Handguns

If any product needed to be at the right place and at the right time, it was the Charter Arms Bulldog. Following a modest line of pocket pistols designed by Doug McClenahan, the Bulldog was one formidable weapon for its time. Chambered for the .44 Special cartridge and holding five rounds, it was (and still is) the perfect weapon for undercover police, home defense or overall personal protection.

Charter Arms was started around 1964 by McClenahan, who had previously worked for Sturm, Ruger; Colt; and High Standard. He had obviously seen the writing on the wall, and after trying in vain to persuade his former employers to bring out a small, lightweight handgun, he decided to go at it on his own. The Undercover was first, followed by the Undercoverette, Pathfinder and Bulldog.

For a short time Charter Arms seemed to disappear, but now it's back in the fold under new management with the Bulldog Pug, which is chambered for both .357 Magnum and .44 Special. When the Bulldog was first introduced, it checked in at around 19 ounces with a three-inch barrel. The new stainless steel Bulldog Pug is even easier to conceal with its 2 1?2-inch barrel and 20-ounce weight in .44 caliber.

Picking up the gun, one notes that, for concealment purposes, there are no sharp edges to contend with when using a holster or your back pocket. The front sight is smooth to the touch, without serrations, and fits neatly on the top rib of the barrel. The barrel itself is quite chunky in appearance, with its finished and rounded shroud and top rib. There are no rear sights per se; instead, the typical gutter sight runs the full length of the frame, ending with a pronounced square notch just above the hammer. Since this gun is designed for defense, not precision target shooting, this arrangement is just the thing.

The hammer is service width and is checkered on its top surface for non-slip operation. The trigger is wide and smooth for deliberate double-action shooting and broke--in single action--with a hint of slack at 4 1/2 pounds. Double action was heavier and, with the usual stacking sensation, broke on my scale at 12 pounds.

The cylinder holds five rounds of .44 Special ammunition, with the deepest part of the locking notches positioned off center of the charge holes. Opening the cylinder is accomplished via a release on the left side of the revolver. Pushing it forward unlocks the cylinder for loading and unloading of the spent cartridges. Ejection was positive; the cylinder was very secure upon closing, and pulling back the hammer tightened up the clearances even more by allowing no rotational movement.

According to Charter Arms, "[The] hammer does not actually strike the firing pin. Under normal firing circumstances a small steel bar is raised when the hammer is cocked, placing it into a position between the firing pin and the hammer itself. The falling bar strikes this steel bar, which in turn strikes the firing pin, discharging the weapon." In the event that the revolver is subject to heavy use, causing heavy residue buildup, a screw located on the cylinder crane can be removed and the cylinder pulled out and away from the gun for cleaning.

As a defensive cartridge, the .44 Special still rates up there with the very best. The main problem with it is that it was never loaded up to its full potential (handloaders take note), which is why the .44 Magnum pulled ahead of it in sales. While not much has changed today, chambered in a gun like the Bulldog, the .44 Special still furnishes decisive short-range knockdown power.

Out of the box, the Bulldog Pug is furnished with rubber grips complete with finger grooves. Overall fit and finish of the gun is as good as it gets for a production revolver. During testing and casual plinking, I could find nothing to criticize. Out on the range at seven yards, the gun didn't break any accuracy records, but then again, this is not the Bulldog's reason for being. With hollowpoint lead bullets, groups ran between two and three inches.

The "new" Charter Arms Bulldog has a long history of protecting its owner. Now revived, the gun still keeps that traditional look while being brought up to date.