Yep. I bought a $50 revolver. It’s a Charter Arms Undercover made in about 1969. Does that mean I think my life is worth $50? Nope. That means some crackhead might think my life is worth the $50 I have on me when he tries to rob me.

I cannot put a price on my life, and I will not link the value of my life to the value of my guns. If a gun works, it is a good gun. Massad Ayoob once suggested that a gun should fire a minimum of 100 rounds of the defensive ammo you intend to use without malfunctioning to be called reliable. Well, I have fired a lot more than 100 rounds through this little Charter Arms Undercover without cleaning or maintenance. So, now we are going to TUF it out. TUF means “test until failure.”

When the gun breaks, I will ship it to Charter Arms for repair. For a firearm manufactured prior to 1997, Charter Arms asks that you ship the gun back to them at your expense. They will charge you $49.95, which includes evaluation, labor and return shipping. Any parts needed to complete the repairs will cost you extra. Once the firearm is repaired, a Charter Arms customer service associate will reach out to you to receive payment, confirm return shipping instructions and provide a tracking number. Voilà! The gun is back in action.

Spend More on Ammo

We all need more training. If you can afford a $1,500 pistol, great; buy one if you like it. I prefer to keep the costs of my guns lower and spend more money on ammo and training.