Are you a gourmet gun owner? One of those enthusiasts who gets off on the satisfying snick of a cylinder slotting into the frame? A firearms fanatic who contemplates a trigger pull like a foodie savoring a radicchio and mozzarella pasta casserole? If so, the Charter Arms Undercover is not for you. The snubbie will leave your metaphorical tummy rumbling. If, however, you couldn’t give a damn about anything other than utility (i.e. shooting someone), the Charter Arms Undercover is a gun whose owners come hungry for self-defense, and leave satisfied that their attacker ate lead. Whatever else you can—or cannot—say about this mid-priced revolver, it’s one accurate gun of a son.
As a rule, I don’t worship at The Altar of Tight Groupings (great band). But a recent experience with the Charter Arms Target Mag Pug left me wondering if a reasonably competent shooter equipped with any of Charter’s products could hit the broadside of a barn. I’m pleased to report that the Undercover is one of the most accurate .38s I’ve ever fired. The collection of dots in the target’s center (at twenty feet) was so well-gathered that Adam at American Firearms School challenged me to repeat the feat using double action. Only I’d already punched the paper in double action mode.
The Undercover’s sights are bog standard. So all hail the revolver’s eight-grooved pull broach-rifled barrel.
The Connecticut company claims their mastery of the pull broach technique ensures that their revolver barrels are better than their competition at sealing the hot gasses created by the primer and gunpowder. They also say the manufacturing process leads to less bullet deformation. Combined with the revolver’s extra grooves, the Charter Arms Undercover delivers astounding accuracy at higher velocities.
True dat. The Undercover is a compact weapon of body mass destruction. BUT—
I have every reason to believe that the testing and evaluation Undercover .38 was out of time (i.e. the cylinder wasn’t lined up with the barrel). The little snub-nosed bastard was shaving lead and spitting it back at my face; my right cheek was signed by a spray of hot metal. Closer inspection revealed a not-entirely-unexpected, entirely unacceptable amount of cylinder wobble. Check it out:
Weebles may wobble without falling down, but revolver cylinders should [be] rock steady.
By the same token, a revolver’s action should be like driving into a wall. Zoooom . . . BANG! Not so here. The more you pull the Undercover’s trigger, the heavier it gets. Until the hammer finally, grudgingly, falls. The lack of trigger satisfaction doesn’t affect the handgun’s accuracy, but it makes range practice something of a chore. In the world of personal defense, that’s not a good thing.
I’m also not convinced about the Undercover’s three-point cylinder lock-up system: I went off half-cocked more than once. Pre-loading? Not an issue. I trained myself to check for full cylinder lock. Re-loading under stress? Issue. Failure to fire is not my friend. It’s a problem that speaks to the reliability of the Charter Arms Undercover, and I can’t say I like what I’m hearing.
Simply put, the Charter lacks qualm calming quality. You don’t have to be a gun expert to know it. Cylinder in, cylinder out. Spin. Cylinder in. Lock. Dry fire, single action. Dry fire, double action. NOW how much would you pay? Me? I assume that smoothness out of the box equals reliability down the road. I’d pay the extra $200+ for J-framed goodness.
That said, I used the Undercover to send some 600 rounds downrange without incident. I also cruised the web for Charter horror stories—and found plenty. But they were all pre-CEO Nick Ecker.
For their part, Charter reckons their .38s are built like a brick shithouse [parpahrasing]. For example, the revolvers’ side pates aren’t attached by screws like, say, Smith & Wesson’s. And the Undercover’s barrel is threaded into the frame for extra strength. And the company backs up its products with a lifetime warranty.
Yes, well, if anything goes wrong with your Undercover, the ensuing transaction is strictly between you and Mr. Ecker’s boys. Take a Charter Arms weapon to your local gunsmith for an upgrade or repair and you’re likely to be greeted with a Gallic shrug. Don’t get me wrong: the chances that the Charter Arms Undercover will fall apart at The Moment of Truth are less than the chances that the average white guy in Coon Rapids Iowa will need one for self-defense. So, call it good? Good.
If I was looking for a highly accurate concealed carry or home defense handgun, didn’t care about caliber or plan to fire thousands of round through it, wanted a revolver, had a strict budget and excluded used handguns from my shopping list, I’d buy a Charter Arms Undercover .38 revolver. How great is that?
The Charter Arms Undercover revolver is a meat and potatoes revolver from you local diner. Sure the food at Smith & Wollensky’s is better, but it costs more. Customers emerge from both establishments fat, happy and glad to be alive. And that’s all that matters, isn’t it?
SPECIFICATIONS:
Model: 73820
Finish: Stainless
Frame: Stainless steel
Grip: Full
Barrel length:2″
Capacity: 5-shot
Caliber: .38 Special +P
Hammer: Standard
Weight: 16 oz.
Sugg Retail: $407.00
RATINGS:
Style * * * *
Classic snubbie.
