Charter Arms .357 Target Magnum Pug is a lightweight, easy carrying revolver at an attractive price. (Left) Recoil was easily controllable with full-house magnum fodder.
I saw my first Charter Arms revolver in the early 1970s. “The Undercover” was a very compact .38 Special 5-shot revolver priced substantially lower than most competing models. At just 16 ounces, it was advertised as the smallest, lightest, steel-frame revolver then available. It was also the first revolver I’d seen with a hammer-block transfer-bar safety.
The company eventually began offering .357 Mag revolvers of the same general size, but with some extra heft. Those were the days before 11.5-ounce .357 snubbies were available, so some of us considered the lightweight .357 Charters challenging to shoot. With full-house magnum loads, these guns could be relied on to sting your hands.
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Times change. While Charter Arms’ .38 Specials weigh from 12 to 16 ounces, today’s .357 Mag versions tip the scales at close to a pound and a half. That’s a more sensible weight for a magnum revolver. Fire a cylinder full of .357 Mag loads in a 12-ounce snubbie, and you’ll know what I mean. These ultra-light magnums are a pleasure to carry, but they’re not a pleasure to shoot. They’re difficult for anyone but a seasoned handgunner to control.
Wheelgun Details
Recently I decided to try the company’s .357 Target Mag Pug. This matte-finished stainless steel revolver features a 4-inch barrel, along with a fully adjustable rear sight of contrasting black, along with a 0.38 of an inch-high front blade that’s an integral part of the barrel…
