/ Revolvers of the United States .357 Magnum firearms