New Belt

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I always feel a little odd about wearing a nice, fairly historically correct rig only to ruin it by putting a shotgun slide on it. I was cruising through Packing Iron the other day looking for an alternative and found a shotgun belt that offered a little different idea on page 172. It is close to the period I'm looking for, too. It sports 11 shotshell loops at the buckle end and leaves the rest of the belt bare to allow one to put a game bag or knife sheath on the other end. I decided to try something similar so I made one of my new belts plain and the other one with 10 shotshell loops at the billet end, opposite from the one in PI. I could have made it the same way as the original, but I would have had to wear the belt upside down to put the loops in the right place. I don't think there would be room for a single belt rig, but maybe someone will try it and let us know.

Our match is this Sunday so tonight I cranked on it to get it ready to try then. After the blood stopped flowing freely from sticking the &%^@ awl through my forefinger, I took a photo of it with my right holster. Pardon the poor quality but photos taken on my desk at 10:00pm aren't optimum. You can get the idea, though. I'll report back after the match to let you know if it works OK. I still need to make a pouch or something to go on the belt for spare ammo. I'm tossing around making a military style cartridge carrier like the one at the top of page 46 or possibly just a cartridge box that will hold a few spare rounds. There's a good one for the right period on page 43 at the bottom.

Anyway, here's the photo:

[Forty Rod]

I like it.

[Dr. Bob]

Marshal Will,

Wow!  Great looking outfit.  It is nice to see a PC solution to carrying shot shells.  Like Forty Rod , I LIKE it!!

[Irish Dave]

I always feel a little odd about wearing a nice, fairly historically correct rig only to ruin it by putting a shotgun slide on it.

Amen, Brother Will!   

Again, another nice job and, like Dr. Bob said, quite refreshing to see this done in a correct way.
My compliments.

[outrider]

Marshal:

Nicely done..I like it

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, pards. I'll let you know how it works after the match.

[Trinity]

Very nice, Marshal Will! 

I too don't like slides and at first I stuffed the shells in my pocket but finally broke down and bought a Mills belt.  I've got an extra sized belly and I don't like the look of the belt that rides on top of the belly, so I push it down.  However, this causes problems, because if I don't keep track of where the shells are placed, I can obstruct the opening of my holster.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I don't have any belly or butt to amount to anything. A mills belt won't stay up unless I stick by stomache out like I'm trying to get a hernia. Without doing that, everything slips down and lands on my pistols. A single belt rig just continues on down and the whole shebang lands in the dust at my ankles. That's why I went to double belts in the first place. Now it looks like I can take greater advantage of the double rig. This is part of the continuing saga to find what works and still looks like it is of the era.

[Dr. Bob]

Marshal Will,

The disease "noa**atall is sometimes a real curse!  Had the problem before I shed 25 pounds.  I need to take some kind of cushion if I'm going to have to sit on a hard surface for very long.  

[Silver Creek Slim]

Real nice, pard.

Slim

[Trinity]

I used to have contour, but now that I'm 80 lbs heavier, well, it's just a straight drop from my back to my backside.   I have to sinch the belt up real good just to keep it from falling.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I used to have contour, but now that I'm 80 lbs heavier, well, it's just a straight drop from my back to my backside.   I have to sinch the belt up real good just to keep it from falling.

I went to double belts so I wouldn't have to feel all trussed up.

Speaking of which, the sportsman's belt (gotta call it something and the one in Packing Iron was "maker unknown") was a total success. I shot one stage with 8 shotgun today. I just pulled them up so the loop was just barely holding the shells and started working my way along taking two at a time. Great fun. I'll stay with it. I may have to make another one that really looks like the original one.

[Dr. Bob]

Howdy Marshal Will,

Glad to hear that it works well.  Guess them fellers knew what they were a doin!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Glad to hear that it works well.  Guess them fellers knew what they were a doin!

There usually isn't any reason to re-invent the wheel, is there?

[Flinch Morningwood]

I'm not a big fan of two belts either. 

I put together a belt that has 10 shotgun loops along the back.  I wear the belt with the buckle in the back and placed the loops so whether I wear it back-to-front, I have room for my holsters. 

I also put 5 cartridge loops on so that when wearing back-to-front, they are just behind my right hand holster.  I reload and every once in a while, I'll have a dud in my rifle...so I just have to reach back and grab another cartridge.

Seems to be working pretty well so far...don't know how period correct though.

[Slowhand Bob]

Make sure the loops fall under the holster, as worn, and those shells will push the holster tops waaay out there and tend to lock them in place.  Isnt this what so many makers are trying to accomplish with metal inlays and belt tensioning devices?  When I was shooting more actively I preferred close spaced single loops for a couple of reasons that related to gaming.  I would stagger the shells as two high and one low in series, this allowed the low one as emergency spares that were out of the way and the space between the high riders was spaced right fer a double grab with the middle finger holding the space.

On the rare occasions that I shoot now days I am using a neat little two shell pouch that can be quickly and easily riveted or sewn onto belts or slides to create custom arrangements.  These can be pre-made in batches at my leisure for use as necessary.  My preferred wear places them on slides that snap on and off the belt as needed during a match.  Not historically accurate by any means but simple,convenient and popular.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

... and the space between the high riders was spaced right fer a double grab with the middle finger holding the space.

This is exactly how I grab them. It's perfect for shooting a SxS or model 87.

On the rare occasions that I shoot now days I am using a neat little two shell pouch that can be quickly and easily riveted or sewn onto belts or slides to create custom arrangements.  These can be pre-made in batches at my leisure for use as necessary.  My preferred wear places them on slides that snap on and off the belt as needed during a match.  Not historically accurate by any means but simple,convenient and popular.

You have a picture of one? They sound quite useful and some of the pards here may be able to use the idea. I like the idea of having them made up in advance.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I put together a belt that has 10 shotgun loops along the back.  I wear the belt with the buckle in the back and placed the loops so whether I wear it back-to-front, I have room for my holsters. 

I also put 5 cartridge loops on so that when wearing back-to-front, they are just behind my right hand holster.  I reload and every once in a while, I'll have a dud in my rifle...so I just have to reach back and grab another cartridge.

Seems to be working pretty well so far...don't know how period correct though.

This is a good solution. I know another shooter that has a similar arrangement. He wears the buckle in the back, too. It works quite well. As to being period correct, that's just my preference but certainly not good or bad. If you have a pic of it, post it so we can see how it looks.

[Slowhand Bob]

Marshall, be glad to try and get a few assembly pictures and a demensioned sketch in the next few days.  I have never had any luck getting pictures on here but if all else fails, Ill post a link for you.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, Bob. Much appreciated.