Ergonomics * * *
Feels right. Star deducted for ever-so-slightly cranky cylinder. And another removed for lousy trigger pull.
Reliability * *
The Undercover fired hundreds of rounds without not firing one. But the wobbly cylinder and lead shower were deeply worrying. If I’d bought this with my own cash, the gun would have gone straight back to the factory.
Customize This *
Crimson Trace laser grips are out of stock.
OVERALL RATING * *
Does what it needs to do, no more, and a little less.
Some other posts have touched on the topic of what to expect after a self-defence shooting. One item I've heard several times is to expect your gun to be confiscated. Once in the police possession, don't expect it back anytime soon. Also, A gun used for concealed carry may lead a rougher life than normal.
So, do you want your high dollar custom piece, or worse, the sentimental antique grand-papaw carried way back in the war, to be your carry piece?
This represents a solid value in the save your life, lose your gun proposition. Shoot once in anger and replace. Etc.
In my line of work, we have various safety equipment that falls in the same category. Safety harness are replaced after a single event. Contaminated respirators are disposed rather than cleaned. This gun is another in the same line. Perfect it ain't, effective it is.
Robert, how did the "out the door" price compare to the MSRP? Reason I ask is because my observation is that manufacturers set their MSRP deliberately high so that their dealers can "mark down" the guns for a "discount" that the buyer will appreciate.
FWIW in 2008 I paid ~$460 for a Smith and Wesson 642 (Lightweight hammerless J-frame .38, review to come soon, I promise!) Even now I often see the same gun at "big box" sporting goods stores for less than five bills. Assuming the price difference is less than ~$100 there's no way Charter would be getting my business, sad to say. S&W is just a safer bet all around.
Also don't forget Ruger who also undercut S&W's premium price.
It looks good to me, as a first time revolver buyer. To the article writer who says the gun "showered him with lead shavings". If you were really convinced there was something wrong with the gun, you are a FOOL to have shot it, both for safety and warranty reasons.
A revolver that's slightly out of timing is not a lethal threat. Charter Arms provided the weapon, so back it went.
I have the CA .38 undercover in black. I also live in Massachusetts where the guns laws a bit crazy. For instance, for a hand gun to be on the approved list of hand guns set out by our Attoney General the gun must be submitted for approval. The AGs office does everything possible to a submitted gun including smashing them loaded into concrete barriers to ensure they won't fire if dropped. Charter is a newly approved hand gun here unlike Colt, Rugar, Glock and Taurus all not available for sale in Mass. So since 1998 when the new law went into effect the only snub that isn't pre 1998 was Smith and the prices new and used reflect that. For example, my new CA was $125 less than a used Smith. After reading this review I checked for the problems noted, (wobbly cylinder) and mine is as tight as it could be. I have fire about 100 rounds through it so far without any trouble. It's no Smith but who cares?
I am amazed the revolver you reviewed had that wobbly cylinder. I would have thought the American made charter arms revolvers would be better quality than that.
I purchased a used Charter Arms Undercover recently LNIB for $150. First trip to the range I found it to be as accurate (at self defence distances)and as relieable as my other SD revolvers that are in $800 to $1K price range. On inspection and cleaning I did not find any problems with the weapon what so ever, no loose cylinder or evidence of a timing problem.
Thanks for the great review. I have bought a older blue Charter Undercover 249xxx made in Bridgeport Conn. The cylinder is tight with no wobble or looseness that I can feel dry firing. I’m off to the range this weekend and I hope the accuracy is critical mass good like your newer model.
I’ve owned my little CA 38 spl in matte stainless for over a year. I’ve put well past 600 rounds through it. Many of these were 158 grain re-loads, and several boxes of + P Hornady, and Federal high velocity personal defense rounds . This little jewel fires every time, and hits right where I aim it. Now, there is some “wobble” when the cylinder is out of the frame, ( hanging on the “crane ” ), but once loaded up, and the cylinder locks into the frame there is no movement at all. I hike a lot in Arizona , and we can carry concealed, or plain sight in this State, no permit needed. Really cool !. This little guy is so light, and packs just enough punch that it suits my needs to a tee. I used a little red loctite here , and there,.but no big deal. Fit & finish is very smooth on mine. Got a hell of a deal through a Police officer / FFL dealer. Good gun for hours of “carry ” and ..”.seconds of shooting ” when needed.
