OK,...I'll play the contrarian here.
I have owned several Charter Arms products over the years and never had a bad experience. I've owned 3 Undercovers (.38 5-shot), one Bulldog (.44spl. 5-shot) and 2 AR-7s. (Henry makes the AR-7 now, but in the 70s it was Charter Arms.)
In fact, I was impressed with the first Undercover I owned back in the 80s because it held together and didn't blow up in my hand as it should have when I made a serious reloading mistake. Back then, as a poor shmuck earning minimum wage, I was using Lee Powder Dippers to measure out my powder charges, because I was poor. I had loaded up some simple standard pressure loads of 4.2grns. of Herco. The smallest powder dipper held 2.1 grains of Herco,...so 2 level scoops of Herco per case came to 4.2 grains for the desired charge. But what I didn't know was that I goofed, and somewhere in the 100 rounds I loaded up, I lost count and accidentally put in 3 scoops,...producing 6.3 grns. for a charge rated as mid-range .357!!!!
There I was at the indoor range at Shooter's World, just plinking along;...blap! blap! blap! KABOOM!!!!!! I instantly knew what must have happened. But to my shock, when I pulled my hand down from recoiling over my head,...not only was the hand still attached to my wrist, but the little revolver was intact.
So that made a believer out of me, and I have nothing bad to say about Charter Arms. Are they as refined as a Colt or a S&W? No. But they are completely serviceable products.
