Charter Arms Rimless Revolvers in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP
ByCharter Arms has been showing the willingness to be different and offer consumers revolvers that they can’t find elsewhere. Earlier this year, Charter Arms introduced the Patriot line of revolvers chambered in .327 Federal Magnum. The Ruger SP101 was the only revolver chambered for the .327, until the Patriot revolvers which gives buyers a choice in this caliber. Now Charter has announced a new line of revolvers designed for rimless self-defense cartridges.
Chambering revolver for a rimless cartridge, such as the 9mm or .45 ACP, is not a new idea. Smith and Wesson, Taurus, and others have done it before. The problem has always been with the moon clips. To get a rimless cartridge to sit properly in the cylinder, you would have to snap individual rounds into a full or half-moon clip. While in theory this isn’t too bad, a lot of shooters will tell you it will quickly become a pain.
Charter Arms claims to have solved this problem by offering a system that allows you to insert rimless cartridges directly into the cylinder without the need for clips. Assuming the system functions flawlessly, this could be a serious leap forward for Charter. A lot of citizens would like to have a revolver chambered for the same cartridge they carry in their Glock or Sig. Also, add to the equation all of the police officers wanting to carry a back-up gun chambered for the same cartridge they carry in their duty gun.
The revolvers will be offered in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP. The guns will feature a 2″ barrel on the 9mm, with a 2.2″ on the .40 and .45. The 9mm will be offered on Charter’s lightweight aluminum frame (12 oz), while the .40 and .45 will be offered on the slightly larger “Bulldog” frame. All guns will handle +P cartridges and will have a lifetime warranty.
An interesting note: Charter states the 9mm will chamber .380 ACP ammunition. So, if you need revolver dependability but need very light recoil due to arthritis or other issues, this might be well worth looking at.
MSRP will range from $399 to $449, so the guns will be affordable. Charter anticipates shipping these guns in the first quarter of 2009, starting with the .40 S&W then .45 ACP, and 9mm. All should be available by the end of 2009.
9 Comments
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:00 am
Was thinking of getting a wheel gun, now I definitely will!
If these revolvers prove to be reliable, durable and cost effective, they will definitely be an incredibly popular item! Good luck finding them in your local gun shop, they’ll be flying out as quickly as they come in!
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:03 am
Scott,
I think you are right…they should be hot sellers this year. I am hoping to get a good look at them at the SHOT show and will post more info then.
–Richard
January 2nd, 2009 at 11:18 am
Oh, by the way…great strip! I just recently found it and have been enjoying reading some of the older ones to get caught up.
–Richard
January 6th, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I called Charter Arms yesterday, January 5, 2009 and spoke with the head of the company. He said that Charter Arms has no plan to build a 9mm revolver.
Sam
January 6th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
A 4″ barrel w/adjustable sights would be cool cool
January 14th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Its about freaking time someone makes a 5 shot snubnose 45acp. smith and wesson will not do it.
January 21st, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Sam,
I’m not sure who you spoke to, but I have double checked all of my facts. Charter Arms states the 9mm will be available on their web site, plus when I spoke to them at the SHOT Show, they were very firm on them bringing a 9mm to the market.
I believe 9mm is one of the most popular handgun cartridges in the world. It would seem to be silly to ignore that market.
Check out my latest post on the Charter Arms Rimless Revolvers here.
–Richard
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Will they be available DAO ?
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:41 pm
They have not announced any plans for a DAO. If they manage to get them to market, I would think a DAO would be in the works for next year, but that is merely a guess.