What does a professional, world-class pistolsmith use for his personal weapon of choice?
I asked good buddy TJ (of TJ’s Custom Gunworks) that question, and the answer was surprising. This is a man who knows handguns inside and out, and a guy who is one of the top men in the world for custom-crafted combat handguns. SIGs, 1911s, Colt and Smith revolvers and autos, and more. A guy who could have just about anything he wanted. His guns are carried by law enforcement officers, special agents, and others the world over. So what is TJ’s personal sidearm?
It’s a highly-customized Charter Arms Bulldog, chambered in the mighty .44 Special cartridge. It’s the one you see here and in the photo above:
As you might imagine, TJ did not leave the gun stock. These are the custom features TJ’s personal .44 carries:
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- Satin brushed hard chrome finish
- 1.5-inch barrel (cutdown from stock barrel)
- Radiused and polished trigger
- “Melted” (rounded – sharp edges removed) contours throughout
- Night sights with orange DayGlo highlighting
- Custom-contoured front sight
- Level 1 action work
- Action modified to double action only
- MagNaPorted barrel
- Bobbed hammer
- TJ custom prototype laser grips (modified from Crimson Trace S&W grips)
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TJ explained that double action is the only way he uses revolvers. You know, there’s a school of thought that a good man with a double action revolver can fire faster than can one with a semi-auto handgun. You can read more about that in Ed McGivern’s Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting, a good read for anyone interested in improving their handgun shooting with a double action revolver.
TJ’s Charter Arms custom Bulldog is a very impressive weapon. You can see more photos of it, and a few of TJ’s other custom guns, on the TJ’s Custom Gunworks website.
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Very nice article on the CA Joe. I’ve had 2 of them in 38 spcl. Very light and compact. Simple revolver. Probably not a range gun your going to put 1000’s of rounds through every week but do what they were designed for. Say hello to my little friend. They have been making the design for a lot of years.
I bet that 44 is a handful to shoot.
A mini-me Dirty Harry.
It’s an intriguing concept and I’ve always thought it would be cool to own a Bulldog. I was out on the range with my snubnose this morning and I had a good time. Snubbies are cool.