Holster questions....

[Johnny Gringo]

I thought the best place to get these questions answered would be to go right to the source-so, here goes.

1.) Should I buy lined or unlined holsters, and can you tell me the difference-i.e., advantages, disadvantage of each.

2.) Hammer thongs and Leg tie-downs-necessary? What are the advantages of each?

Gracias, JG

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Lined holsters are smoother inside and easier on the finish of your gun (not an issue for me since I don't care if they take on a worn look). They also tend to be a little thicker and consequently hold their shape better.

Hammer thongs are OK, I guess, but a properly fitted holster will retain the pistols just fine for CAS matches. If you're riding a horse or traipsing around the hills and such, the thong may be advantageous to keep you from dropping the gun in the dirt. It is also something to forget to undo at a match. It wastes several seconds to slip off your thongs if you forget them and the clock is ticking. It depends on your use for the holsters.

Tiedowns aren't necessary on rigs that fit you properly unless you have no butt, like me. I can take a deep breath and my holster belt and everything on it is down around my ankles. A properly fitted single belt on me will cause the pistols to ride higher than my elbows and makes it difficult to safely pull a pistol quickly. For this reason I went to double crossed belts. The weight of each pistol pulls downward, locking the belt against my opposite hip so it won't slip off. That necessitated my putting tie-downs on to prevent them riding up when I pull my pistols, otherwise, the belt can loosen and down it goes. This also puts my holsters down a bit so I can get to the pistols with my ape arms. You can see one of my rigs in the photo below. If walking or riding, the tie-down isn't really necessary because the pistol isn't pulled as abruptly and the rig won't fall off. I haven't seen many tie-downs on single-belt rigs that fit right.

[Johnny Gringo]

Gracias, Marshal, your informative response is truly appreciated.

JG

[Trailrider]

Howdy, Pard,

As Marshal Wingam said, lined holsters are easier on the finish of blued guns, but WILL NOT completely eliminate bluing wear.  Anyplace the gun touches a properly wet-fitted holster, the gun will polish slightly over time.  No getting around it.  It may make the gun smoother to draw, but most UN-lined holsters will smooth up after the gun has been worked in and out of it for awhile.

If you do elect to have the holster lined, do NOT buy one with a suede lining as the suede will pick up grit and act like sandpaper!  The best material for lining is a thin layer of vegetable-tanned topgrain cowhide, just like the main or outside layer. Pigskin is sometimes used, but isn't as durable as cow or calfskin.  Pigskin comes in both vegetable-tanned and chrome-tanned versions.  AVOID CHROME-tanned leather like the plague!  It will corrode your guns!

So far as hammer thongs are concerned, they should ONLY be used to help keep the gun in the holster during vigorous exercise or when riding or running!  If your holster design leaves the hammer spur exposed, do NOT rely on a hammer thong to prevent the hammer from being cocked in the holster if snagged by your sleeve, brush, etc.  I specifically recommend AGAINST butt-forward carry holsters that leave the hammer spur exposed, whether cross or twist draw!  Too easy to snag the hammer spur.

For normal CAS events, the holster should hold the gun just snug enough to keep it in the holster WITHOUT the hammer thong being applied, when you are upright.

Whether you use tie-downs or not is up to you.  Certainly buscadero or Hollywood drop-loop rigs need them to keep the holster flopping around.  A holster with the belt going through a fairly snug belt loop on the holster will usually be stable enough.  If you need a bit more stability, you can loop your pants loop through the holster's belt loop along with the cartridge belt.  Alternatively, you can tie the gun belt to your pants belt or use leather snap-on loops connecting the gunbelt to your pants belt.

Hope this helps!

[Johnny Gringo]

Gracias, amigos, for your informative responses-I'll certainly take them into consideration as I continue the quest for the rig that's right for me.

JG