Charter Arms Undercover

[coastwatcher42]

I am looking for a home defense pistol for my wife. She hates autos and refuses to even fire my Glock and is terrified of my 1911. She doesn't mind small revolvers, though, as her dad had some kind of .38 that she shot quite a bit when she was a teen. I have been looking at the Charter Arms Undercover .38 Spl for her.

It will be for home defense only because, unlike my daughter, she has no interest in concealed carry. I know a .357 would have more knock-down power but she is afraid of magnum calibers. Does anyone have the Charter Arms? How is the quality and reliability? Any other suggestions? I'm an auto guy and know very little about revolvers and have only owned one in my life, a Dan Wesson .357 back in the mid-80s.

[thei3ug]

Is there a reason you're looking at Charter? They have had a checkered reputation, and the quality, compared to say a S&W or a Ruger, is not close.
I don't think there's a need to restrict yourself to snub revolvers either, if it's not going to be carried. Something heavier might be more beneficial, more comfortable for her. Just a thought. Ultimately it's what she's comfortable with.

[Xsail]

I don't own one, but have 2 friends who've recently bought them. Both had problems. Personally, I'd spend a couple hundred more for a Smith....O.L.

[jc000]

I think the Ruger LCR options are worth looking at. Good quality and relatively inexpensive. I have the .22 which has a pretty heavy trigger pull, but has gone bang when I've pulled the trigger every time. They also make a .38 and .357. Why not go with the .357 so she can shoot .38/carry magnum?

I was interested in the Charter Arms route, but have heard enough bad things, and compared in hand with S&W and Ruger which both appear to be more solid options.

EDIT: sorry, saw the part about non-carry. Think a k-frame .38 would be the best home defense option for her.

[coastwatcher42]

Is there a reason you're looking at Charter?

Mainly for nostalgia reasons. When I was growing up, I had a great uncle who had a Charter Arms AR-7 survival rifle and I thought that it was the neatest thing since sliced bread. He always kept a supply of .22 rounds on hand for when I would ride my bike over to shoot. He intended to leave it to me in his will but it was stolen in a burglary. Anyway, just the name Charter Arms brings back good memories but, if the quality isn't there, I will look elsewhere.

[G woody]

For Charter money you can find a used S&W K frame .38. Search the gun shows. I recently picked up a Model 10 heavy barrel 4" for $l69 plus paperwork. It wasn't a show queen but was a tight as new. Some times dealers latch onto batch's of used revolvers been dumped by security agency's. Even if you spend $300-350 you are ahead of the game. Charter has been in & out of business several times. I have an original .44 special Bulldog but will not buy any newer ones.

[aguila327]

I've had a Charter Arms "undercover" for many years now. It was a pawn shop buy by my brother back in the late 80's. It's been my wifes night stand gun for a long time. It goes bang everytime and with a large set of pachymars suits her perfectly.

That being said, a nice used S&W K-frame would be a good choice considering Charters current reputation. The best part is your can take her to almost any gunshop and have her handle a few and see which she likes.

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[ST911]

If she strongly prefers a revolver and has no interest in concealed carry, a 3-4" K frame, or a similarly configured Ruger would be a great choice. Choose grips to fit, get some speed loaders, and go shooting.

[brushy bill]

Steer well clear. Durability concerns are a frequently reported issue with these revolvers. A lifetime warranty is meaningless as the company has gone out of and back into business several times and may not be around when the warranty is needed. You can do far better. As others have mentioned, I'd go with a good used K-frame S&W.

[SteveS]

Also look at a Ruger SP 101 with a 3 inch barrel or a S@W 60-15 with a 3 inch barrel.