No Rim? No Problem!
The Charter Arms Pitbull .45 ACP solves the
“pistol ammo in a revolver” problem handily
The Charter Arms .45 ACP Pitbull is stainless steel with a 2-1/2-inch barrel
and fixed sights. The ejector rod is enclosed and protected and the whole
package weighs only 22 ounces.
The Charter Arms Pitbull has a capacity of 5 rounds and would make a quite
effective self-defense pistol when loaded with jacketed hollowpoints. The finger
grooved Neoprene grips are made for control and comfort.
No feeding worries with hollowpoints in the new Pitbull. The biggest benefit is
.45 ACP self-defense ammo is far more accessible than other big-bore revolver cartridges.
For over 50 years Charter Arms has been producing economically priced pocket pistols, some of which are of a type never before offered by any other manufacturer.
One of the company’s best offerings is a way to use rimless semi-automatic pistol cartridges in a revolver without having to use clips. The first chamberings offered were in 9mm and .40 S&W, and the latest is now the biggest dog of all, the .45 ACP Pitbull. Charter Arms says of this pocket powerhouse: “The unique design provides a dual coil spring assembly located in the extractor which allows for the insertion and retention of the .45 ACP caliber cartridge in each chamber of the revolver’s cylinder.” No moon clips or clips of any kind are required.
Normally sixguns using .45 ACP rounds need clips whether they be half or full moon to aid in ejection. The clip gives something for the ejector star to contact allowing the cartridges to be easily ejected. Some current sixguns even require the moon clips for consistent ignition. With the Charter Arms .45 ACP moon clips are not necessary. A small finger protruding from the five stations of the ejector star snaps into the ejector cut just above the rim of a .45 ACP cartridge. This is enough to allow ejection. As with all double-action revolvers it is recommended the revolver be pointed straight up as the ejector rod is tapped to eject the empties. This needs to be a positive operation to ensure empties are all ejected.
When loading the .45 ACP Pitbull, cartridges do not simply drop in. They must be worked past the spring-loaded finger in each cut out in the extractor star. This requires they be wiggled around a bit, however the learning curve is short for finding the best way to do this. The entire case body, including the mouth of the cartridge case, must make it past this finger to allow cartridges to fully enter the chamber. The first attempt seems quite clumsy and awkward, however with repetition comes ease of operation.
The Charter Arms Pitbull delivered great short-range accuracy with all the
loads tried, including those from Buffalo Bore, Remington, Winchester and others.
I have spent nearly 50 years using various iterations of the Bulldog from Charter Arms, mostly chambered in .44 Special. The .44 is an excellent cartridge, however its one downside is the availability of factory ammunition suitable for self-defense. This is not a problem with .45 ACP ammunition. In fact, if there is a problem, it is selecting the best load from so many being offered today.
The Charter Arms .45 ACP Pitbull is all stainless steel, with well thought out fingergroove neoprene grips which aid both comfort and controllability. All of the loads tried had minimal felt recoil for a .45 ACP. Charter Arms recommends against the use of +P loads and I myself have no desire to use them in such a small lightweight revolver. Barrel length is 2-1/2 inches with fixed sights consisting of a square notch rear cut in the top of the frame and a serrated ramp front sight which is an integral part of the barrel. The sights are big and broad and quite easy to pick up. The front of the trigger is smooth and provides a single action pull of about 5 pounds, but it seems lighter. The double-action pull is also quite smooth.
Since this is basically a big-bore sixgun designed for self-defense use, test-firing was done at the traditional across-the-room distance of 7 yards. My everyday easy recoil and practice loads for the .45 ACP is the Oregon Trail 200-grain semi-wadcutter loaded over 4.0 and 5.0 grains of Unique for muzzle velocities through the Pitbull of 670 and 770 fps respectively. Both of these loads shoot easy and a group just over 1-1/2 inches for four shots at 7 yards. Of the eight factory loads tried, six were right at 1-inch for four shots at 7 yards. Regular hardball 230-grain FMJ loads from both Remington and Winchester clocked out at around 740 fps with groups right at 1-inch. There are still plenty of shooters who would pick the old original 230-grain FMJ for self-defense, and if so they will shoot well out of the Pitbull. Both the Black Hills and HPR, clocking out at 840, and 875 fps respectively, put four shots in just over 1-inch at 7 yards. This was also true of the DoubleTap Low Recoil 200-grain JHP at 715 fps. Anyone of these would be my first choice for self-defense carry.
Pitbull
Maker: Charter Arms
18 Brewster Lane, Shelton CT 06484, (203) 922-1652
Action Type: Double-action revolver
Caliber: .45 ACP
Capacity: 5
Barrel length: 2.5 inches
Overall length: 7.25 inches
Weight: 22 ounces
Finish: Stainless steel
Sights: Fixed
Grips: Fingergroove neoprene
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