Double Vision Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Been borrowing a pard's holster setup until I could get my own... started with cross draw but now using double strong side and plan to stay with that. Here's what I'm looking for... please offer up any makers that may offer something close: 1. double strong side, drop leg style 2. not too fancy, fairly plain styling is preferred 3. good quality with easy reholstering 4. open trigger guard design so left pistol can be easily pulled by 'palming' trigger guard and rear sight/hammer for easy transfer of gun to right hand with grip fully exposed 5. price hopefully around or less than $300ish 6. currently shooting blackhawks (post 3-screw models w/ 4 5/8" barrels) 7. prefer holster length to just accommodate 4 5/8" barrels but up to 5 1/2" may work I've been to mernickle and they have very nice holsters, but they don't cater to drop leg (or drop loop?) designs other than for B-western and they are super gaudy and expensive (no doubt partly due to the fanciness of the rigs; which makes sense since this style holster was created for TV westerns)... If you know of some quality manufacturers with online websites I can pull up please let me know... (or if you have something like this you'd like to sell [i need belt to be ~35" give or take, prefer brown but black may work, prefer 38 caliber cartridge loops over 45s but not a must). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pit Bull Tex Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 delete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Reb, SASS #54804 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Remember ya git what you pay for! That being said you might look at triple k stuff. I have been using a rig from them for 4-5 years now. its good but not top of the line. j-r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baddog Nobiscuit #46532 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 As Jimmy Reb said, you're going to get what you pay for. Ted Blocker has what you want but, you'll need a couple more $$. Look at their Drifter model. Lots of shooters swear by Long Hunter rigs from Kirkpatrick. You might ask around for a local maker who may have lower prices. Please buy quality leather, you will be a lot happier and you can sell it later if you want a different style. If you will only be shooting occasionally, 3K may suit you. If you want to shoot a lot, save up and get good stuff. Also, look around for used brand name rigs. Respectfully, Baddog N. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scorpion, SASS #62974 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Try texasgunslinger.com. I have the Gunslinger rig. Actually I have 2 strong side rigs that I wear crisscrossed. Had em for 6 years. Holding up well. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Vision Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 Thanks... I'll check all the links... I just checked the Triple K holsters and the Cheyenne and Laramie look like what I'd want... can pick up 2 holsters and the Conquistador (double holster) drop loop belt that matches for right at $200 total... that's a good price if the holsters and belt are at least decent quality. These are single layer holsters and belt... anyone with any personal experience with these holsters? They are molded to the specific guns so I presume reholstering quickly shouldn't be a problem... Thx... DV Texasgunslinger.com - the Gunslinger double rig looks quite nice... even suede lined for $225. So the triple K's are not lined but made of 11-12oz leather whereas the Gunslinger's are lined but made with 8-9oz leather.... I'd imagine that the lined holsters/belt would be better??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefro, SASS#69420 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Lots of shooters swear by Long Hunter rigs from Kirkpatrick. Yep, the Long Hunter rig is hard to beat. Good Luck Jefro Relax-Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Wolf , SASS# 29424L Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Double Vision, My wife used that rig to begin with and liked it. I know another pard Bushwacker Johnson used this rig with a crossdraw and was fast with it. They are built good and the stitching is strong. They will last a long time but like everything you need to take care of it. The holsters are cut the way you want them. For the price they are hard to beat. Good Luck, Blue Wolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Vision Posted April 2, 2012 Author Share Posted April 2, 2012 Thx Blue Wolf... I assume you're talking about the Triple K rig... any downside to them not being suede lined? At $200 they certainly seem like a good value... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Tom Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Along time ago I started with a triple k rig not bad for the money but not a truely competitive rig. The single layer can't have the flaired tops that will hold up. If you are willing to spend around the 300 hundred mark I would check out Doc Noper's leather. He uses top quality leather and has a super turn around time. http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Doc-Noper-Gun-Leather/150530958333442 Black Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NUNICA KID,SASS #68454 Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 +1 For Doc Noper Great leather,Great guy to deal with !!