Wheelgun Wednesday: Charter Arms Coyote & Combo Series

Charter Arms, in my mind, is one of the most surprising and subtle companies in the world of revolvers. Every time they bring something new to the market, they do so in hushed tones and I accidentally stumble upon them like a diamond in the rough. Like, “Where the heck did this come from?” So, I submit to you example #7,892 of their awfully quiet marketing strategy - the unveiling of the Coyote Series and Combo Series.

Wheelgun Wednesday @ TFB:

• Wheelgun Wednesday: Charter Arms Professional VI .357 Magnum 6-Shot
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Charter Arms Professional V .357 Mag/.38 SPL
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Charter Arms Professional IV .32 H&R Mag 7-Shot
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Charter Arms Professional III .357 Magnum 6-Shot
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Charter Arms Professional II .357 Mag/.38 SPL
• Wheelgun Wednesday: Charter Arms Professional .32 H&R Mag 7-Shot

What is the Charter Arms Coyote Series?

The Charter Arms Coyote Series is a collection of three (3) revolvers chambered for .380 Auto (.380 ACP) with varying finishes (Anodized & Stainless Steel, Pink & Hi-Polish, and Lavender & Hi-Polish) all with an MSRP of $330. These double-action/single-action (DA/SA) wheelguns all don a 2” ported barrel with checkered rosewood grips.

Specifications - Charter Arms Coyote Series

The new Charter Arms Coyote Series is a curious proposition for many shooters because they are chambered in the often forgotten .380 Auto cartridge. Many of us own some kind of pocket 380 pistol that we presumptively don’t shoot a lot because they recoil a lot, are uncomfortable, unreliable because of the aforementioned complaints, and the list goes on and on. But, with these 2” ported barrel revolvers that Charter Arms is now producing, you have something with a larger grip that should be lighter recoiling and a lot more manageable and accurate on target.

• Model # 53802 | Anodized & Stainless Steel | MSRP $330
• Model # 53805 | Pink & Hi-Polish | MSRP $330
• Model # 53804 | Lavender & Hi-Polish | MSRP $330

Time will tell if a .380 ACP chambered revolver requiring moon clips (you receive 2 with your Coyote Series revolver) has some “staying power” in the industry. Moreover, with some of the colorways, they are directly marketing toward women which is a much smaller pool than all of the men shooting firearms.

What is the Charter Arms Combo Series?

The Charter Arms Combo Series is a set of only two wheelguns - one offering from the Mag Pug and Pitbull lineups, respectively. The Combo Series will be known for giving two cylinders to play with at the range with a .38 Special/.357 Magnum as well as a 9mm cylinder. This ability to shoot 3 different cartridges will give gun owners a lot of utility in a small package at a reasonable MSRP of only $455.

Specifications - Charter Arms Combo Series

The new Charter Arms Combo Series isn’t something that we have not seen before - a revolver model with multiple cylinders - but maybe this specific series will take off because of the affordable price, and people being able to utilize the eternally popular 9mm cartridge. Simplistic in its design, function, and appearance, the Combo Series is a spin-off of their Mag Pug and Pitbull line of snub-nose wheelguns.

• Model # 73920 | Stainless Steel & Classic Walnut | MSRP $455
• Model # 13920 | Black Passivate & Classic Walnut | MSRP $455

With classic walnut grips in either the Black Passivate or Stainless Steel models, you have a tasteful delivery of a small yet high utility revolver. All snubbys are difficult to be supremely accurate with (regardless of how good of a shooter you think you are), so the tiny little “Easter egg” that Charter Arms leaves at the bottom of their marketing ad copy - 4.2” Ported Models Coming Soon - should be very promising for people who may want to stretch these out and shoot a bit further.

Purchase or Pass? Charter Arms - Coyote Series & Combo Series

As far as little, snub-nose revolvers go, Charter Arms makes some of the most affordable ones on the market today. They are only a bit hit-or-miss depending on the sometimes odd feature sets and configurations that Charter puts forth on the market. I always enjoy shooting 9mm revolvers because who doesn’t have 9mm ammo? Oppositely, I do own a .380 ACP pistol (that I never shoot), so they might be onto something by also offering an affordable .380 Auto revolver. People might be enticed to burn through some more ammo of theirs that they currently aren’t shooting.

I could be entirely off-base with all of my assumptions, too. You never know. I am single-handedly assisting Charter Arms’ marketing department with the dozen or so articles I have written about them this year on Wheelgun Wednesday. As always, let us know all of your thoughts about Charter Arms, the new Coyote Series, and the new Combo Series in the Comments below! We always appreciate your feedback.