Gunner Quinn
The Charter Arms Double Dog is a sturdy, weather-resistant, and reliable revolver that can alternately utilize two different cylinders: one chambered in .357 Magnum/.38 Special, and the other chambered in 9mm. This gives the user a great deal of versatility in ammo selection. That could be a real advantage during an ammo shortage.
The most remarkable feature of the Double Dog is the extraction system on the 9mm cylinder. Rounds can be loaded directly into each chamber in the cylinder without the use of moon clips. Then when it is time to unload the revolver, the cylinder can be swung opened and a simple push on the extractor rod is sufficient to clear the rounds from all of the chambers quickly, smoothly, and simultaneously.
The stainless steel revolver has a 4.2 inch ported barrel, beautifully glossy walnut grips, and adjustable sights. It is also 100% made in the USA.
At the time of this writing, the Double Dog had a manufacturer-suggested retail price of $659. That is an excellent value for such a durable, quite versatile, and reliable revolver.
Background
There have been several significant ammo shortages during the course of the last 20 years. It would be unwise not to expect similar disruptions to occur again in the future.
The most recent such disruption occurred during the Covid disturbance beginning in 2020. In my area, it seemed that cartridges in the most commonly used chamberings disappeared from store shelves first. Then cartridges in less commonly used chamberings also gradually sold out. After a long drought, cartridges in the most commonly used chamberings eventually became available again. Finally, cartridges in less commonly used chamberings also gradually became available again.
During such disruptions, the ability to use a wider variety of ammunition may be crucial. So when I ran across the Charter Arms Double Dog online, I was immediately interested. I contacted Charter Arms and asked if I could borrow a sample for testing and evaluation. They were kind enough to agree.
Shortly before the Double Dog shipped, I received a nice personal note from D. Nickerson Ecker, President of Charter Arms. He highlighted some of the features of the Double Dog. He also mentioned that if I called Charter Arms during business hours, a human would answer the phone. I have talked to enough computers in my life to value a real person on the other end of the line.
The Double Dog is a combination of the Charter Arms Pit Bull (9mm) and Mag Pug (.357 Magnum) models. Not long after the aforementioned letter came, I received a call from the gun store that handles my firearm transfers. The Double Dog had arrived.
First Impressions
The Double Dog came in a sturdy plastic case that measures 10 x 8 x 3.5 inches. The hinges and latches of the case are well-designed, so that they should give many years of reliable service.
The outside of the case displayed a number of decals with helpful information including the fact that 2024 is the 60th anniversary of Charter Arms.
The case contained the revolver in a plastic bag along with the typical items that accompany a new firearm such as a trigger lock, a warranty card, and a manual. Among these various accoutrements lay a black velvet drawstring bag. The bag contained the 9mm cylinder-and-crane-assembly for the revolver. The .357 cylinder was already installed.
The stainless steel of the Double Dog allowed it to be free of the messy coating of oil that many other firearms require to resist corrosion during shipment and storage. I find stainless steel to be an attractive metal, and it favors this handgun nicely. The finish of the steel on the sides of the ventilated rib is somewhat rough in places. I am not sure if this is a remnant of casting marks that have not been polished off, or if it is due to some other cause. Slight hints of carbon near the ports suggest that the Double Dog has been test-fired.
The beautiful, highly polished walnut grips fit my hand well. The double-action trigger pull is smooth, and the single-action trigger pull is outstanding.
Reading the Manual
The manual is 12 pages long including its front and back covers. It includes a number of interesting items of information:
∙ Only factory loaded ammo should be used in the revolver. Use of improper ammo, including reloaded ammunition, voids the warranty.
∙ +P ammo is not recommended, since it can result “in increased recoil, muzzle flash, unburned powder, and other undesirable effects.”
∙ A wait of five minutes is recommended following a failure to fire. That is a somewhat long hang fire recommendation for a handgun.
∙ It advises never crossing obstacles such as fences or streams with a loaded firearm. That advice is more typical for long guns.
∙ The pages in the manual are not numbered. I recommend numbering the pages for easier reference.
∙ The decocking instructions are excellent.
∙ It recommends cleaning the revolver after every range session or after 50 rounds, whichever comes first.
∙ It recommends against disassembly, but provides helpful disassembly instructions anyway.
∙ The warranty only applies to the original owner, and does not cover ordinary wear and tear.
∙ Charter Arms will provide a replacement manual free of charge.
Trigger Pull Weight
I tested trigger pull weight using a Ready Up Gear Digital Trigger Pull Weight Gauge.
During five measures of the single action trigger, its weight ranged between 1.88 and 3.46 pounds, with an average of 2.8 and a mean of 2.86 pounds.
During five measures of the double action trigger, its weight ranged between 10.18 and 11.09 pounds, with an average of 10.61 and a mean of 10.54 pounds.
First Range Session
It was an overcast day in late December. The temperature was 28 degrees Fahrenheit with no discernible breeze.
I took the Double Dog out to the improvised range behind the pole barn. I set up a target stand in front of the backstop, and set up a table 15 yards away. I then loaded five rounds of Winchester Target and Practice .38 Special 130 grain FMJ into the Double Dog. I then fired a single round at the center target on the stand using single action. The bullet struck 4 inches to the left of the point of aim. As I prepared to adjust the windage, I found that the screws were so loose that the rear sight slid freely back and forth in its slot. I tightened the windage screws and fired another single shot. It struck close enough to the point of aim that I fired the remaining 3 rounds without further adjusting the sights. Three of the shots grouped around the center of the target, with one flyer.
