- Bridgeport rig
The Bridgeport Rig is a
Cowboy action shooting /quick draw or fast drawpistol holder favored by lawmen and outlaws in the late 1800s. Today, the device enjoys cult status amongcowboy action shooters and other antiquegun enthusiasts.History
The Bridgeport Rig was patented in
1882 by Louis S. Flatau, sheriff ofCamp County, Texas .Flatau envisioned mounting the item on a belt or a
saddle . He may have targeted military contracts with this dual-purpose concept; in fact, he approached the army within a few months of receiving his patent.The U.S. Army tried 500 Flautau “pistol holders” among
infantry andcavalry units in the Southwest during1883 . These were fabricated by the Bridgeport Gun Implement Company ofBridgeport, Connecticut .The Army found Bridgeport Rigs unsuitable because the
revolver is not protected from moisture anddirt .Some of the rejected army rigs entered the civilian market as surplus in later years.
While the Flatau device was dismissed in military circles, it did enjoy limited acceptance among some frontier civilians, particularly
peace officer s and other professional gunmen who appreciated its speed of access.The Bridgeport Gun Implement Company may have continued commercial manufacture of the Flatau “pistol holder” into the 1890s, marketing it to
western saddle rs through various outfitting and supply houses.Period photographs and scattered references indicate that the Bridgeport Rig was used by some lawmen into the early twentieth century.
Bridgeport Rigs Today
Today, Bridgeport Rigs are popular among cowboy action shooters and antique pistol enthusiasts. Few original Bridgeport Rigs exist today. Those that do sell for thousands of dollars.
Quotes
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.
- Texas Ranger James B. Gillett, chief of police in
El Paso in the 1880sReferences
External links
* [http://bridgeportrig.com/ BridgeportRig.com] - Bridgeport Rig history, photographs, and replicas.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
