American Bulldog we have a winner!

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Scott Tschirhart
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American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Lots of shooting to get there, but I’m satisfied.
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by octagon »

Slicker than greased owl pelosi! Nice photo. Ive been eyeballin those short barreled birdsheads for a long while, your bulldog threads have exacerbated the itch.
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by piller »

A well made short barrel pistol in an adequate caliber has long been a choice backup gun. Hope yours is plenty accurate and that it is exactly what you want. It looks good to me.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

This little Ruger will stay on my silhouette target all the way out to 50 yards with ball ammo. Since the target is much smaller than a man’s chest, that’s plenty accurate.

Two handed, one handed, weak handed, it was the most controllable of the bunch and the.45 ACP cartridge is plenty.
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AJMD429
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by AJMD429 »

.
I've been following this thread a little bit and think to back when I was working night shift in pharmacies, and had one of the first stainless steel 1911's (an AMT 'Hardballer' version called the 'Government'). Evidently at that time the stainless steel alloys would gall and it took a while for the manufacturers to figure out how to make the stainless 1911s reliable.

So I got a Charter Arms Bulldog in 44 Special, this being in the late 1970s. Of course it worked flawlessly, and the only issue was that it wasn't a fancy brand name, and obviously people who tried to load it with 44 Magnum level loads wound up messing their guns up.

I've had several Charter Arms revolvers over the past 30 or 40 years, and not been disappointed with any of them. My latest 44 Special sports Crimson Trace laser grips, and is definitely one of my favorite revolvers (aren't they all, though... :D ).

Overall, since I live in a gun friendly state, and in a rural area, and I'm self-employed, I don't worry about concealability, and having carried a firearm all my life, I really don't care if it's "heavy" or not; I figure that's what good belts and holsters are for.

So when a few years ago I had an opportunity to hike around in Idaho and Montana in wilderness areas with my son, I thought it might be prudent to have something a little more potent than a 44 special. A normal person would have settled for either my 7" Redhawk in 44 Magnum, or my 5" Redhawk in 45 Colt (and yes I know that means I'm sort of "spoiled", but what most people spend on automobiles I spend on firearms, and I settle for $500 used cars :D ). Of course the opportunity for that trip meant I simply HAD to have a new firearm, just like a woman might need a pair of new shoes if she's attending a friend's wedding (and yes I know that means I'm "sexist", but I grew up in a generation where that was okay :D ).

So I bought a 4" Ruger Redhawk in 45 Colt with the cylinder set up to use full moon clips for 45 ACP. It's definitely a big revolver, but now sort of serves as my "Bulldog".

I really haven't decided whether it's "better" than the Charter Arms or not, obviously the reality is that they fill two different niches. If I want something lightweight to slip into my pocket as I walk in an urban area, to deal with a potential two-legged predator, the Crimson Trace equipped aluminum framed 5-shot Charter Arms in 44 special really is perfect. If I am in a rural or wilderness area where I might encounter something with fangs that outweighs me two to one, I will take the Redhawk since it holds six shots and can be loaded to the hottest 45 Colt specs.
Last edited by AJMD429 on Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:09 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Congratulations Scott! Great choice! :D
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Scott, you did thorough research and arrived at a logical conclusion. That Ruger is concealable, capable and hell for stout even if it is not as small as a Webley Royal Irish Constabulary in .455.
It would digest the "bowling pin" loads I put up for my Springfield XD .45 with Universal under the Lee .452-255 RF without a burp.
I fear I have fallen under the spell of Candidate No. 2, and have one waiting at my FFL ... 8)
Doc, that little Charter .44 is a comfort, isn't it -- especially loaded with Keiths from the RCBS mold?
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by piller »

I do not want to be shot by any of those calibers. .45 ACP is still a capable cartridge/caliber. There are people who load it hot, but I just stick with loads approximately 850 fps with a 230 grain bullet. They are accurate and the kick is totally acceptable in my 4&5/8 inch Blackhawk. If I need more gun, it is probably because I am hunting. My hot loads are in . 45 Colt for hunting, or in a . 44 Mag or a . 480 Ruger Super Redhawk. There does not seem to me any need for those in a close range situation with a hood rat.
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Catshooter
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Catshooter »

Scott,

Tell us about the Smith, please.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

The Smith is an old one.

Pinned barrel recessed cylinders Model 29 that was sent to Magnaport to make a Magnaport Special. Barrel chopped and recrowned at 21/2 inches. The grip frame was cut down to K frame round butt size. Action polished and it was hard chromed. It was my dream gun back in the 1980s.

Sighted in for Winchester 240 gr factory JSP magnum ammo and it shoots great. The only .44 magnum that I can really shoot well.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

AJMD429 wrote: Sat Feb 12, 2022 7:35 pm .
If I want something lightweight to slip into my pocket as I walk in an urban area, to deal with a potential two-legged predator, the Crimson Trace equipped aluminum framed 5-shot Charter Arms in 44 special really is perfect. If I am in a rural or wilderness area where I might encounter something with fangs that outweighs me two to one, I will take the Redhawk since it holds six shots and can be loaded to the hottest 45 Colt specs.
Very well thought out. Sounds like you have this figured out.

I’m selling off guns now that I don’t use regularly and replacing them with guns that I really enjoy. So this experiment didn’t affect the family budget and gave me a lot of enjoyment.

I thought Candidate No. 2 was going to be the winner, but I let the experiment lead me to where it would. All of the Candidates shot well and each would serve well in this capacity. But after plenty of shooting it became clear that the winner was just more consistently accurate and more importantly it always shot to the sights.

It’s pretty in it’s own way. But I still need to contour the stocks a bit.
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Oldncrusty »

Congrats on finding your winner. Jve been jonesing for one of those since I first saw it.
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Oldncrusty »

Also, it would be neat of you to share your grip shaping techniques when you get them finished :P
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by 2ndovc »

Looks great, Scott! I've really enjoyed reading along with your posts, and they've renewed my interest in the .45 Colt. I haven't been out to shoot the most recent purchase yet, but I'm hoping to get to an indoor range this week.
As much as I'd like to, I'm not sure that I can pack a SAA everyday so I'm still on the hunt for the King Cobra.

jb 8)
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

Oldncrusty wrote: Sun Feb 13, 2022 9:20 am Also, it would be neat of you to share your grip shaping techniques when you get them finished :P
Sure, but first I probably need to talk about the problem.

The wood is a bit proud in the backstrap area, and it bothers me for asthetic reasons. It does not seem to affect the way this gun shoots, but it simply isn't right.

Here is a photo that hopefully illustrates the issue:
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Last edited by Scott Tschirhart on Sun Feb 13, 2022 10:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Scott Tschirhart
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Scott Tschirhart »

I also want to blend the area behind the trigger guard as well. I like it being wider but it should blend into the metal better.
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Oldncrusty
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by Oldncrusty »

Yep, it's clear now. Thanks.
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by junkbug »

Congratulations Scott. That is a great looking revolver. I remember seeing one, blue, with the same barrel length, birds-head grip, and wide hammer spur. It was in .45 Colt, which would suit me just fine. I did not buy it, and have seen no others like it since. They are very hard to find now.

Enjoy!!
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Re: American Bulldog we have a winner!

Post by TedH »

That's a beauty.
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