The Bridgeport rig is a quick draw or fast draw handgun holster that was developed in 1882. Today, the device enjoys cult status among cowboy action shooters and other antique gun enthusiasts.
The Bridgeport rig is a quick draw or fast draw handgun holster that was developed in 1882. Today, the device enjoys cult status among cowboy action shooters and other antique gun enthusiasts.
The Bridgeport rig was patented in 1882 by Louis S. Flatau, sheriff of Camp County, Texas. [1]
Flatau envisioned mounting the item on a belt or a saddle. A modified hammer screw with a large head that protruded 3/4" from the frame would be installed on the Colt. This screw head would be inserted into the rig and held in place via a strip of spring steel that was attached to the gun belt via rivets. The shooter could rotate the revolver upward to fire without removing it from his belt if needed. These were fabricated by the Bridgeport Gun Implement Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut. [2]
While the Flatau device was dismissed in military circles, it did enjoy limited acceptance among some frontier civilians, particularly peace officers and other professional gunmen who appreciated its speed of access. [2] A common complaint was that the screw was easily damaged and it failed to protect the revolver from the elements. [3]
Period photographs and scattered references indicate that the Bridgeport rig was used by some lawmen into the early 20th century. [2] Elmer Keith wore a Bridgeport rig as did James B. Gillett when he was Marshall of El Paso, Texas, in the 1880s; it is sometimes referred to as the "Gillett rig" for this reason. [2] [4]
I had always worn a pistol in a belt holster, and I was used to drawing fast from that position…A little later, I put on a belt which carried two Colts without a holster…I could swing the gun muzzles up or down, and they were out of the way and at the same time ready for instant use. I could shoot the pistols — though I never had to — without drawing them, just as one shoots out of an open-toed swivel holster.
— James B. Gillett, Marshall of El Paso in the 1880s
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A handgun holster is a device used to hold or restrict the undesired movement of a handgun, most commonly in a location where it can be easily withdrawn for immediate use. Holsters are often attached to a belt or waistband, but they may be attached to other locations of the body. Holsters vary in the degree to which they secure or protect the firearm. Some holsters for law enforcement officers have a strap over the top of the holster to make the handgun less likely to fall out of the holster or harder for another person to grab the gun. Some holsters have a flap over the top to protect the gun from the elements.
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A handgun is a firearm designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun which needs to be held by both hands and braced against the shoulder. Handguns have shorter effective ranges compared to long guns, and are much harder to shoot accurately. While most early handguns are single-shot pistols, the two most common types of handguns used in modern times are revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, although other handguns such as derringers and machine pistols also see infrequent usage.
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