Charter Arms .357

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StainlessJeffro

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Hey Guys,

I'm considering purchasing my first revolver and I've decided on a .357. I've got my eye on a Charter Arms Target Bull Dog for $530 shipped. Pretty cheap eh? Just had my first baby (a beautiful boy) and price is a big factor on me choosing this particular gun.

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this brand? I've never really heard much about it.

Also on a side note...how much of an initial investment would it be for me to start re-loading my own .357 / .38 Spec.? The world of re-loading is foreign to me and as much as I like to shoot my .45 and 9mm I haven't really thought much about getting into it until now.

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeffro
 
Choos a different gun.

These guns are not built to last IMHO. Very low quality and I would question how long it would stand up to any considerable amout of shooting.

There is a Ruger Security Six on the EE right now for the same money. It will last a lifetime!
 
Yeah, pick up a Roger GP100 or Security Six, or a Smith and Wesson Model 19 or 27 off the EE for that price. Any of those will be much better for the same price.
 
I'd check for "charter arms long term durability" or similar key words to see what comes up. But my impression is that they are OK for folks that do a little shooting once every couple of months for practice and carry it around a lot the rest of the time where allowed. If you will be the sort which shoots more than 100 rounds a month from it then I'd suggest a S&W. They do come up from time to time for under $600. And that compares very favourably to your CA if bought retail and after the taxes are added on.

As for reloading? I can only say HELL YEAH! ! ! ! ! The initial outlay is somewhat of a bite to the wallet but you can then produce .38Spl for around 16 cents a pop, .357Mag for around 18 cents a pop and .45acp for around 23 cents a pop. That's $8, $9 and $11.50 per 50 respectively. I'll leave it to you to compare these prices to what you pay now to figure out how long at your normal rate of ammo use it would take to pay off the roughly $250 to $300 it would cost to get into a basic reloading setup and then reap the savings. The prices noted are for bullet, primer and powder. Brass cost for .357Mag will add a couple of cents since they tend to split after 15'ish reloads if you load to full power. .38Spl and .45acp brass lasts for what seems like forever.

A very basic setup for reloading would be a single or non progressive 3 or 4 position turret press such as a Lee along with a cheap digital scale which can measure in grains and some other various home made bits such as a wood casing block which you can make yourself from lumber and a hand drill. The total cost for this sort of basic setup would be from $250 to $300 by the time you have all you need other than brass.

With a non progressive loading setup and with a little practice you can reload 150 rounds an hour. For about $500 to $600 you can steup up to a full progressive and be able to load around 350 to 450 an hour.
 
Picked up both my 686 (~100 rnds fired) off EE for ~$700 each shipped last year but they do sell fast.


Reloading itself is an entire hobby.
Lee press set for 357 will cost several hundred but by the time all the tidbits are added up expect at least $500 startup. Dillon 550/650 and HDY LNL add several hundred dollars more.

357 ammo is expensive, $27/box locally. Def. reload.

45ACP is worth reloading at $25+ box.
9mm at $13/box is only worthwhile for that just need to buy die & shell holder.
 
After looking at one two years ago, I opted against. The cylinder wobble when open was just too much. That and the visible spring on the cylinder release seemed too cheesy. Even for $449 at EPPS, I decided to save up and buy quality.
 
burnaby said:
Picked up both my 686 (~100 rnds fired) off EE for ~$700 each shipped last year but they do sell fast.


Reloading itself is an entire hobby.
Lee press set for 357 will cost several hundred but by the time all the tidbits are added up expect at least $500 startup. Dillon 550/650 and HDY LNL add several hundred dollars more.

357 ammo is expensive, $27/box locally. Def. reload.

45ACP is worth reloading at $25+ box.
9mm at $13/box is only worthwhile for that just need to buy die & shell holder.
Click to expand...

Straying off topic but this may help you out.

http://www.budgetshootersupply.ca/frame.cfm?CatalogSearch=acp&search1=Search

45ACP for $18 plus change. ;) I rarely buy ammo anywhere else then with Henry unless he is completely sold out of what I need.
 
Ok, thanks for the info people.

Now is EE Elwood epps? And if it is I can't seem to find a security six on their website. In any case...I think I'll do a bit more hunting and stick with Ruger on this one.

And I'm going to see how much shooting I can fit in this year before I invest 500+ in reloading equipment.

Cheers.
 
StainlessJeffro said:
EE... Equipment Exchange... Check. Thanks!

I like the looks of the S&W 686...Going shopping for one of those I think.

Cheers guys.
Click to expand...

The 686 is on point. A great combination of function and form, because it's almost too pretty to shoot after you've cleaned it up. ...almost. You will not be disappointed.

In your first post, you mentioned you just had a baby boy. Congrats. When you're buying guns, one of my personal metrics for the purchase is "will I be able to pass this to my nephews and nieces someday?" If it doesn't pass the Inheritance Test, I'm not buying it.
 
That is an amazing idea. I've sold some guns in the past that I have regretted getting rid of. But since having my boy... (thanks by the way) anything I'm going to buy in the future I can't help but think what it's going to be like when he gets to pull the trigger...how old will be be when he pulls the trigger? What music will he be listening to when he pulls the trigger?

I just cannot wait till he's old enough to enjoy shooting as much as I do!
 
I picked up a security six off the EE in December for $400 and man is it one sweet shooter. As for reloading: 38 special is great, although I find it a little finacky to seat lead wadcutters, but other than that, the price is certainly right.
 
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