Just inherited a .38 spl, any good?

[frsslt1]

It is a Charter Arms "Undercover .38 Spl" Revolver. This is the first revolver I have ever owned, is it worth a shit? I will probably keep it hidden away in the house for unwanted vistors, whats your opinion?

[Pro88LX]

i say keep it like you said. any gun is a good one to have around, IMO

[Seafarer12]

They are cheap. The new ones are suppose to be better than the old ones. Would make a good throw down gun if you ever needed one.

[Vertnut]

It is a Charter Arms "Undercover .38 Spl" Revolver. This is the first revolver I have ever owned, is it worth a shit? I will probably keep it hidden away in the house for unwanted vistors, whats your opinion?
It's fine for the house, but not the best to carry. I wouldn't run any P+ loads in it, but it will work fine.

[Strychnine]

Gunfight Rules:

1.) Have a gun.




Here's a review:
Make: Charter Arms Model: Charter 2000 Undercover Action: Double Action Caliber: .38 Special

Rating: 3/5
Review: This is a little 5 shot .38 Special revolver. It weighs only 18 ounces empty and comes with a lifetime warranty. The barrel is only 2 inches long. The whole gun is 6.4 inches in length, 4.3 inches in height and 1.3 inches wide. It is a very concealable firearm. The gun is a double action only and the trigger pull is 13 pounds. The trigger pull will can set off shooters who do not like double action trigger pull on guns. It shoots accurate in the X zone at ten yards with only 2 inch groups. It's ejection rod easily dumps rounds out of the five chambers when reloading. One defect of the gun is the trigger finger can be pinched between the square edge of the trigger and the frame when shooting. Ouch! I recommend anyone buying this gun have that problem fixed immediately. Overall the gun is reliable, accurate and very concealable. I cannot say how durable it lasts when alot of rounds are put through it because I do not have that information, but the gun does come with a lifetime warranty. The .38 special cartridge is not a powerful round, but well placed shots will mortally wound and it's better than having no gun at all. I would recommend a good firearm (like the Glock 30) that shoots .45 Automatic or .40 S&W ammunition if you want a handgun that will stop an assailant and save your life. Some people complain that good handguns are too expensive, but I would ask them how much their life is worth because if some junk handgun fails to fire when you need it you could be in alot of trouble. This gun would be a good second backup gun. The price range cannot be beat because this gun sells for only around $200 to $250. Also remember, in stressful situations you will resort to your training and practice so train and practice hard if you own a gun for self protection.

[GT98SVO]

158gr. JHP will give the bad guy a very unhappy feeling.

Looks like easy to conceal, you can stuff it in a pocket, purse.

Cheap.

The trigger pull and the "pinching" may require some gunsmithing.

13lbs is a lot of pull weight, even for double action.

You want confidence and security with your arms. If you don't have those, get rid of it.

[Seafarer12]

I would run 125 gr jhp in it. The 158 gr are a bit heavy for a 38 unless you just shooting paper.

[Casper]

They are pretty decent really. Before the advent of ultra lightweights they were known for their low mass and concealability. If it doesn't shoot +P then it is one of the older models. I would load it with 158grain soft swaged wadcutters myself, but I reload. You aren't going to get velocity in the short barrelled revolver so go for heavy bullets and something that punches a large hole without needing expansion. It will be comparable to a standard 9mm in effectiveness; a little heavier and a little slower.

[Seafarer12]

Its a lot less than a 9mm. Probably 400 fps and 150 ftlbs. As far a bullet weight. A 110gr would give you a little more punch then a 158 gr but not a whole lot. Maybe 40 ftlbs. If I was using a throw down gun like that. I would just buy whatever was cheap.