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Ed Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Look at Trailrider's holsters. Good quality and a fair price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straight Arrow Hombre Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 You've done the right thing by borrowing until you know what style set up you want. Don't skimp on the rig you end up buying. Doc Noper's leather is first rate, and he's a first rate shooter so his products are built with this sport in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hogleg Hunter Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 DeSantis Desperado rig should be available for $200 or so. Lined and the holster is flared. I have been happy with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Michigan Rattler or Doc Noper - will make sure that YOU are happy with whatever they make for ya. GG ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mid Valley Drifter SASS #35724 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Maybe these will work out for you. http://www.badmanbullets.com/OnlineStore/products.php?cat=Holsters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Wolf , SASS# 29424L Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Thx Blue Wolf... I assume you're talking about the Triple K rig... any downside to them not being suede lined? At $200 they certainly seem like a good value... Double Vision, Yes, the Triple K. I bought them at Cabelas. No down side to unlined. Blue Wolf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Boots, # 20282 LTG-Regulator Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 There are so many good holster makers out there, I have had numerous Kirkpatrick holsters and still use several. Never disappointed. I know Doc Noper is certainly an outstanding name, and there are several others. Of recent I had Jack Houston of Lone Rider Leather make me a holster rig and I really do like it. Jack likes to please and his prices are generally more avordable than some others. Check with makers as to what they use, thickness, lined or unlined, inserts or not, etc....compare and look around your area. Check what the serious competitors near you are wearing because if they are competitive then they give their holsters a real workout. If you just shoot on occasions and not much practice then you might go with cheaper made holsters. As mentioned, you pretty much get what you pay for, but if you do not research a little you may not get your moneys worth. Knowing the type you want might be helpful as one holster maker might be a little more noted for one style over another (buscadero versus traditional). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio Brazos Kid Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Been borrowing a pard's holster setup until I could get my own... started with cross draw but now using double strong side and plan to stay with that. Here's what I'm looking for... please offer up any makers that may offer something close: 1. double strong side, drop leg style 2. not too fancy, fairly plain styling is preferred 3. good quality with easy reholstering 4. open trigger guard design so left pistol can be easily pulled by 'palming' trigger guard and rear sight/hammer for easy transfer of gun to right hand with grip fully exposed 5. price hopefully around or less than $300ish 6. currently shooting blackhawks (post 3-screw models w/ 4 5/8" barrels) 7. prefer holster length to just accommodate 4 5/8" barrels but up to 5 1/2" may work I've been to mernickle and they have very nice holsters, but they don't cater to drop leg (or drop loop?) designs other than for B-western and they are super gaudy and expensive (no doubt partly due to the fanciness of the rigs; which makes sense since this style holster was created for TV westerns)... If you know of some quality manufacturers with online websites I can pull up please let me know... (or if you have something like this you'd like to sell [i need belt to be ~35" give or take, prefer brown but black may work, prefer 38 caliber cartridge loops over 45s but not a must). JM Leather can help you. Johnny Morris 713-703-1915 jmleather.com RBK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Dunn Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 A big +1 for JM leather. I started with a Texas Gunslinger rig and it was ok, but it is not even close to my Cowboy comp rig from Johnny. He will make your rig exactly like YOU want and at a good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Bullweed Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Gte to a match and see what shooters are using. Salisbury/Old North State is this Saturday. The NC State match is 31 Mat through 3 June. There will be a number of vendors with leather and that make leather items. I like my WM Brown holsters out of Tombstone, AZ but you do not see many of those in NC. My DeBerge jockstrap holster is very slick and has held up to hard use. Don't see many DeBerge in NC either. Taylor's Reproductions (Winchester, VA - how appropriate is that?) carries Kirkpatrick leather that serves alot of cowboys well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curly Red Ryder Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 Just try this link: http://www.selleriegb-28.com e-mail : ventes@sellerie-gb.fr. They can do anything you wish on special order and are great leathercrafters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Vision Posted April 3, 2012 Author Share Posted April 3, 2012 Wow... so many options... gotta go do my homework now... many thanks! One additional question or 3 (and I have to get a little personal here.. ): I simply can't get used to having a holster ride down low on my hips... I have no backside and can't stand to constantly be tugging my holster rig up... It feels MUCH more comfortable to me to have the belt ride high around my waist like I wear a regular belt... but I don't want the pistols that high so that's why I'm wanting a buscadero/drop-leg style rig... as I can wear the belt high but still have the holsters low enough so that the pistol grips are around my wrists... In searching some of the recommended holster makers it seems very few offer a buscadero style rig (at least not one that isn't super gaudy [b-western]) but do offer straight belts with drop loop holsters that can be made with extra drop... personally I see advantages to this as I can control exactly where the holsters are placed rather than have that dictated for me by where the holster slot is placed on a buscadero-style belt... and with the right type of 'holster lock down' gizzy I may also be able to slightly adjust the holster cant... so my questions: 1. are there other cowboys that can't stand to wear their rig down low on their hips? If so, what do you use for a rig? 2. are there pros/cons of using the buscadero style rig vs. a straight belt with drop loop holsters with extra 'drop'? 