Charter Arms

since 1964

• 1964 founded by Douglas McClennahan
  – he had previously worked for Colt, High Standard, and Sturm Ruger
• 1967 David Ecker became a 50/50 partner
• The Undercover –  smallest, lightest steel framed revolver with the fewest moving parts

Charter Arms
18 Brewster Lane, Shelton
Connecticut 06484
(866)-769-4867

charterfirearms.com

About Charter Arms

Charter Arms is a Connecticut revolver maker known for compact, lightweight, affordable double-action revolvers built for concealed carry and home defense. Douglas McClennahan, a gun designer who had worked for Colt, High Standard and Sturm Ruger, founded the company in 1964 with an original factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Its first product, the five-shot .38 Special Undercover, established the formula the company still follows: a simple steel-framed revolver with few moving parts at a price working people can afford. The .44 Special Bulldog later became another of its best-known models.

The company has passed through several owners and names. David Ecker became a partner in 1967 and sole owner after McClennahan retired in 1978. A later owner renamed the company CHARCO in 1988; it went bankrupt in 1996 and closed in 1998. Around 2000, Nick Ecker and partners revived the design and trademark as Charter 2000 in Shelton, Connecticut, and after a 2005 bankruptcy filing that the company attributed to lawsuit costs, it returned to the Charter Arms name. As of 2026 Charter Arms remains an American-owned company producing revolvers in Shelton.

Key Facts

• 1964: Founded by Douglas McClennahan; first product was the five-shot .38 Special Undercover
• 1967: David Ecker became a 50/50 partner
• 1978: McClennahan retired and Ecker became sole owner
• 1988: Sold and renamed CHARCO, with production moved to Ansonia, Connecticut
• Circa 2000: Revived as Charter 2000 in Shelton, Connecticut
• 2005: Bankruptcy filing, after which the company resumed the Charter Arms name

Learn More

• Charter Arms official website

Sources

• A Proud History – Charter Arms
• Charter Arms – Wikipedia
• Charter Arms: Simplicity, Reliability and Lightness – American Rifleman

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