How is the Bulldog Trigger?

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Cosmodragoon

New member
For those of you who have recently made .44 special Bulldogs from Charter Arms, how is the trigger? I'm used to S&W and Ruger revolvers, with the worst triggers being on my SP101s. What would I be signing up for with a Bulldog?
 
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TMD

New member
My LGS has a used Bulldog in .44spl that I've been eying for a week or so but cant get over how bad the trigger is in both DA and SA. I thought about buying it anyways just to see if I could smooth it out. Very gritty in DA and lots of creep in SA.
 
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tallball

New member
Mine is pretty good. Better than an average Taurus. Way better than my SP101. I can shoot it just fine in double action. Overall I am pleased with it and don't consider the trigger to be a problem at all.


CharterArmsBulldog_zps00d12af0.jpg
 
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g.willikers

New member
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Just buy it, shoot it, and you'll get used to the trigger, whatever it's like.
The more attention we pay to shooting instead of the gun, the better we shoot.
 
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JERRYS.

New member
S/A they are crisp with little play, one of the better S/A triggers I've shot with a revolver.

D/A is another story. it can be gritty when new with a bit of stacking at the end of the travel, but you will find the movement of the trigger/hammer to be short. while not as smooth as a S&W, it is a shorter pull or requires less room to function is that makes sense.

for what the guns are, and the price that you pay they are not bad. but if your area has them for $400+ you might as well get a S&W airweight J frame for the same money.
 
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michael t

New member
If a carry gun and you really need it . You will never notice the trigger .:D

I have one of the old 44 spl 3" . I practice drawing and shooting DA . Its not a target pistol Its a SD pistol . If I want to shoot little groups I'd buy a target pistol.
 
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Ozzieman

New member
+1
If I want to shoot little groups I'd buy a target pistol.
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I have felt newer ones and compared to mine that was built in the 80's, mine is better but then its been shot a lot.
The dog is a good gun that does what it was intended to do as a SD gun. Fast double action at under 10 feet.
 
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lowercase

New member
I have one from 2012 and the double action trigger started out gritty but smoothed out nicely. Single action is just fine. I have a couple older ones from the 80s and they are fine, but the newer one has a better trigger. However, the older ones both have a very low round count.
 
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rclark

New member
I wouldn't call the Trigger that great.... But I can still hit out to 50 yards with it SA. DA is just a pain.... But if I have to hit something at 10Y or less..... No problem. For what it is intended for (SD and light use) ... I don't mind a bit.
 
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Cosmodragoon

New member
I understand the idea that in an emergency, I won't notice that I'm pulling a Buick with a piece of piano wire. That doesn't mean I wouldn't rather be facing any emergencies with a good trigger!

The only reason I'm interested is that the Bulldog puts an excellent chambering in a very compact, carryable, and cost-effective package. For instance, it's smaller and a heck of a lot cheaper than a S&W 696. The next time I see one, I'll have to fondle it. Until that happens, maybe I'll get lucky and Ruger will do something comparable to the LCR in big bore? Imagine that: a small and shootable carry gun with a great trigger at an affordable price, in .44 special! :eek:
 
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CajunBass

New member
for what the guns are, and the price that you pay they are not bad. but if your area has them for $400+ you might as well get a S&W airweight J frame for the same money.
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Which S&W airweight J frame do they make in 44 Special? :confused:

I've got one of the old (73) 44 Bulldogs, and it's not bad. It's not a slicked and smoothed K-frame Smith, but it isn't bad at all. Recoil is also not as bad as the horror stories I've heard, at least not shooting my 200 grain reloads. I do have full sized Pachmayr grips on mine however. Smaller grips might be a different story.



However, to your question, my wife had one of the current version of the 38 Charter. We traded/sold it for something else, but the gun itself wasn't bad. Out of the box, the trigger was a bit rough, but with a little shooting either it got better, or we got used to it. Simply flushing the interior with Gunscrubber, and oiling it helped a lot.

I'm not really a fan of any small frame 38, so I've never been impressed with any of them, Smith & Wesson, Colt, Ruger or Charter, but they're all usuable.
 
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David R

New member
I have one, trigger is good, not great. I can hit with it Sights are far better than most small revolvers. The bulldog fits in some of my J frame holsters. I had to ditch factory grips to save my hands. Pachmyer compacts work great.

Its a great carry gun. It instills comfort and confidence.

Sent from my SM-T900 using Tapatalk
 
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Damon555

New member
The one I have is recent production....2 years old or so. The double action trigger is average compared to my other DA revolvers. The single action is good-excellent. Mine is not going anywhere any time soon....
 
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mj246

New member
It's been a while since I've shot/handled other small frame revolvers besides my two Charters,but I'd rate it as similar to an SP101 DA trigger once you break it in. It isn't very polished right out of the box, but smooths out nicely by firing DA 100-200 times with snap caps.

As stated by many above, the trigger will never be on par with with a K-/L-frame or GP100/Security Six (or even my old 70's era S&W j-frame). However, it is pretty decent after that break in. My 22lr Target Pathfinder is a whole other story though...
 
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rclark

New member
The only reason I'm interested is that the Bulldog puts an excellent chambering in a very compact, carryable, and cost-effective package
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That was the only reason I bought mine. Perfect for CC. Occasional use. Not intended for bulls-eye shooting. I like it for that.
 
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Cheapshooter

New member
I'm withg.willikers. I really don't waste time obsessing over the "perfect", whatever that means, trigger. My DAO Bulldog shoots, and feels great. Surprisingly accurate, and a joy to shoot. But so is my Taurus Judge PD Poly, and Ruger LCR. I just learn to adapt to what I am shooting. After all, these are not precision custom bullseye revolvers.
 
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Cheapshooter

New member
"...how is the trigger?..." Requires a trigger job just like any other firearm.
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LOL,Now THAT's funny!:D:D:D

Don't sweat the small stuff.
Just buy it, shoot it, and you'll get used to the trigger, whatever it's like.
The more attention we pay to shooting instead of the gun, the better we shoot.
Click to expand...
If a carry gun and you really need it . You will never notice the trigger
Click to expand...
 
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Buckeye!

New member
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Seems like I have owned at least one a Charter 44 Spl. for the past 25yrs or so .. This one for at least 12 years or so ..
As for the DA trigger .. they are OK .. Not the best and they are not the worse ...
Snap caps and Mobil 1 does wonders .. But for SD use the tevolvers are very dependable , light compact and the 44spl cartridge is a thumper ...
I really like the Charter 44!!

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