The concept of concealed carry has always appealed to gun owners. That prompted French designer Jacques Edmond Turbiaux to come up with an idea to patent “A revolver which may be held in the hand with no part exposed except the barrel.” He registered his design in Europe in 1882 as the “Le Protector.” His design did achieve moderate success in Europe, after which he registered his patent in the US in 1883. In 1891 James Duckworth of Springfield, Mass, started manufacture of the Protector for the Minneapolis Firearms Co. During late 1892 or early 1893, Peter H. Finnegan, former employee of the Minneapolis Firearms Company acquired the patents rights of the Protector and formed the Chicago Firearms Co. He did not own his own production facilities, but partnered with the Ames Sword Co. of Chicopee, Mass. Finnegan planned to produce around 15,000 Protectors to sell during the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, but Ames had only produced 1,500 Protectors by the time the show started. That resulted in a lawsuit between Finnegan and Ames until Finnegan ultimately declared bankruptcy. As litigation dragged on, Ames still produced the Protector and afterwards acquired the patent as well. According to American-Firearms.com, production was about 12,000 by the time production ceased in 1898. Protectors were sold from 1894 up until 1910. (Erlmeier, Brandt Ref. 99).
