Lefty Lewis holster dba Bell-Charter-Oak

[crazyphil]

Chic Gaylord offered his Federal Speed Scabbard with a hammer
protector in his 1958 catalog for $7. The good old days. Finding one would be the "impossible dream". But Lefty Lewis, proprietor of Bell-Charter-Oak, a member of this form, and Chick's friend
made a reproduction for me several years ago. It is shown here
with my S&W Model 67 Combat Masterpiece. P. S. The holster is also a masterpiece.

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Sir, my gratitude for your very kind remarks. The holster by modern comparison is undoubtedly of vintage design. In fact, I no longer offer it, despite repeated requests for it from our customer base. One reason is product liability and we pay lawyers handsomely to protect and prevent us from that. What once was thought to be a sound design ultimately was, as a result of litigation with other companies, not Bell Charter Oak, a risk. Damn stupid, a proven design workhorse for over a century. In my estimation a fine holster, but the court said in one case that the "exposed trigger guard" made it dangerous. A major competitive shooting organization forbade the use of any revolver holster with an exposed trigger guard, aka IPSC. I argued, friendly like with Walt Rauch, noted gun writer, former Philadelphia policeman and U.S. Secret Service Agent about that. My view, and it remains the same, if your too stupid to keep your finger off the trigger of any weapon when you draw, your too stupid to be trusted with a sharp stick in broad daylight. Many good designs have been cast aside, that in the hands of an otherwise conscientious well trained shooter, would have provided considerable safe tactical advantage, and were sacrificed, all in the name of liability.

Everyone thinks or imagines it is so simple, it is not. You begin with an idea. BOING! That's when the trouble starts or more accurately, when the work begins. With every new idea there are complications, many. Some come at first, some come later. How you overcome these are the real test of your intellect and fortitude.

Make something, anything you wish, take the swim. Be sure to have a lawyer under one arm and the confidence of your ability beneath the other. The lawyer may drown during the swim, but there's always another lawyer!

Cheers;
Lefty

PS

Sorry Jack, I know your a world class swimmer and diver, an expert shot, lawman.....and a damn fine attorney.

[rednichols]

Originally Posted by Bell Charter Oak Holsters

Sir, my gratitude for your very kind remarks. The holster by modern comparison is undoubtedly of vintage design. In fact, I no longer offer it, despite repeated requests for it from our customer base. One reason is product liability and we pay lawyers handsomely to protect and prevent us from that. What once was thought to be a sound design ultimately was, as a result of litigation with other companies, not Bell Charter Oak, a risk. Damn stupid, a proven design workhorse for over a century. In my estimation a fine holster, but the court said in one case that the "exposed trigger guard" made it dangerous. A major competitive shooting organization forbade the use of any revolver holster with an exposed trigger guard, aka IPSC. I argued, friendly like with Walt Rauch, noted gun writer, former Philadelphia policeman and U.S. Secret Service Agent about that. My view, and it remains the same, if your too stupid to keep your finger off the trigger of any weapon when you draw, your too stupid to be trusted with a sharp stick in broad daylight. Many good designs have been cast aside, that in the hands of an otherwise conscientious well trained shooter, would have provided considerable safe tactical advantage, and were sacrificed, all in the name of liability.

Everyone thinks or imagines it is so simple, it is not. You begin with an idea. BOING! That's when the trouble starts or more accurately, when the work begins. With every new idea there are complications, many. Some come at first, some come later. How you overcome these are the real test of your intellect and fortitude.

Make something, anything you wish, take the non. Be sure to have a lawyer under one arm and the confidence of your ability beneath the other. The lawyer may drown during the swim, but there's always another lawyer!

Cheers;
Lefty

PS

Sorry Jack, I know your a world class swimmer and diver, an expert shot, lawman.....and a damn fine attorney.

Interesting points. I don't often get a chance to "argue the point" with a seasoned maker :-). Mostly its newbie makers, and the old hands simply stay out of forums.

I use an entirely different strategy for that: decades of design and production experience in large, large volumes, coupled with same with lawyers and courtrooms, tell me what should and shouldn't be done. That includes patent attorneys. So in a 3 metre by 3 metre shed I have all the resources in one room that I need to turn out a safe design; which are the only kind we don't get sued over.

That is, not the kind the lawyer approves of, but the kind that are actually safe. Who can forget Ford and the notorious Pinto (of which I owned two, one of them for 30 years).