Charter Arms revolvers have been around since the 1960s, when Doug McClenehan
and his best friend Doug Ecker decided to make a better revolver. McClenehan had
a great deal of firearms experience from working for companies like Ruger Arms,
Colt Arms, and High Standard, which allowed him to create some of the most
affordable, high-quality firearms. Charter also had a brief stint producing
Armalite AR7 rifles and pistols, which helped to maintain the cost of growth and
further develop the Eugene Stoner design into pistols and standard rifles. The
Charter Arms guns began as duty revolvers for law enforcement agents and
concealed carry holders; now Charter Arms revolvers can be found in almost any
gun shop around the country.
Charter Arms revolvers come in a wide range of calibers and configurations,
making them ideal for all types of shooting, from plinking to duty guns, and
everything in between. The last forty years have been a series of twists and
turns for Charter firearms; you never knew what the company would do next. That
all changed in 2005, when MKS Supply was contracted to maintain their sales and
marketing, allowing Charter Arms to stick to what they do best: making guns.
Giving up on marketing helped take Charter Arms to the next level, rather
than being stuck with interaction between customers, dealers, and other
time-consuming parts of the firearms manufacturing process. This helped to make
sheer volume Charter Arms’ main focus. This decision has proven to be the break
Charter Arms needed, bringing them to the top ten handgun producers in the USA
and getting their products back in the public eye.
Charter revolvers are now available in a wide range of models, including pink
revolvers. A large number of firearms manufacturers have begun the new trend of
producing firearms specifically for the female market, which Charter Arms has
always done with the controllable recoil of their revolvers. The lightweight
design is also compact enough to fit inside a woman’s purse, offering their
users piece of mind. Another great feature is the Charter Arms South Paw, which
is made specifically for left handed shooters.
Aside from the full-sized revolver, the Charter Dixie derringers have become
a must-have for concealed carry enthusiasts, providing a simple, affordable
revolver that can be stored anywhere. Charter Arms also has been credited with
the design of the full hammer block safety system, which has been on all Charter
revolvers since the 1960s. Another key feature of the Charter Arms revolvers is
the three point locking system, which is exclusive to Charter firearms and
cannot be found on even the most expensive revolvers.
The Charter Arms revolver is built like a tank and priced very competitively,
leaving all other American manufactured revolvers in the dust. Many have still
never heard of Charter’s outstanding revolvers. I know there are a wide range of
competitors out there, but an American revolver that is less than four hundred
dollars is certainly a rarity. In my experience, I would recommend the Charter
Arms handguns for anybody looking for a solidly-designed, affordable revolver.