Functional Leather for shooting

[Camille Eonich]

This doesn't have anything to do with how to make leather products or how to tool leather or anything like that.  Instead talk about the functional aspects of your rig.  How it's made and why you had it made that way or what you like about how it's made and what you don't like about how it's made.  Looks have nothing to do with it at all as far as this thread goes.


I really like my new rig.  I won a Handlebar Doc rig from Kirkpatrick leather just about the same time that I was looking at Mernickle's Holy Terror rig.  They are similar in a lot of ways.

The holsters that I am using now are lined so they won't collapse which is a good thing.  Nothing like trying to reholster to a closed holster.  They are also dropped a little bit which makes unholstering and holstering a little easier.  You don't have to get the elbow up as high.  These holsters flare out from the body some too.  I'm still getting used to that but that combined with the low cut in the back side of the holster does allow me to get my hand around the gun better for a smoother transition from the left to the right hand.

This rig came with a tapered belt.  I had them make me a new belt that is 3" wide all the way around and curved.  I LOVE this new belt.  It is the most comfortable gun belt that I have ever worn.  I think that somehow it helps distribute the weight of the guns better.  It's not just the curve either because my old belt was curved too.

My shotgun belt is canvas with leather loops.  The loops are cut down in the front and just barely hold the shells in.  The canvas doesn't move around like a leather one would and I have it in my head that it's a bit cooler and more flexible than leather would be.

Next!   

[Major E A Sterner]

Howdy Miz Camille, I too have a Kirkpatrick rig, but I had it customized to my specs. I started with an Idaho John rig, but went with right and left hand holsters,I doan like crossdraws. I then had the cartridge belt made with 12 shotgun loops with 5 .38 loops on either side of the shotgun loops. I wear this rig with the buckle in the back. It works well for me and if I need more than 12 shotgun shells I have a Russ the Carver shotgun belt that I can strap on.

[Modoc]

Camille,

I'm using a Captain Grouch "John Wayne" rig.  It's actually a hybrid, but works very well.  Double thickness holsters on a flexible rough-out belt with 10 .44 cal loops and a matching pouch.  Both of my shotgun belts are canvas with leather loops with a leather shell stop underneath.  I also have one of Grouchy's Buscadero rigs that I can move the holsters to, but have not found it to be as comfortable as the first rig.

[Camille Eonich]

Thanks for the replies y'all.    I know that there are more people out there that wear leather gun belts and holsters though.  Y'all need to post too.  Somebody new might come along and read this and get some help from it.   

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The best holsters I have are made from a double layer of 8-9oz leather, glued together and molded (a real PITA to do). They hold the shape like steel and the guns slip out with no resistance but won't fall out if I have to run or bend over. I may make another set for my new pistols one of these days. At a short distance, they look period correct but they're as slick as any cut-down race holsters.

[E.R.Beaumont]

Howdy Pards and Pardettes.

I make my own rigs cause I can.  Up untill last spring I was using two strong side holsters but now I use a crossdraw.  I am right there with the Marshal about holster thickness. 

I think that the minimums are 8 oz for the holsters, and 4 oz for the lineing, some will go 7 and 5, but at any rate the total should equel 12 or better.  Any increase in either of these numbers is good.  I think that unlined holsters should be about 12 oz  to stand up to real abuse, but 8 oz and up will make a serviceable unlined holster.

I too have some of those double 8 oz thick holsters, they are slick, smooth, and stiff.  The guns slide in and out, but they won't fall out. 

I like a wide belt, I have 4, three are plain cartridge belts that are 3" wide and a money belt that is 2 1/2 inches wide.  The money belt is very comfortable, I think I might have to try a wider one.  I don't think that bullet loops are required, or even desireable, I think that the way to go is slides or pouches, shot shells in a seperate shot shell belt.  I have a set of holsters for my Schofields that were special made to hang on a full shot shell belt.  I also made a bullet pouch that has a big belt loop to go with them.  There is no reason that you can't use the shotshell belt for a pistol belt. My shot shell belt is canvas.

