CHIC GAYLORD'S SPEED SCABBARD

crazyphil · Nov 2, 2018

Back 15 or 20 years ago I was beginning to be obsessed with
the "dog ear" style holsters. (Still am BTW).

Chic Gaylord's Federal Speed Scabbard appeared in his 1958
catalog, and I believe it was also in his book HANDGUNNER'S
GUIDE. I wanted one, so I looked and looked, but no luck.

So I came across Bell-Charter-Oak's web site, and at that time
they offered a replica. Lefty Lewis dba Bell-Charter-Oak was a
personal friend of Chic and has reproduced many of Chic's
designs.

I was wondering this morning how Lefty is getting along. Has
anyone heard anything about him.? I know he was having some
health issues.

I don't remember for sure if they called it a Federal Speed
Scabbard or a Combat Speed Scabbard, but Lefty made this
one for me. Shown below left with my model 67 Combat
Masterpiece.

Then just a year or so ago I got lucky and found the real McCoy.
Chic Gaylord's Combat Speed Scabbard. Found it here on the
Forum in the accessories for sale. I do get lucky every now and
then. Here it is 2nd from left with my model 29.

turnerriver · Nov 2, 2018

Here’s Paris Theodore’s Seventrees version, good thing Red taught us how to tell the difference if they’re not maker marked.
Regards,
turnerriver

crazyphil · Nov 2, 2018

Here's the Seventrees that turnerriver generously let me have, and
as John said thanks to Red Nichols for identifying the Seventrees and
Gaylords by their "stitch signature". They both put their stamps in the
rough side of the leather and it seemed to wear off well.

rednichols · Nov 2, 2018

turnerriver said:
Here’s Paris Theodore’s Seventrees version, good thing Red taught us how to tell the difference if they’re not maker marked.
Regards,
turnerriver

Handsome products, handsome images by turnerriver. The one at left is low-cut and we'd be tempted to say, 'of course, for a fast draw' but instead it was to clear Paris' own Guttersnipe sighting system. He otherwise made his holsters quite high at the forward fold.

a cut from his patent of the era.

Guttersnipe was a narrowing trough, from widest at the rear to the front, to produce a sight picture without an actual front sight. Not ever a commercial success but an ASP with the Guttersnipe system would be quite a valuable pistol and there will be owners on this Forum because it was a chopped-and-channelled S&W 39.

It was Paris who invented the hooked trigger guard. Notice it in the patent drawing (he patented it separately) and that the holster was moulded to a Smith with the round guard; but nevertheless notice that the right forward edge of the trigger guard of the 'blue gun' (Paris used not plastic, but the real pistols) has been relieved for better trigger access.

The hooked guard's predecessor was the squared guard on the 1911, for which I believe credit goes to my old friend Armand Swenson, whose Colts today are also quite valuable. It used to be my 'job' to take Bianchi company pistols to Armand, who lived in our town of Fallbrook, for any/all gunsmithing. Not just because I made a handy gopher; bloody oath, a visit to Armand was a half-day, minimum. "Welcome Red" and then the subject pistol would be promptly disassembled and spread across his workbench -- followed by hours of historical reviews of, for example, his thunderboat years. One had to marvel when he held up a target used to sight in a pistol, with his thumbs over the flyers; "I called that one, and that one, and that one" he'd say. His triggers were a bit 'heavy' because he had hands like gnarled oaks.

CHIC GAYLORD'S SPEED SCABBARD

crazyphil

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turnerriver

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crazyphil

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rednichols

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