Charter PathFinder

[toyfj40]

I do not own a RimFire Revolver or a 22Mag-anything.
I also go camping (to access my 30yr+ astronomy hobby )
I have been on the lookout for a TrailGun, too.

well, I came across the CharterArms PathFinder
http://www.CharterFireArms.com/pathfinder.php
http://www.GunBlast.com/Charter-Pathfinder.htm

Their WebPage doesn't say much. Does anyone have it?
Does the cylinder "flip out" (like my S&W .357 HiWay Patrolman?)
or is it a Round-at-a-time-plunger (like Heritage/SingleSix ?)
Is it a nice-smooth "action"? Creep? SA/DA?

Would it work well with CCI-.22mag-ShotShells for 'snakes'
on the trail/camping...? --thanks

[Bullseye]

That cylinder rotates out just like your S&W. I can see the pin and gate in the photo. The rod also isn't long enough to clear the chamber like the old army single actions do. It kind of reminds me of an old S&W model 10 with a short barrel.

R,
Bullseye

[allendavis]

I have one of these I bought back in the mid-1970s, but mine is in blue steel, has adjustable sights and a 3" barrel. I received it as a gift when I was about 16 or so and I shot the daylights out of it.

What made mine so unusual is that I had a spare cylinder that fired the .22 Mag., but have never used it for more than about 100 rounds since .22 Mag. ammo is so expensive.

I quit playing with it after I began acquiring Rugers, S&Ws, High Standards and Colts.

It was much more accurate with the .22 Mags, but like I said, I don't buy that stuff, but it was/is okay.

I owned a 4" barreled .357 Mag. Bulldog Tracker with adjustable sights (a 5-shooter), and it was a pretty decent gun until I wore it out with 150-gr. SWC bullets and 7.0 gr. of Unique.

Also had a 3" barreled .44 Spl. Bulldog that I loved (fixed sights), and also a 5-shooter. I also wore it out.

The centerfire Charter Arms handguns aren't intended for constant use, even with moderate ammo. I NEVER hot-rodded these revolvers, but they just don't stand up to a lot of shooting. Sorry.

The rimfires are another bag of cats altogether and should hold up forever, even if they won't bring home any ribbons or trophies for their accuracy.

I lament the loss of Charter Arms' Explorer II pistol, which was a handgun version of the Survivor rifle now licensed to Henry Arms. This little puppy looked almost exactly like a Mauser C-96 (Broomhandle) pistol, and had interchangeable barrels from 6" up to 12" or so. It would also accept the high-cap banana mags that fit the rifle.

The triggers are extremely easy and simple to slick up, and they were very accurate.

The model you displayed does look like the ejector rod is a tad bit short, but I'd be willing to bet it ejects just fine.

Charter Arms revolver triggers aren't widely acclaimed for their quality, but they are darned good little guns, and I'd feel safe with one in my night-stand if that were all I could get, even in .22 LR.

My two cents' worth.

Allen

[allendavis]

Forgot something...

I don't know if this "new" Charter Arms company remained truly faithful to their older designs, but the "old" Charters used to boast of having firing pins made of beryllium copper alloy, which made them nearly indestructable.

And after more closely analyzing the picture that was posted, the ejector rod is indeed long enough to fully eject your spent cases.

Allen

[toyfj40]

Forgot something...

yeah... I do that a lot, myself...
(that's what I use this EDIT button for)

actually, I've come Full-Circle on this...
When I originally posted the question, it turns out they were short on their
production-run and would not tool-up for that model for a few weeks...
I got the plain-old Taurus 94B4 (9x.22 medium-size frame), which is
a nice addition to my assortment...

Just today, I received my July-"GunsMagazine" and they have an article
on the NAAminis... they are changing the (little) grip.. a little...
and I was thinking... Nah..
I still don't want a pisstol that I can wear like a Hippy-Necklace...
but the article does make it look like a good improvement.

Also, I've got the Taurus PT22(?) the little-flip-up .22LR pistol...
and it functions/cycles pretty good... but KeyHoles on me a LOT!

so, I'm re-considering the Charter-PathFinder.
I *think* I'd get the .22LR (not wmr), mostly due to
A. cost of .22wmr cartridges
B. ?? what is the "NET" advantage of a few 'fps' in a real situation,
when I expect 100%(minus a teenie-weenie number) of my shots
to be fun/practice ...

thanks for you comments...

[allendavis]

Dear toyfj40

I don't know what to make of some of your acronyms and abbreviations, so forgive me. I'm an old man.

Perhaps, too, I didn't keep up with this thread as I should have before posting.

I don't care for those NAA "belt-buckle" revolvers at all. Tried a couple I saw others at the range with. Too easy to burn your own hands or shoot yourself where you carry your family jewels.

I know Taurus makes pretty decent guns now, but I've still got a very bad taste in my mouth after buying one of their earliest clones of the Beretta 92. Piece of s**t any way you tried slicing it. My youngest son and a nephew both own Taurus clones of S&W revolvers that were made in the early 1990s, and they are good guns, even though they depart from the original S&W design in the mainspring and safety.

I recently attempted a trigger job on that new Taurus beast in .44 Mag., and wanted to throw up when I removed the sideplate. It sucks eggs worse than a hungry redbone hound dog, and you couldn't give me a truckload of these things just for shipping costs. They're worse than crap.

Getting to your question, I value the .22 LR as a defensive round, especially if you use CCI Stingers or Remington's Yellow Jackets. From a handgun barrel, even at 12", the .22 Mag. offers no advantage over the lowly .22 LR. (And why spend 4x the money for a louder bang???)

When I can't carry my 1911 or my Hi-Power, I carry an Iver Johnson(!!!) TP-22, a lowly clone of the Walther PPK, but chambered in .22 LR. I've owned this gun for almost 25 years, and it has NEVER malfunctioned ONCE except when I've fed it anything but HOT ammo (like the Stinger or the Yellow Jacket).

It's also surprisingly accurate out to 50 feet.

Pop ANYONE in the face 2-3 times in the face with one of those rounds, they will either fall down or run away. (Don't attempt this with ANY .25 ACP pistol -- you'll only piss-off your assailant, and they will cram your pistol up your butt after they beat/stab/shoot you to death.)

If you're a good marksman, and can shoot well under extreme pressure, then a .22 LR handgun isn't as bad a choice as most gun scribes would lead you to believe.

Oh, since I don't like the Taurus clones, I must also say I don't give a crap about any Beretta either. Sorry about that one.

My two cents' worth, and you did ask for it.

Allen