1987 Charter Arms Pug Review

The Nov./Dec. 1987 issue of American Handgunner...

…includes a review of a Charter Arms Pug — a .44 Special snub-nosed revolver. At the time, writer Jim Weller described it as “a package so compact and lightweight that it may indeed come as a surprise to many prospective buyers.” Weller’s test Pug weighed 20 oz., measured 7.5″ overall and 5.25″ in height. It sported a 2.5″ barrel.

Over 30 years later, Charter Arms offers a similar gun in the Bulldog, a stainless DAO revolver retailing for $426. That’s right: A 5-shot, .44 Special snubbie for concealed carry. (Check it out: https://charterfirearms.com/products/74421-bulldog-stainless-dao)

Bottom line: Snub-nosed revolvers seem to be here to stay, even in .44 Special variants such as Charter Arms’ Pug/Bulldog. It’s a testament to the demand for simplicity and power in a concealed carry gun.

Here’s the original article (below). And here’s the rest of the Nov./Dec. 1987 issue of American Handgunner: https://americanhandgunner.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/HND87.pdf. Enjoy!