
Initially, the Undercover was sold with a polished blue finish and smooth walnut grips that held a silver Charter Arms medallion. Finally, the machined barrel had eight-groove rifling instead of six-groove, which improved the bullet seal and resulted in higher velocities and better accuracy potential. It was also the only American revolver that didn’t have a cylinder stop in the frame to hold the cylinder in place when it was open for loading. The cylinder locked in three different places instead of just two-at the breech face and on both sides of the frame using the ejector rod collar. The Undercover also used a hammer-block, transfer-bar safety system invented by Charter that only allowed the gun to fire when the trigger was fully to the rear. RELATED STORY: Swamp King – The Charter Arms Gator Revolver Both the trigger and the hammer spur were wider for easier user manipulation.
Charter arms undercover 38 special holster plus#
The action itself had fewer major moving parts than its competitors, plus it had a shorter hammer throw, making the lock time faster. It was spring-loaded and made of tough beryllium copper, making it almost unbreakable. Charter Arms, however, fitted the firing pin of the Undercover in the frame. 38 Special UndercoverĬolt and S&W centerfire revolvers at the time had their firing pins riveted in the hammer nose. By comparison, the S&W Chief’s Special weighed 19 ounces and was roughly the same size.īetter Backup Charter Arms.

The grip frame/triggerguard was a one-piece unit made of aluminum alloy, which kept the weight of the gun down to 16 ounces and which permitted Charter Arms to advertise it as the lightest steel-framed revolver on the market. All internal parts were attached by screws or pins, plus all the springs were coil springs. Unlike conventional revolvers, there was no sideplate access to the action was through the bottom of the frame. It was conceived by American engineers who wanted a new and different handgun design while keeping with the traditions established in New England’s “Gun Valley.” At the time, this revolver was very different from the wheelguns produced by Colt and Smith & Wesson.įor starters, the frame was a solid piece of steel, which provided added strength.

The very first Charter Arms product was a five-shot, double-action, snub-nose revolver in.
