Charter Arms 22mag 2 Barrel Pathfinder Reviews and Videos
United states of americaA. –-(Ammoland.com)- Today when we retrieve of a 22 Magnum handgun, we are probably going to conjure upwardly an image of a compact double-activity revolver similar the Smith & Wesson 351 or the Ruger LCR. Going further down the rabbit hole of defensive handguns in 22 Mag is the plethora of Due north American Arms mini-revolvers that live in many-a-pocket, including mine. Simply in that location is an often disregarded contender that might be worth the look–the Lease Arms Pathfinder.
Lease Arms has been in the business organization of making efficient, economical revolvers since 1964. Founded by firearm designer guru, Doug McClanahan, Charter Arms pioneered a few simplistic innovations like the jumpsuit frame and a conventional transfer bar prophylactic. Though the visitor has been through a few different incarnations over the years, they have created quite the catalog in recent years. The Pathfinder series of 22 quotient revolvers was part of the initial line-up and I was rather surprised to find how little info was out there. So I decided to search the web and track 1 downward.
Charter Arms Pathfinder Lite 22 Magnum
The Pathfinder is bachelor with different barrel lengths, finishing schemes, and the selection of 22 LR or 22 Magnum. The bones Pathfinder is an all-stainless steel half-dozen-shot revolver, merely at 20 ounces it is fairly heavy compared to the competition. Archetype Firearms had the lighter, xvi-ounce aluminum-framed version, the Pathfinder Calorie-free, bachelor, then I stacked just over 3 Benjamins and had the pistol in inventory in a few days.
Solid… On The Surface
The Pathfinder Calorie-free comes in a few unlike barrel configurations and frame colors. Mine came with a 2-inch barrel and a black-anodized aluminum frame. The barrel, cylinder, cylinder release, and hammer spur are left in a matte stainless finish.
Operationally, the Pathfinder Light is a conventional double-action revolver. The revolver may exist fired in double-activity by just pressing the trigger. The gun comes with an exposed hammer that may be cocked for a lighter, shorter trigger pull for target work. The cylinder release on the left side is thumbed forward and the cylinder swings to the side for loading and unloading with an ejector rod to knock out your empty shells all at once. The cylinder holds six rounds of 22 Magnum ammo and the sights consist of an unmoving front end bract and a groove in the elevation strap of the receiver. At that place are no manual safeties to think nearly, simply Charter revolvers–like Rugers–use a transfer bar safety that prevents the gun from firing unless the trigger is depressed. To finish out the presentation, the Pathfinder comes with the same bulbous, still manus-filling condom grips that Charter Arms puts on most of their guns.
Though the grips are ill-fit, hugging over the trigger-guard and the backstrap of the grip frame, the rest of the gun appeared to be solid. The finish on all the parts was fantabulous and I dug the black/matte stainless dissimilarity despite the fact that I prefer matching clothes. As for fit, the machine work was well-washed with no burs or machine marks anywhere. The checkering on the hammer and trigger were nice additions that was probably unnecessary on a budget-oriented revolver. The gun locked up like a pulsate and I was a happy camper. Merely those grips bothered me enough to desire to change them out. Altamont makes some beautiful wood grips for Charter revolvers and I decided to take off the existing grips to check the profile. As I did, I noticed something that I missed from my initial inspection.
The grip frame was made from cheap gray plastic, injection mold voids still imprinted. The grip frame houses the mainspring that makes the gun go blindside. The grip frame is subject to some continuous pressure as the spring compresses and decompresses. This plastic was on the thin side, injection mold holes still visible. Have you always broken a plastic toy and seen what the insides look similar? And then I noticed the grip frame actually extended to the trigger-baby-sit. How did I not observe this?
I tried not to feel too bad about it, since this little detail is not listed by Lease Artillery or whatever of the retailers that stock their guns. Every bit my friend, Jason from Buffalo Outdoors would say, "There is a flaw in the slaw."
Does It Even Shoot?
I like to put my ain spin on gun reviews, showing the good and the bad. It would have been easy to ship the thing back, merely more people needed to know about this. If I am going to be stuck with it, I might every bit well shoot information technology. I took the Pathfinder Low-cal out on a few range trips and burned through iii hundred rounds. I fired an equal mix of CCI Maxi Mag 40 grain FMJs and thirty grain HP+V rounds, equally well every bit Speer Gold Dot 45 grain and Federal Hydrashock 50 grain hollow-indicate loads.
The heavier loads, which seem to wing true out of my other 22 Magnum handguns, did not do so with the Pathfinder Lite. Fifty-fifty as close equally five yards, my paper targets were peppered with elongated holes. The bullets were tumbling into the target–keyholing. My gun liked the hotter 30 grain HP loads best. They made groovy little holes, holes that I could coax into a two-inch group firing off-hand in double-action from a altitude of seven yards. Speaking of firing, I shot about of my armament in double-activity. Firing this manner, the trigger pull is heavy and a trivial on the rough side. But information technology got easier as time went on. In terms of weight, it maxes out my Lyman trigger scale and I would guess it at about 14 pounds. The single-action trigger pull, with the hammer thumbed back, is very crisp, setting off at two lbs. 2 ounces.
In terms of role, the sights were on right out of the box with no filing needed, though I just shot the gun out to most ten yards. I did find that the black/stainless dissimilarity did help me pick up the sights. This isn't the case in a lot of little revolvers, where you take black on black or grey on gray. The few complaints I could actively find on these guns is difficulty when information technology comes to extracting empty cases. I had no issues in that regard.
The only real objection in terms of shooting the gun were consistent misfires of the armament. About once every twenty-five rounds, I would go a click and no bang. The firing pivot would hit the rim of the case, only not set up the circular off. Misfires are more likely with rimfire ammo, where the priming compound that sets the circular off aren't e'er evenly applied. In my feel, 22 Magnum ammunition tends to exist better made and more reliable than comparable 22 LR loads, just even then I all the same experience misfires occasionally. Once out of every 20-five rounds isn't occasional.
Ane theory of unreliability revolves effectually jump tension. By and large, rimfire guns are equipped with a heavier mainspring. This would allow the hammer to smack the rounds harder, increasing reliability. Unfortunately, this added leap weight also increases the weight of the trigger pull in double-action. I got to wondering if the springs were kept somewhat light to avoid stressing that plastic grip frame?
The Bottom Line
When all is said and done, I likened the Lease Arms Pathfinder Low-cal to a modern American car. American machine makers in one case made solid cars that people wanted to buy. But as time went on, short-term thinking got into their heads and they started making their cars cheaper and more plasticky than ever. The event is a product that breaks down before its time, chasing abroad dedicated make followers for proficient. Worse, they were downright dishonest nearly pattern flaws that got people killed. Charter Artillery seems to exist going that road with at least some of their guns.
Well-nigh Terril Hebert
Terril Hebert is a firearm writer native to south Louisiana. Under his motto-Guns, Never Politics-he tackles firearm and reloading topics both in print and on his Mark3smle YouTube channel, where he got his start. Terril has a soft spot for ballistics testing, pocket pistols, and French rifles. When he is non burning ammo, he is indulging his unhealthy wild animals photography obsession or working on his latest novel. Scourge of God, published in 2017. Meet more from Terril on youtube under Mark3smle
Source: https://www.ammoland.com/2019/09/charter-arms-pathfinder-lite-22-magnum-review/
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