The ported barrel left my ears ringing even though I was wearing hearing protection muffs, so I added ear plugs as well.
One advantage of a revolver over a semi-auto is that it is much easier to collect spent brass. The ejector worked great at depositing the spent brass in the plastic pail that I had taken along for that purpose.
I fired a couple of more five-shot, single-action groups from rest using the .38 Special loads. I could put four of the five shots within a one inch group, but the fifth shot of each group continued to be a flyer. That flyer widened my groups out to about four inches.
I was working with gloves on. I found it somewhat difficult to load with gloves on, but there was plenty of room inside the trigger guard to accommodate my gloved finger.
I then switched to Norma Safeguard .357 Magnum 158 grain JHP. With the ported barrel, there had been almost no significant recoil with the .38 Special load. The .357 Magnum load, on the other hand, had quite a bit more pepper on it.
I fired several five-shot groups single-action from rest with the .357 Magnum. I then switched back to the .38 Special for a five-shot, single-action group offhand, and a five-shot, double-action group offhand.
Unknown to me at the time, the windage screws on the rear sight were working loose again. What I did know was that my groups were getting gradually worse. But even shooting double action offhand with loose rear sights, all of my groups were minute-of-a-bad-guy.
I then headed into the house to clean the Double Dog.
First Cleaning
I used an Otis FG750 Tactical Cleaning kit so that I could clean the revolver from the breach using a cable. I cleaned the chambers in the cylinder first and then cleaned the bore using a swab wetted with OGRE Manufacturing EnviroClean FA Gun Cleaner. I then repeated the process with a brass brush, additional swabs with the gun cleaner until they came through clean, followed by a dry swab. I repeated the process on the external metal surfaces, and finished up with a Breakfree CLP swab in the chambers, bore, and on the accessible metal surfaces.
Changing the Cylinder
I began the process of changing the cylinder by unscrewing the crane screw and removing it from the frame. I then pressed the cylinder latch and removed the .357 cylinder and crane from the frame. As the instructions predicted, the crane washer was damaged in the process of removal. Fortunately, Charter Arms had provided eight or so extra washers with the revolver, and promised to provide additional washers on request.
Next, I inserted the 9mm cylinder into the frame and secured the cylinder with the cylinder latch. I worked one of the new crane washers into position on the crane screw and then replaced and tightened the screw in the frame.
Finally, I function-tested the revolver with the new cylinder in place. It functioned perfectly.
I then noticed that the windage screws on the rear sight had worked loose, thus helping to explain the worsening groups that I had experienced during my first range session. The tools that I had available in the house were better suited to tightening the screws than the tools that I had available at the range.
Second Range Session
It was Christmas Eve morning. The sky was grey, but my heart rejoiced as I remembered the salvation that God has provided through His Son, Jesus.
The temperature was 34 degrees Fahrenheit. There was no wind. A thin layer of sodden snow fought a desperate and losing rearguard action against the above-freezing temperatures. Unless reinforcements arrived soon, it looked like no snow would survive to greet Christmas morning.
I made my way back to the range and set up the target stand and table. Remembering the high decibel level produced by the ports in the barrel, I wore both ear plugs and ear muffs.
I loaded five rounds of Winchester White box 9 mm 115 grain FMJ. Loading rimless cartridges straight into a revolver was a novel experience for me. The cartridges slid smoothly into the chambers and were effectively held in place by little toggles on the extractor.
I fired those first five rounds from rest at the center target from 15 yards. The group was 3.75 inches in size. As with the .38 Special, the ported barrel made recoil from 9mm negligible.
Emptying the chambers following that first group was a revelation. With a simple push of the extractor rod, the brass all popped out of the chambers as slick as a whistle. The extractor continued to function smoothly and effectively throughout the range session.
I fired additional five-shot groups from rest. As I became more comfortable with the Double Dog, the groups gradually shrank in size until they became 3.00 inches in size. Then as fatigue and carelessness began to set in, the groups gradually began to expand again.
Finally, I tried a five-shot, single-action group offhand. It was 5.25 inches in size. My pistol marksmanship is obviously nothing to brag about. It is a pity that renowned shooter Ed McGiveren ( https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/remembering-the-legendary-ed-mcgivern/ ) could not give me a hand with my testing.
Final Cleaning
I repeated the cleaning process described above. Then I removed the 9mm cylinder and reinstalled the .357 cylinder with a new crane screw washer.
Conclusions
If you like the simplicity and reliability of a revolver, and if you would like a revolver that can use an unusually large variety of ammo, the Double Dog may be the handgun for you. It is definitely worth a second look.
Disclaimers
Charter Arms was kind enough to loan me a sample of their Double Dog revolver in .357 Magnum and 9mm. Ready Up Gear had provided me with a sample of their Digital Trigger Pull Weight Gauge for a previous review. OGRE Manufacturing had provided me with a sample of their EnviroClean FA Gun Cleaner for a previous review. Otis had provided me with a sample of their FG750 Tactical Cleaning Kit for a previous review. I tried not to allow the kindness of these vendors to interfere with my objectivity in this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.
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