3. holster cant - should I be considering a cant or straight drop in my holsters? Planning to wear the holsters out to my sides more than moved towards the center. I realize the buscadero rigs are not period correct... but I see them used a lot, so I don't necessarily consider that a pro or a con... Much thanks - DV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Reb, SASS #54804 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 I use a buscadero belt with belt keepers to tie my gun belt to my pants belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mongo, SASS #61450 Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 As a SASS shooter and a leathermaker I would offer the following advise. If you are trying to be the most competitive shooter you can be, after guns, quality leather is the next most important investment you can make. Go to a few different local shoots and talk to the best shooters and look at their rigs. Many good shooters who have a commercially produced rig are using a Kirkpatrick (Longhunter model) or a Mernickle product (the Evil Roy model). The other option is to look at designs you like - even download a few pictures and take,or send them to, a custom maker. They can make you exactly what you want and combine features from several different commercial rigs. There are a multitude of very good small custom makers all over the country. In our area we have three local shooters who make excellent custom leather. I'm sure with a little investigating you will learn of some excellent custom makers in your area. Quality leather, however, is not cheap. $300-$450 for a lined two gun rig without a lot of tooling, metal spots or conchoes is fair. IMHO, suede is great as a belt lining, but is not a good holster lining. Top quality rigs will not need tennis balls shoved in them to keep their mouths open between shoots. You can find less expensive rigs that will work alright, but eventually if you want to be the best you can be, you will invest in top of the line leather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Tom Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 TN Mongo gives some great advice. Some more things about YOUR HOLSTERS staight drop or cant, how much drop and position are all personal preference. As far as cant I like it, not so much for the draw but for the reholster I like to go back to holster set over my front pockets muzzle slightly forward. While I did not care for the rig itself, Kirpatricks Handle Bar doc rig was great to work out what you liked. Their are so many different types of rigs because everybody is built different. Evil Roy's rig sits to high for me I have long arms the pistol butt hits me in the elbow. I like the pistol butts to hit me about 3 inches above my wrists, some people like them to hit them in the wrist. I currently run a Longhunter 09, or more often a Murphy Short Tom depending on which guns, but the Short Tom seems to be holding up a little better. Watch how much drop you put on them too much and for some people they begin to flop, which can cause the RO to carry your pistol to you once he knocks the dirt off it. Something we've seen one of our local leather guy making is seperate drops for the holsters the drops go on the holster then slide on the belt where ever you want. Try as many styles as you can, you might be suprised by what you like if you are at a big shoot most the makers I know will let you try many of thier rigs off the wall. And don't be afraid to ask other shooters if you can try thier's most wont care and would be happy to even if it means sliding the holsters off thier belt and onto yours if needed. Most your faster guys beat the heck out of our rigs anyway. Sometimes they don't offer up front because they don't want to be pushy but are more than happy to let you try. BT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 There are options in your price range if you look a bit. My double strongside "SASS Shooter" rig from RedDog Leather was less than $300 and I think it's great. Search for RedDog Leather eBay Store. I have since purchased a shotgun belt from Doc Noper and am pleased with it; I'd give his holsters a look-see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sodbuster Brown Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Got my rig from lucky Levis leather. His stuff is great quality and his prices are reasonable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Vision Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Again a lot of great advice here... much thanks! I won't jump into a holster too soon... will continue to do my homework... Thinking I need to concentrate more on quality rig rather than just set a price... Sounds like for the same money I can get both high quality and low quality rigs... so educating myself more on what qualifies as quality is more important than anything else (besides figuring out what my holster preferences are). I've checked out most of the leather makers recommended so far and have really found a lot of great information that I wouldn't have found otherwise... Much thx! DV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchy Cannuck Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 I'm a fan of George Livingston aka Hidesman in Pensylvania. This is my rig http://www.gandjleather.com/rig140.jpg. He made it exactly as I wanted it and with a matching shotshell belt. Great guy to deal with, all around great experience I know of at least 2 other shooters from here that have had him make theirs and the same is said by all. Wait and get the quality rig, it will last a long time, you need to be happy with it. Frenchy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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