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Who makes the best Wild Bunch rig?


grubstake charlie

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I always get a kick out of these "what is the best...?" threads since most people responding have no experience with most of the various choices.

 

In all honesty, I think the rig is a very small factor in Wild Bunch since we only draw once and there is no reholstering. As long as you can locate your holster where you can smoothly draw the pistol and it has adequate retention without sticking, the holster is not much of an issue. It's hard to excel on mag pouch design if the pouch conforms to the rules.

 

I use the belt from my well worn Kirkpatrick Evil Roy rig, a San Pedro Saddlery "Pike" holster and some rather plain and simple double mag pouches made by a local guy. Before I bought those pouches I used some old canvas surplus pouches. I did like the idea of the leather slide with heavy cloth pouch mag pouches made by Persimmon Dan, but his excellent products are so much in demand that I was unwilling to wait.

 

My rig is kind of a potpourri as far as looks goes but it works and I don't think my equipment is handicapping me at my level of skill.

 

If I decide to get a dedicated WB rig someday, I'll probably buy one of Persimmon Dan's "Ole Short Tom" rigs.

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I always get a kick out of these "what is the best...?" threads since most people responding have no experience with most of the various choices.

 

In all honesty, I think the rig is a very small factor in Wild Bunch since we only draw once and there is no reholstering. As long as you can locate your holster where you can smoothly draw the pistol and it has adequate retention without sticking, the holster is not much of an issue. It's hard to excel on mag pouch design if the pouch conforms to the rules.

 

I use the belt from my well worn Kirkpatrick Evil Roy rig, a San Pedro Saddlery "Pike" holster and some rather plain and simple double mag pouches made by a local guy. Before I bought those pouches I used some old canvas surplus pouches. I did like the idea of the leather slide with heavy cloth pouch mag pouches made by Persimmon Dan, but his excellent products are so much in demand that I was unwilling to wait.

 

My rig is kind of a potpourri as far as looks goes but it works and I don't think my equipment is handicapping me at my level of skill.

 

If I decide to get a dedicated WB rig someday, I'll probably buy one of Persimmon Dan's "Ole Short Tom" rigs.

It is style man, style!!!!! :rolleyes:

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I'm just getting into the Wild Bunch side match. One of the local clubs is starting a monthly WB match. I have all the guns, but I am currently using various mix and match leather and so I am looking for a WB rig.

 

So, let me know who you think makes the best Wild Bunch rig, and why you think it is best. I always try to purchase top quality (within reason) but am more interested in rig functionality than fancy looks.

 

Do you prefer a single belt rig or two belts. From what I can see it looks like a few of the better shooters like mags and reloads on a 2nd (shotgun) belt, and only the pistol on the main belt. It seems to me that speed of mag swaps and any reloads are important and your rig should be designed to help speed those activities.

 

(links updated)

Ok, let’s wrap things up on this thread.

First off I want to thank everyone who took their time to express an opinion.

 

Second, my apologies to any CAS shooters who find offense in discussion of SASS WB leather options in this thread (no offense was intended). (FYI: I posted this same question on the WB site, and received only 3 total replies while all quite good suggestions the number of responses in this forum was over ten times greater.)

 

EQUIPMENT RULES: Listen to Pecos Clyde (and others) and remember to check the WB rules: http://sassnet.com/wildbunch/wbRules.html first! Be sure any rig (WB or CAS) is within the rules.

 

LIST OF THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER: Based on all responses there are a number (of issues or greater and lesser import) you might want to consider when selecting your rig. Some of the issues include:

- Cost (range is from approx ~$225 to over $900)

- Holster type/cut/angle (i.e., grip angle, how much of the gun is covered, etc)

- One belt for everything or two belts (holsters on one, mags and reloads on the other)

- Number of mag’s you want available (range was 2 to 6)

- Single or double mag pouches

- How many rifle reload rounds (and keep them in loops or a slide)

- How many SG rounds (and keep them in loops or a slide)

- Any personalization (leather carving, air brushing, custom belt width, etc)

 

Here are links to some of the fine rigs and folks mentioned in this thread and a few others I found during my research (listed in alphabetical order). Most of these folks (if not all) provide CAS equipment too.

 

- Andrews Leather: http://www.andrewsleather.com/

- Double J Leather - Docs Rig: http://doublejleather.com/DoubleJLeather/G...Wild_Bunch.html

- El Paso Saddlery: http://www.epsaddlery.com/c-14-military.aspx

and photo of (Pancho Peacemakers EPS rig) http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b231/gso...SS/DSC04189.jpg

- Frontier Gun Leather: http://www.frontiergunleather.com/catalog/holsters.php

- G & J Leather: http://www.gandjleather.com/index.html

- JM Leather (I could not find a link)

- Kirkpatrick Leather: http://www.kirkpatrickleather.com/product/h_wbr.html

- Lone Rider Leather: http://loneriderleather.com/Products-Prices.html

- Murphy Custom Gun Leather - Old Tom Rig http://www.customgunleather.com/site/Produ...61/Default.aspx

- Mernickle - Evil Roy rig: http://www.mernickleholsters.com/er/bm_erwb.html

- Old West Reproductions: http://www.oldwestreproductions.com/

- Slowhand Bob discussion http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php...ic,35353.0.html

and photo of Slowhand Bob example http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b231/gso...SS/DSC04189.jpg

- Springfield Slims holster photo http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c262/mwhyte123/45Auto.jpg

- Wild Rose Trading: http://www.wrtcleather.com/

 

:rolleyes:

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Ok, let’s wrap things up on this thread.

