Question About Placement of Cartridge Loops

[Cholla Hill Tirador]

  I'm not a leathersmith at all, but have a question about the placement of cartridge loops. Anyone else wonder why they're put on the very back of the belt, where they're the most difficult to reach, especially for someone cradling a revolver in their left hand trying to reload?
  In my amateur, inexperienced opinion, it would make infinitely more sense to have at least some of them around on the right side of the belt. In fact, on a non-billeted belt, couldn't a fella have a half dozen or so loops between the holster and the tongue (?) with another dozen or so behind the holster? (Assuming one knew exactly where the holster needed to be.)

   Thoughts?

[Cliff Fendley]

It's hollywood that got it wrong and others have followed suit for nearly the last century although you do see some buscadaro rigs with bullet loops as you describe.

Most original period gun belts had cartridges all the way around them. Thus the reason for the Mexican loop holster so it will slide over the cartridge loops.

Also if you study original old photographs you will see many are wearing them with the buckle to the side or back with the loops toward the front.

I shoot NCOWS with period correct gun leather and my belts are worn with the holster positioned at or over the buckle.

So essentially I have what you describe and depending on the stage and what I am doing or how I need to turn I will position the holster in a crossdraw or strong side. No matter where I position the holster I have access to cartridges because they are all the way around my body.

Heres a photo of me leaving the unloading table at a recent shoot. The top belt is rifle cartridges and the buckle as at my back. The money belt carrying the holster has the buckle positioned behind the holster. Each belt carries 35 cartridges surrounding my body. If I need to load rounds they are anywhere I reach. This stage required us to load the rifle on the clock so you notice the empty loops on the top gun belt.

[Johnny McCrae]

I've built a few Rigs with the loops on the front for easier access.

[Buck Stinson]

As Cliff mentioned in a previous reply, almost all early original pistol cartridge belts had as many loops as could be placed between the sewn billet and buckle ends of the belt.  Saddle makers realized that it was necessary to have as much ammunition around your waist as possible.  In the early days, the frontier was a dangerous place and loosing your horse was always a possibility.  If this happened, having a lot of ammunition in your cartridge belt could mean the difference between life and death.

Buck