roller buckle for gun belt ?

[Range Gypsy]

Hey guys,

I am looking for opinions .

Come on I know you guys have some 

I have been busy over the winter trying to get all my projects done before I go back to work . Last on my list is a new gun belt for me .  I have been wondering about using a roller buckle instead of the usual fixed kind . It would need a keeper but a roller is a good thing on horse tack , making it easier to tighten and less wear on the leather . So why would it not be an asset on a gun belt?

Thanks

Range Gypsy

[Trailrider]

It has been done. IIRC a customer ordered one from me. As you say, it requires a keeper, but so what?  It will just look like a cowhand made a belt himself using a buckle from an old piece of tack. Perfectly logical. 

[ChuckBurrows]

Roller buckles were also used on commercially made goods in the era, inclduing gun belts - they've been around since at least the Romans albeit in different styles. The basic nickle plated single tongue style seen so often on tack today can be well documented to the 1866-1900 period if that's of concern.

[Cliff Fendley]

I use them on plain gun belts for percussion revolvers all the time and have them on a couple of my personal belts.

The roller buckle was actually a request on this order from one of my collectors.



The holster isn't an exact copy but based on one featured in Packing Iron.

[Slowhand Bob]

Just finished a belt for the Wild Bunch rig that I posted recently and it has a stainless roller buckle on it.  Regardless of period correct, there are items that people expect on traditional equipment but I'll wager that fewer than half of the current match shooters use truly traditional cowboy equipment now days, or even care, as long as it is legal and looks ok.  On the other hand tell someone who wants a traditional post Civil War look and they will never be satisfied with roller buckles, even if you produce a photo of Julius Caesar wearing one! 

[Eloy Santa Cruz]

Have a look at Chuck Burrows web site Wild Rose Trading Company you will see very nice periond correct gear and some with the use of roller buckles

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

I use roller buckles on some of my heavier used gun belts, and you're right it allows you to get your belt tighter without damage  to the billet of your belt, good choice, they aren't as fancey as most but do the job well.

      tEN wOLVES 

[ChuckBurrows]

Have a look at Chuck Burrows web site Wild Rose Trading Company you will see very nice periond correct gear and some with the use of roller buckles

and the majority are in fact old buckles from the 1880's....

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Like the other pards have said, it's a fine idea and correct, to boot. I copied an early 1900's belt my father had with a leather keeper and a leather skirt behind the buckle. I made one for a friend of mine with a roller buckle and it looks and works great. It's an idea you may want to entertain with the roller buckle. A roller buckle would work really well on a ranger-style gun belt.

[TexasToby]

That is the way I made my gun belt. Then I gained weight and made an extention for my belt. Both have a keeper made on them. Texas Toby

[Bugscuffle]

I'm just about one or two days away from completeing my first gunbelt and I have put two roller buckles on the belt. Before you ask though, no, I am not going to post pictures. As I said it is my very first effort at a gunbelt and it pales in comparison to the really nice examples on this forum. I made up the belt sort of like a double sided ranger belt. It is in two pieces. The main belt is 3" and made of two layers of 6 oz. veg tan leather. It is tooled, well at least I tried, and has the buckles are mounted near the ends. The center part of the belt is a large oval with six shotshell loops mounted on it and two short belt ends. I spaced the belt adjustment holes 1/2" apart with seven holes on each side. That would have given me a total of seven inches of adjustment in 1/2" increments except that I got the placement of the buckles a little bit wrong and I can't use the first two holes on either side of the belt. But it still adjusts from 39" to 44". That's pretty good I think. Full disclosure though, I didn't make the holsters. I had two that I wasn't using and reworked them quite a bit changing a few things here and there and completely changing the monting. 

[Slowhand Bob]

Do not let your pride prevent you from showing your new design experiences.  I have posted some monumentally flawed work on here many times and it has usually proven to be a learning experience.  It seems that what I see as a shortcoming, others do not  see as such, while the flaws or fixes I miss will get pointed out by the pards.   

[Marshal Will Wingam]

By all means post a picture of it. We all have stuff we think is less than great. Usually, no one else sees the things we feel is lacking. Your design sounds good.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Here is a double-chape belt I did a few years ago.  I loosely based it on a Mexican rig from PACKING IRON.