 

First off I want to thank everyone who took their time to express an opinion.

 

Second, my apologies to any CAS shooters who find offense in discussion of SASS WB leather options in this thread (no offense was intended). (FYI: I posted this same question on the WB site, and received only 3 total replies while all quite good suggestions the number of responses in this forum was over ten times greater.)

 

EQUIPMENT RULES: Listen to Pecos Clyde (and others) and remember to check the WB rules: http://sassnet.com/wildbunch/wbRules.html first! Be sure any rig (WB or CAS) is within the rules.

 

LIST OF THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER: Based on all responses there are a number (of issues or greater and lesser import) you might want to consider when selecting your rig. Some of the issues include:

- Cost (range is from approx ~$225 to over $900)

- Holster type/cut/angle (i.e., grip angle, how much of the gun is covered, etc)

- One belt for everything or two belts (holsters on one, mags and reloads on the other)

- Number of mag’s you want available (range was 2 to 6)

- Single or double mag pouches

- How many rifle reload rounds (and keep them in loops or a slide)

- How many SG rounds (and keep them in loops or a slide)

- Any personalization (leather carving, air brushing, custom belt width, etc)

 

Here are links to some of the fine rigs and folks mentioned in this thread and a few others I found during my research (listed in alphabetical order). Most of these folks (if not all) provide CAS equipment too.

 

- Andrews Leather

- Double J Leather - Docs Rig (unique mag pouches)

- El Paso Saddlery and photo of (Pancho Peacemakers EPS rig)

- Frontier Gun Leather

- G & J Leather

- JM Leather (I could not find a link)

- Kirkpatrick Leather

- Lone Rider Leather

- Murphy Custom Gun Leather - Old Tom rig

- Mernickle - Evil Roy rig

- Old West Reproductions

- Slowhand Bob discussion and photo of Slowhand Bob example

- Springfield Slims holster photo

- Wild Rose Trading

 

:rolleyes:

links do not function

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I agree there are a lot of great leather makers. I have a special love for the quality and response from BLACK HILLS LEATHER.

 

KK

 

http://www.bhlstore.com/shop/category.asp?catid=220

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I'm just getting into the Wild Bunch side match. One of the local clubs is starting a monthly WB match. I have all the guns, but I am currently using various mix and match leather and so I am looking for a WB rig.

 

So, let me know who you think makes the best Wild Bunch rig, and why you think it is best. I always try to purchase top quality (within reason) but am more interested in rig functionality than fancy looks.

 

Do you prefer a single belt rig or two belts. From what I can see it looks like a few of the better shooters like mags and reloads on a 2nd (shotgun) belt, and only the pistol on the main belt. It seems to me that speed of mag swaps and any reloads are important and your rig should be designed to help speed those activities.

 

 

IMHO there is a host of great gun leather artisans out there, and then there is Matt Whitaker, a true master at his craft, personally trained under the watchful eye by non other that the world's master gun leather artisan John Bianchi owner of Frontier Gun Leather. Feel free to contact me for Matt's contact info or see John Bianchi's Ad in The Cowboy Chronicle.

 

Roy

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Roy, dawnt thet be our own Kid Cavalier? He really is a true artist in leather, second to none, I know of, and equaled by only a few, another artist at the top of the custom trade is Purdy Gear. These and a couple of others are the ones you turn to for a true one of a kind treasure. I have not checked their web sites to see what they offer for Wild Bunch but you can bet it will be beautiful.

 

As some have already eluded to, what makes the choice kinda tuff is the fact that a basic well fitted rig does not seem to need much more with the current WB rules in effect. As the game exists today, how much competitive advantage can be offered by any one maker or legal style rig? Since SASS members, in general, are competitive by nature and the rules tend to be driven by this competitiveness, I do look for evolution to start moving in the direction of speed, stage design, equipment and loosened rules.

 

I can not imagine a second belt not offering more flexibility and easier access to reloads, even beyond that of standard CAS match needs. This is one place that I think shooters who are thinking ahead will definitely require that the shotgun or secondary belt be of the same width as the WB holster belt. Amongst bigger guys in particular, magazine retrieval will be faster from the upper belt and as separation times between competitive shooters decrease, importance of fractions of a second become greater.

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