I acquired a CA Undercover manufactured in 1980, prior to the ejector rod shroud. It was in like new condition with no wear anywhere! The cylinder locked up tight and it was timed fine. After shooting two boxes of lead target .38 loads it began to become very rough pulling the trigger and the cylinder did not want to release. After inspection two things were loose, the cylinder latch release screw (#14 in the CA exploded parts view) moved deeper into the cylinder face plate and the ejector rod head (#26 in the same view) was backing out and was loose! I locked-tight both and to date, after another 100 rounds, it has performed flawlessly and is accurate. I did order the combat rubber grips from CA which fit perfectly and was easier to grip than the original smaller wood grips. My wife bought a brand new Pink Lady and she had problems with the cylinder binding and could hardly pull the trigger. The front of the cylinder was being gouged against the barrel and the gun dealer sent it back to CA and two weeks later it was shipped back to the dealer and they fixed the problem and it shot accurately and functioned perfectly which it should have done out of the box new the first time. It did not cost her anything because of the warranty and the gun store took care of the shipping fee. I have to question their quality control but they do back up their guns, definitely. We will keep both weapons since they shoot accurately and are light to pack concealed or in a backpack however I will have to think hard about ever purchasing another one. I have to say, in all fairness, they are made in America and they are neat light weight weapons when they perform as they should. Oh, wait, if you’re tracking Bigfoot this is not the gun for you!
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my 2″ charter snubby purchased new at a pawn charter dealer in ’08 ran 600 rounds including some +p s. no problem …accurate, but not like a longer barreled, heavier semi. then i loaded it and could not get the cylinder to unlock. put gun oil on the thumb release with no results while pressing the cylinder from opposite side. will send back to charter and all will be good on the life time warranty.
I own 3 handguns and they all shoot very well but my Charter Arms 38 undercover is still the best! I never miss what I aim for, is feels just right, handles right and I would not sell it for many times what I paid for it. It is perfect for CCW, I have four different holsters for it so I can carry it anyway I want to, so I am never without it!
thanks for this terrific site. I have a real old C/A undercvr spec. & while reliable enough to ‘go bang’ after a couple hundred various types of ammo l find that it is nowhere accurate sufficient to think about using at any distance beyond twenty (20) feet. it is possible that the ‘ol barrel is by now, smoothbore (eyes not good enough to perform much of a groove measurement) and l may send it off to Conn just for personal feedback from this ‘new and improved’ mgmt team there. Was very interested in the narrative from the couple with the disintegrating Lavender Lady….. @ least l hope you folks post again, if only to say ‘C/A responded appropriately” or somesuch. once again, thanks for this great site, and l am bookmarkin it, sure! every best regard
So, the Monday following us sending the revolver back to C.A., the president of the company called my wife. She expressed her concerns over what had occurred and her apprehension at firing their products. He asked her to have me call him, and I did so a few days later. He attempted to claim inconsistencies on the part of the ammo manufacturers and their quality control, stating she may have purchased a “hot” box of ammo. After explaining to him a little about my military & L.E. experience, which includes being an armorer, he backed off that a bit. I had told my wife that at the first hint of attitude, I would inform him they would be hearing from our attorney, but he seemed to be a genuine enough guy. He offered my wife choice of their inventory or a full refund, and I left it up to her how she wanted to resolve it, since it happened to her, with her revolver. She decided she liked one of their higher priced hammerless ones, and she asked them to include the Crimson Trace grips, which they offered on other models, but not this one. She received her gun about a week and a half later, with the grips. So far it has performed as an owner should expect, and the laser sight helps her accuracy. I was pleased with the level of customer service, but I really expected it, given what had occurred. I had done some research, and this was the third such malfunction of one of their lightweight revolvers in 2011. For me, once is too many, but they won’t get off so easy should something occur with the replacement.
Need a comment. Bought the 38 special Undercover Charter Arms because of the weight and the dealer said it was good for a protection gun in the house, especially for my wife. My question is I had a hard time pushing in the cylinder release, I tightened the screw down, the cylinder opens easy enough, BUT the release itself moves east to west and wiggles north to south. Is this normal for this gun?
My husband and I bought my used CA .38 Special over twenty years ago. He wanted to get a large frame small caliber handgun for me but I held out for something that I could hold up and steady for several moments with a big hole pointing at what was scaring me.
This gun has been in the side door pocket of several Chevy vans, the glove box of everything from Corvettes to Trackers to my current STS-V, my purse or another bag and open carried in my leg holster.
I’m a quilter and the first thing I did was make myself a little ‘sheepskin’ fabric lined corduroy gun-shaped bag to keep it in. After all those miles and many classes and shooting sessions (I hold CCW’s from both NE & AZ), both the little gun and the little bag look like new.
Yesterday we went to a local indoor range and while my husband was working with a couple 40 year old automatic .22′s, I fired half a box of shells through my gun. I can, with great effort, use the gun double action, but it effects my accuracy. I generally pull the hammer back with my supporting, left thumb.
When I attend a class by myself, I always have my instructor or rangemaster sign my targets because the grouping is generally good enough that it’s hard to believe someone with so little experience and T & A (that’s Talent and Ability) could do what I do with that little old short nosed pea shooter.
I agree that if I used the gun in self-defense I’d expect to have it confiscated and never see it again. Boy, I’d hate lose my little gun, but that wouldn’t keep me from doing what I had to do, believe me.
Two things mean personal security to me: a fully charged cell phone with a nearby tower and a Charter Arms Undercover Special five shot with four .38 special shells in it and I’m good to go!
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