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“BRIDGEPORT” FLATAU PISTOL CARRIER MOUNTED ON A
LEATHER CARTRIDGE BELT – SCARCE EXAMPLE:
Invented by Louis S. Flatau, Sheriff of Camp County,
Texas and patented on January 17, 1882, this pistol
carrier was manufactured under Flatau’s patent by the
Bridgeport Gun and Implement Company of Bridgeport,
Connecticut. Due to the company’s stampings on the
carrier, the association of Sheriff Flatau with his
unique device has faded into history and the carrier is
now better known, albeit erroneously, among collector’s
as a “Bridgeport Rig”.
The Flatau Pistol Carrier was marketed as a set
consisting of the carrier and a replacement hammer screw
with an exaggerated button-shaped head which engaged the
slot in the carrier. The sets were sold as additional
hardware for a pistol and cartridge belt, and the
purchaser would attach the carrier his cartridge belt –
the work probably done by the local saddler – and
install the replacement hammer screw on his pistol. The
sets are known to have been sold through Hartley and
Graham, New York City, but I do not know if H&G were the
sole source for these sets.
The pistol carrier on this cartridge belt has been in
place for a very long time, evidenced by the seating of
the rivets and the wear around the plate. The carrier
shows evidence of use and aging, with some scattered
pitting that seems to be consistent on surviving
examples. The carrier is properly stamped with a
legible manufacturer’s mark, “BRIDGEPORT GICO”, and the
patent date, “PAT’D JAN 17, 1882”. The carrier is full
form and is a very respectable example of this scarce
accessory.
The cartridge belt measures 38” long and 3” wide, is
well made, and is fitted with a captive decorative brass
plate which engages one of six brass grommets fitted to
the other end of the belt. The belt is fitted with 30
cartridge loops which were filled with early .32-20
Winchester cartridges when the belt was discovered. All
of the loops are full form and intact with no wear to
the top or bottom edges, no tearing, and the hand
stitching is intact between the loops.
The condition of the leather is very supple with no hard
spots, tears or weak points, yet shows enough sign of
wear and use to indicate that this belt was indeed used
regularly by the man who had it fitted with the pistol
carrier.
The type of western accoutrement that normally passes
quietly from one collection to the next without being
available to the public, this scarce Flatau “Bridgeport”
Pistol Carrier will be a nice addition to any collection
of frontier pistols and gun leather.
SOLD
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