Happy St. Patrick's Day

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Bell Charter Oak will be offering a FREE Spare Ammo Pocket Pouch on every order over $150.00 March 9, 2011 through March 17, 2001, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. A $25.00 retail value. Holds 6 rounds of .38/.357 ammunition, full grain leather. Pocket holster pictured not included. Erin Go Bragh!

Pictured with Pre Model 36 "Baby" Chief Special c. 1952

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Wyatt Burp]

Let's not forget that St. Patrick's Day was when those six leprachauns were gunned down in that Chicago garage where they sold bootleg Lucky Charms cereal in 1929 by the Tony the Tiger gang.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

My Grandad

One of my Grandfather's, emigrated here from Limerick, just before the Spanish American War. He served for one year in the Army and was mustered out when it ended. He returned to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY and opened a Feed & Grain Business. He had 10 children, and a wife (my Grandmother) who was 35 years younger than him. The first wife died in steerage on the way over. By coincidence, My Grandmother's Dad was a German trained Master Brewer, who had emigrated from Germany. When prohibition was enacted, the Volkstead Act, Grandpa was poised for a new enterprise.

He ultimately became partners with a farmer in northern NY who grew hops and barley to supply the distillery. By complete coincidence, I bought a home less than 15 miles away from that farm 75 years later, never knowing it's location. When I stopped there to take a look, I met the current owner....a retired NYCPD Captain. Life can be very ironic, indeed. Have a happy and safe St. Patrick's Day.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Wyatt Burp]

That's a great story, O.F.F. We discovered an ancestor from Ireland, Paddy O'Malley, became as overseer, or "cracker", where that term came from, on a plantation in the Carolinas in the 1840's or so. These documents on family history dissapeared before my dad died, unfortunatly. The name O'Malley was changed to what the family uses now. Enjoy your C.B. and Cabbage on the real Green Day.
BTW. Your cool old sixguns and holsters makes me picture you as a big retired old school ex-copper. Oh. And Irish.

 

[Danny Abernathy]

St. Patrick's Day is pretty special to me also.
I married my lovely bride on that day 38yrs ago. I named my youngest son Patrick in honor of the day and occasion.
Funny though, my ancestors are from Scotland and Germany.
You figure it!
Happy St. Patrick's Day Mr. Lefty

 

[JamesArthur60]

Ah, St. Patrick's day. The wearing of the green. Not being Irish I think of these, the paddy wagon. Spent many a day and night in one. Driving up front, not as a passenger in the back. I like it and thanks to the Irish for the slang name. It certainly beats it being called a police van/truck. It has a nice ring. Try to stay sober and have a safe time.

Police van - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[cowboy117]

I bought my 1995 Mustang GT on St.Pattys Day,2003.
And i'm part Irish.

 

[JcMack]

My first seventeen years of life were spent tn Chicago. I was born there and lived in an Irish neighborhood. Father Irish mother German. 79TH Street was the Irish stronghold. Every St Patrick's day there was a parade down 79TH and then up Ashland Ave.. 79th street was loaded with Irish bars and there were a lot of brawls, but pretty much no one was killed. The parade was great. If you've ever seen Irish dancers it's amazing. A good time was had by all, but it never failed to be cold and rainy on parade day. The neighborhood changed, and my family moved out. The bars all moved as far south as possible and yet stay in Chicago city limits. The Irish people moved with all the businesses, and to this day are refered to as south side Irish. They moved the parade down there too, about 30 yrs ago. It started out as a local thing. About 10 years ago the parade had grown to hundreds of thousands of viewers along the route. It became popular with outsiders that just wanted an excuse to get drunk, and act like jerks. So last year the parade was canceled. They still have a parade in downtown Chicago with Daley marching at the front. As always they dye the Chicago river green. It's not the same as the south side parade was though.. Too bad the jerks ruin everything.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Enjoy your C.B. and Cabbage on the real Green Day.
BTW. Your cool old sixguns and holsters makes me picture you as a big retired old school ex-copper. Oh. And Irish.

That "picture" would be pretty accurate and I'll take that as a compliment.
Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Wyatt Burp]

That "picture" would be pretty accurate and I'll take that as a compliment.
Cheers;
Lefty

And a compliment it was. And anyone with a cut down N.S. Colt is OK in my book!
Leroy Thompson writes these great articles about firearms used by LEO's from days gone by. Men like Railroad detectives, motorcyle cops, beat cops etc. He was, or is, freinds with them and owns a lot of their guns now it seems. You remind me of one of those no nonsense guys he so warmly writes about.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

And a compliment it was. And anyone with a cut down N.S. Colt is OK in my book!
Leroy Thompson writes these great articles about firearms used by LEO's from days gone by. Men like Railroad detectives, motorcyle cops, beat cops etc. He was, or is, freinds with them and owns a lot of their guns now it seems. You remind me of one of those no nonsense guys he so warmly writes about.

Wyatt;

Thanks amigo! I've known Leroy Thompson for quite some time. He has been kind enough to write about my work in many magazine articles and in books he authored. We do share a fondness for big bore snub guns and have had many discussions about them over the years. I'm probably repeating myself as I know I've said before that decades ago many of us were carrying custom guns like these because there was nothing commercially available like them. Chic Gaylord and I, along with a few other guys, tried to persuade Colt and S&W to develop some ideas but their response was that the guns would be "unmarketable". Today, many years later, you can take your pick. History seems to have vindicated our viewpoint.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Too bad the jerks ruin everything.

