Crossdraw with a Drop?

[JD Alan]

I was talking with a shooter today who asked about a crossdraw with a drop. He's currently using a very old buscadero on the strong side with a conventional crossdraw on the other at belt height.

He does not want his next rig to be a buscadero, but he does want a over the belt straight drop on the strong side, and the same thing on the other side, but with a 20 degree cant.
 
I don't know that I've seen something like that, so what better place to bring it up than here?

What say you? (And he's a lefty to boot!) Thanks guys, JD.

[outrider]

JD,

I think this solution is dependent upon how much of a drop he wants.  I don't think I would go much more than a 2" drop due to the fact that you loose some of the stability that the belt gives to the holster body...or.possibility of installing a metal reinforcement in the drop section....  As far as right/left hand version...once the pattern is made you just flip it...

[Slowhand Bob]

Morning JD, if I am understanding you right we are talking about just making a cross draw with a drop/ hang below the belt line?  It doesnt sound like a good idea to me BUT they always say "The customers always right".  My perceived problem is that without major alterations one would suffer floppy cros-draw syndrome, a problem that is frequently prevalent even without adding drop.  Does the shooter have a particularly large belly or perhaps desire an extra wide belt that cause a desire for the unusual holster design?  Though I have never tried to drop a cross draw low and even sometimes even work to avoid the situation, my jumbo high ride belly might even make one beneficial for me??

If you think about Will Ghormleys patterns, they always include the exact fold line for the skirt and its a good idea to always lay that out on our own patterns.  As Will says in his pattern instructions, this fold line can be used to create cant for the holster, it can also be used to make drop length adjustments by trimming or adding to this spot.  I always make my permanent hardboard patterns as two pieces, separated at the skirt fold line.  From the same stiff pattern stock, I have made a series of cant angle guides/wedges for quick layout use on any of my patterns.  You simply slide the appropriate wedge between the two pattern parts, works quicker for me than trying to use a compass for each pattern every time.  Do not forget that if you need, say a fifteen degree cant, you would use the wedge marked thirty degrees.    

[JD Alan]

Well Outrider and Slowhand Bob, I could not have asked for two better people to weigh in on this, and I do appreciate it. The young man in question (30 is young to me) is skinny as a rail, and faster than greased lightening.

Outrider, he would like a metal lined holster, something I haven't tried yet. He wants to be able to push the body of the holster out a little ways, as some of the big name makers are doing. I told him I could use metal to accomplish what he wants, but not circled around the gun itself. He wants to make sure the opening of the holster stays open. He also wants the lip to curl out, for lack of a better explanation. I told him he didn't need metal to do that. He's been using a single layer holster rig that's old & pretty flimsy.

Bob, I'm not sure why he wants the drop, so we are going to talk about that, but I will copy your comments, along with Outrider's and show them to him. Since several of our shooters read this, I'll also mention that he's a very nice guy, and along with his mom and dad is a great asset to our club.

Thanks very much guys, JD   

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Morning JD, if I am understanding you right we are talking about just making a cross draw with a drop/ hang below the belt line?  It doesnt sound like a good idea to me BUT they always say "The customers always right".  My perceived problem is that without major alterations one would suffer floppy cros-draw syndrome, a problem that is frequently prevalent even without adding drop.  Does the shooter have a particularly large belly or perhaps desire an extra wide belt that cause a desire for the unusual holster design?  Though I have never tried to drop a cross draw low and even sometimes even work to avoid the situation, my jumbo high ride belly might even make one beneficial for me??

If you think about Will Ghormleys patterns, they always include the exact fold line for the skirt and its a good idea to always lay that out on our own patterns.  As Will says in his pattern instructions, this fold line can be used to create cant for the holster, it can also be used to make drop length adjustments by trimming or adding to this spot.  I always make my permanent hardboard patterns as two pieces, separated at the skirt fold line.  From the same stiff pattern stock, I have made a series of cant angle guides/wedges for quick layout use on any of my patterns.  You simply slide the appropriate wedge between the two pattern parts, works quicker for me than trying to use a compass for each pattern every time.  Do not forget that if you need, say a fifteen degree cant, you would use the wedge marked thirty degrees.    

 +1    I agree, having a drop on a cross draw holster would defeat the purpose, you want the gun to be as easy to draw as possible, and having the cross draw holster right off the belt is the way to accomplish this, putting a drop on it would only make it awkward to draw the gun, a drop on the strong side is fine, and works great, I'd
try to talk him out of this JD, he'll be glad you did in the long run.IMHO

          tEN wOLVES 

[Slowhand Bob]

Plus groping around down there for a gun would be unseemly for a family oriented sport!!!