Charter Arms Merlot 38 Spl 2" Revolver

The Merlot is a Charter Arms snub nose in 38 Special with a 2" barrel and a wine toned finish that gives it a look nothing else on the counter has. Charter builds its revolvers on a one piece frame with the barrel threaded directly into it, which is part of why these guns stay light and stay simple. There is no slide to rack, no magazine to seat, and no safety to sweep. Open the cylinder, load it, close it, and the gun is ready.

A 2" 38 is a close range tool and it is honest about that. What it does better than a small automatic is tolerate neglect. Pocket lint, a coat sleeve pressed against the muzzle, an odd grip taken in a hurry: none of that ties up a revolver. The double action pull is long by design, which is the safety feature in a gun carried without a manual safety, and the hammer is there when there is time for a deliberate single action shot. Charter has been building this size of revolver for decades and the pattern has not needed much changing. The Merlot finish is the only new thing here, and for a lot of buyers it is the reason to pick this one over another snub.