History
Designed by the founder of the first version of Charter Arms, Doug McClenahan, the Bulldog was released in 1973. It was one of the best-selling weapons of the 1970s and the 1980s in the United States. Its design and execution, which were quite modern at the time, caught the attention of the gun press and combat shooters. By the mid-1980s, more than half a million units had been produced and nearly 37,000 were being manufactured every year. Bulldog production has been stopped a few times since 1992, when Charter Arms (the original manufacturer) went bankrupt.
Some time later, manufacturing began again under the Charco (descendant company of Charter Arms) trademark, but this company also filed bankruptcy; the models produced during this period showed obvious production flaws. It was produced again by Charter 2000; this company, which failed also, improved the weapon with a one-piece barrel, front sight, ejector-shroud assembly. The original model had no ejector-shroud and the aluminum front sight was soldered to the barrel.
In June 2007, a version of the Bulldog with new features began to be produced by another company named Charter Arms, but this time was distributed by MKS Supply.
The Bulldog was used by the infamous serial killer David Berkowitz aka "The .44 Caliber Killer" and the "Son of Sam" who was responsible for a brutal series of attacks and murders in New York City during 1976–1977 (before he was caught due to an outstanding parking violation).
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