Jc;

I have to agree with you, it is too bad. I have many friends, mostly cops and firefighters, all over this country. When it comes to St. Patrick's Day celebrations, each of them have a similar story about people behaving badly. And by the way, cops and firefighters aren't excluded from that type of behavior either. Generally though, the spirit and meaning of the day is perhaps better appreciated today and observed with less emphasis on getting stupified. I'm no slouch when it comes to pullin' a cork, so don't get the wrong impression, I'm not preaching to the choir.

Many of the major cities have toned down their parades or celebrations, because of violence. In the advent of agressive enforcement of DWI/DUI laws in the last few decades, fewer people are inclined to chance that foolish choice. Ultimately, many Irish organizations have tried hard to change the offensive image that one time was thought stereotypical of the Irish. I'd tell you though, that few of the drunks behaving badly at these celebrations, have a single drop of Irish blood. For them, it's just an excuse to get stewed.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I just noticed your Colt is inscribed "Bell Charter" like the holster you posted here. Is that your company?
Here's my 1917 Colt for the gazillinth time, and it's 1953 little Cobra brother.

 

[JcMack]

Chicago was influenced by the Irish in politics. Probably 50% of the guys I grew up with wound up as Police/Firemen in Chicago. While I agree both job categories of employment tend to be "wild guys". I guess given the circumstances who can blame them. I have witnessed some rough justice meted out to their own, by their own, when someone was way out of line. The people that showed up to the parade and were the most offensive, were suburbanites, tromping through yards and peeing and whatever call to nature called them. The neighbors just got tired. I won't tamper with the original thread anymore.

Thanks, Jim

Jc;

I have to agree with you, it is too bad. I have many friends, mostly cops and firefighters, all over this country. When it comes to St. Patrick's Day celebrations, each of them have a similar story about people behaving badly. And by the way, cops and firefighters aren't excluded from that type of behavior either. Generally though, the spirit and meaning of the day is perhaps better appreciated today and observed with less emphasis on getting stupified. I'm no slouch when it comes to pullin' a cork, so don't get the wrong impression, I'm not preaching to the choir.

Many of the major cities have toned down their parades or celebrations, because of violence. In the advent of agressive enforcement of DWI/DUI laws in the last few decades, fewer people are inclined to chance that foolish choice. Ultimately, many Irish organizations have tried hard to change the offensive image that one time was thought stereotypical of the Irish. I'd tell you though, that few of the drunks behaving badly at these celebrations, have a single drop of Irish blood. For them, it's just an excuse to get stewed.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

I just noticed your Colt is inscribed "Bell Charter" like the holster you posted here. Is that your company?

Wyatt;
One side is engraved with the Bell Charter Oak Company logo, the other side is engraved with the Chic Gaylord New York Holster logo. It is a constant reminder of that legacy.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Chicago was influenced by the Irish in politics. Probably 50% of the guys I grew up with wound up as Police/Firemen in Chicago. While I agree both job categories of employment tend to be "wild guys". I guess given the circumstances who can blame them. I have witnessed some rough justice meted out to their own, by their own, when someone was way out of line. The people that showed up to the parade and were the most offensive, were suburbanites, tromping through yards and peeing and whatever call to nature called them. The neighbors just got tired. I won't tamper with the original thread anymore.

Thanks, Jim

Jim;

Most of our big cities have had some historically strong ethnic influences in their politics. Notably for the Irish, cities such as Chicago, New York and Boston, to name just a few. It was a phenomenon we see repeated by other ethnic groups that followed them, who realized the vote was all powerful to champion their special interests. Public celebrations (ethnic parades) were historically, a sophisticated political advertisement and demonstration of political influence. A sort of commercial advertisement of the day. To some extent that is still true.

Anyway, somewhere along the way it changed. When I was a kid in NYC, it was celebrated traditionally with drink by most of the Irish American middle class, with some exceptions. Every pub in the 5 counties/boroughs were serving complimentary corned beef, cabbage and potato dinners. Along the 5th. Ave Manhattan parade route, you couldn't get a seat in an Irish pub, or for that matter any bar, for love or money. There were very isolated incidents and brawling, but nothing serious I can recall from my childhood. It seemed like every teenage kid from the outer boroughs, Long Island and Westchester counties descended upon the parade with one ambition. I think that's changed now.

 

[Danny Abernathy]

Yeah, the parades and drinking are for the jerks who only want to cause problems and get drunk. Not like the old days, my city was settled by a lot of Irish immigrants and some of the most promenant people in the city were Irish. Today people only want to be known as Irish on St. Patrick's Day.
Mtr. Lefty, I wish you would post some photo's of you and Chick in the old days. Maybe some photo's of his or your shop with some of the character's who frequented the buisness and some of their "custom" firearms? That would be quite a treat.

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Danny;

I'll see what I can dig up.

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[Bell Charter Oak Holsters]

Danny;
This photo of my friend Chic dates from around the mid 1950's. Enjoy!

Cheers;
Lefty

 

[sipowicz]

St. Patty's Day is big in our family too..it reminds us how thankful we are to be Italian...