The Charter Arms Off Duty model is the lightweight hammerless version of the firm’s famous Undercover .38 Special revolver. This line stands out for its light weight and snag-free design at an economical price point.
Weighing 15.9 ounces loaded, the Off Duty features an anodized aluminum frame, a two inch bull barrel, and a choice of polymer or aluminum grip frames. Other options include a full grip or a hard rubber boot grip. This version of the Off Duty features boot grips, a green fiber optic front sight, and porting to mitigate recoil. The Undercover Off Duty is a long-time competitor to the Smith & Wesson J frame. As such, it shares many of the same holster and speed loaders.
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Controls include a swing out cylinder, short ejector rod, and a push-forward cylinder release that are intuitive to use for loading and unloading. The grips are hand filling yet do not interfere when effecting a reload. The fiber optic sight is sloppily yet permanently installed, and it pops into view with ease in low light. Despite its small size and weight, the Off Duty’s porting does its job at recoil reduction. It was not prohibitive to shoot, even with occasional runs with +P ammunition.
The Charter Arms Off Duty is an effective and soft shooting point-and-shoot interface that mitigates many of the drawbacks of conventional snub-nosed revolvers at an excellent price point.