That is all I think I know.
Regards, Beaumont

[Doc Shapiro]

I've had about 5 rigs now.  3 of them had to go within a year as the holsters lost all retention.  They were double lined with heavy leather.  But it just stretched out with use.  One rig was Buscadero and it just didn't work well for me.  My current rig also features a leather lining.  However, it's got a piece of 20ga steel in between the layers of leather.  I've had this set now for 3 years and it still holds exactly the same as when I bought it.  I won't need to replace it as a result of stretch!

The holsters are flared on the outside and on the inside.  This provides a real big mouth for reholstering. 

Lining on the inside is not pigskin!  Pigskin linings grab hold of the gun and don't let go.  My wife had a pigskin lined rig and it just wouldn't do.  She'd draw and the entire rig would come up to her armpits.  Even after a major stretching out.  No good. 

My belt is rough side out on the inside.  This gives a good grip to my pants so it won't shift on me.

I used ranger style belts and finally stopped as the strip of leather that the holes for the buckle were on kept stretching.  I'd keep having to move it back. 

The holster have a 10 degree forward cant.  It's exactly the right amount so that I don't have to break my wrist to grip the gun.

Some of the topstrap is exposed and the trigger guards are exposed.  This is an easier draw and transition for the weakside gun.

Hope this helps.

[Silver_Rings]

I also make my our gear.  I have found that for me a 3" wide money belt made of light weight leather is much more comfortable than a belt made of heavy leather.  The money belt confoms to my body better, allows me to move without binding and stays put better. 

I made my shotgun shell belt as a money belt and have 20 loops on it.  I keep it loaded with 20 shells and it is comfortable all day as well.

My belts that I made out of heavy leather I form fitted to my body but by the end of the day I would be sore from the belt and looking forward to getting it off.

SR

[Buffalo Dog]

I have 2 rigs 1 crossdraw (Bob Mernickle Quick Cal) and 1 double strongside (Custom made).  I think the key features which are common to both rigs are:

1) Heavy leather rolled top holsters for easy reholstering and resistance to collapsing (Quick Cal has metal reinforcement).

2) 3" gun belt with rough or suede inside lining to reduce belt slipping (not much help with no butt).

3) Holster retention system that do not allow the holster to slide on the belt when drawing (Quick Cal uses screws).

4) Strongside holsters have forward can to improve angle of draw.  Crossdraw positioned to help avoid 170 violation.

5) Holster molded to allow reholstering with just the weight of the gun no need to push the gun in to seat them.

6) Tie downs on strong side holsters just to avoid pullup (remember no butt).

7) Gun belt with no bullet loops I can use slides if needed makes rigs lighter and more versatile.  I shoot both 45 and 38 I can add
    shotgun slides if wanted.

Dual Strongside only rig:

Dual Strongside rig has 4" drop to ease strain on arthritic shoulder and elbow personal choice.

[Trailrider]

Howdy, Pards,

This is NOT intended to be a commercial, in any way, shape or form!  Other than my heavy-duty hunting rigs, which are made from 10-11 oz, if unlined, or slightly heavier if lined, my western rigs are pretty much in the styles from the 1850's to the 1890's or early 20th Century (but only on specific request in buscadero styles).  As such, holsters are in the 8 to 9+ oz. (an ounce is 1/64th inch) range.  This is indeed HEAVIER than the majority of original holsters, and similar or slightly heavier than H. H. Heiser holsters.
Outer layers and linings (if desired) are sized to come out to this range of thickness.  Everything is topgrain vegetable-tanned cowhide.

I make 19th Century U.S. military leather, as close to the originals as possible, except that I use synthetic thread and lengthen the stitches to 6-1/2-7-1/2 stitches per inch, instead of the 10 per inch that many originals have.  This means mine will last more than the 3 year average that the originals did under hard field use.

Since I portray an Army officer (now Bvt. Major of Ordnance...after about 37 years of being a Captain, both in the Air Force and as a CAS shooter), I wear military-style leather.  Because the twist, or cavalry draw raises some RO eyebrows (when properly done you don't sweep yourself or anybody else, and the muzzle-rear cant is no worse than the majority of folks create as they clear a 7-1/2" barrel sixgun from a high-ride butt-rear holster...watch folks sometimes), I use a non-regulation holster proposed by Capt. Fechet, Commanding Co. G, 8th Cav, in the 1880's.  This is a butt-rear, straight draw, worn on my strong side, for a 7-1/2" stainless OM Ruger Vaquero, in .44-40.  It is lined with cowhide.  On the other side, I wear a lined, slimjim holster with a belt loop that allows either a vertical hang for a legal twist draw, if the "weak" hand is specified, or can be canted for a crossdraw.  The gun is a 5-1/2" .44-40 Ruger OM Vaquero.

My belt is a "Prairie" belt made from an enlisted waist belt (7-8 oz 1-7/8" wide, single layer), with a bunch of loops capable of holding .45-70 or .45 Colt's cartridges or even .44-40's, but I seldom carry any rounds in the loops, preferring to carry plastic  cartridge boxes to the loading table.  (These are recovered after I finish the stage.  Empties are dumped into my Dyer pouch at the unloading table).  Shotshells are carried in a M1874 Dyer pouch.  I also carry a CW pistol cap/cartridge pouch for reloads.  This has the Indian Wars wooden holder REMOVED to comply with SASS regs, so the rounds are loose in the box.

When dressed as a civilian, I generally pack a pair of Mexican-loop rigs, one butt-rear on the strong side and another butt-forward for a crossdraw on the left.  Just depends...and I seldom wear the citizen's (civilian's) clothing.

As to the durability of the weights of leather, all I can say is that a week-and-a-half ago, I ran into my old Air Force boss, for whom I made the first rig that I ever made for someone other than myself.  It was a belt and holster for his 2nd Gen. Colt's SA Buntline Special!  I asked him if he still had the rig, and he said he certainly did, and frequently wears it and the gun while hunting or hiking!  I made that rig 37 years ago!  Nuff said!   

Like I said, this ain't a commercial.  But since you asked...

[Adirondack Jack]

Howdy Camille,

I just got my new rig off the big brown truck of happiness tonite.

As a reward for not being slow, and not being fast, just half fast, the folks at Kirkpatrick Leather gave me a brandy new Tequila rig, along with the matching shotshell belt.

I was using a "starter" rig consisting of two right hand triple K Cheyenne holsters, matching belt, and a six shell slide hung in front of the right hand gun.  The left hand gun was a straight drop cross draw worn over the left hip pocket.  They was some sorry holsters for any kind of speed, floppy,sticky (had to use tie downs) and generally not conducive to more than casual use.

This new tequila rig is robust, very well made, and features a 30 degree crossdraw and a strong side holster.  The holsters are lined and flared, and cut away some, so even a half fast shooter can get the guns into action and reholstered NOTICABLY quicker than with the el-cheapo stuff.   The gunbelt is wide and lined, so it is stiff and not gonna wander or deform.  I ain't got a whole bunch of back porch to keep a gun belt from heading south, so this stiff wide belt helps keep the rig where it belongs.  Only thing I woulda changed if I thought of it is I woulda had the cartridge loops on the gun belt omitted, since the shotshell belt has pistol/rifle loops on it.

The Shotshell belt has room for a whole slew of my all brass shells,  with cartridge stops below so the shells stick up for eacy access.  I had the bullet loops, five per side, made with cartridge stops also, so the Cowboy .45 Special rounds ride proud of the belt so I can get hold of em, instead of being lost in the loops where I had to poke the bottom of the loop to get em out.  In the event I need to reload a rifle round, I can fish one off this new belt pretty quick.

Not by any stretch a "fancy" rig, the plain, handsome Tequila rig emphasizes function rather than fancy.  It fits with a "plain" working cowboy persona.

[Camille Eonich]

Jack, that's exactly what I was lookin' for....the functionality of it and not how many style points it gets you.  Thank you!

[Doc Neeley]

Nice post Jack. You should paste it to the leather forum as a member had a question about leather and this answers it with facts.