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Purchase and Proper Fit for New Holster


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Well I'm getting close to the purchase of my revolvers (maybe for Fathers Day) and have used the resources of the SASS Forums, the Cowboy Chronicle advertisers and the Internet to look at holsters.

When I start shooting, I will most likely be shooting in the Senior Category for my first year, then move to the Silver Senior the next year. I would also like to eventually shoot in the Senior Duelist and Senior Gunfighter categories once I become more proficient and comfortable with my shooting.

With all the different types of holsters, is there one that would be applicable to the three (3) categories listed above, without needing a different holster?

Also, is there an advantage to having your leather made where you can personally appear (local vendor) or can the purchase via the Internet be done without any glitches?

I live just west of Orlando, Florida and not sure if there are any recommended leatherwork vendors I can make a short travel to visit.

I did find one vendor online (Indian Creek Leather) that has a holster with the profile to match my SASS alias.

Thoughts and suggestions are certainly welcome.

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It can be handy to have the customer local as you can measure them for the belt your self. but with decent instructions there is no reason they can't measure themselves accurately. How does a holster profile match your alias?

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A properly constructed holster for SASS competition needs some tweaking from the common straight hang single ply holster. It needs to be necessarily stiff, constructed and molded to allow the shooter replace the gun in the holster quite often on the move. It needs a slight bit of retention for running but not enough to impede the draw.

A speed rig for a Senior (used to be one) and practiced with endlessly will fill the bill for the other categories mentioned. If possible, pick out a shooter/leather crafter that can talk nuts and bolts.

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Straight hang holsters work in all the categories you mention. For ease of transfer for drawing your weak hand pistols, many if not most use the thumb and one finger to draw that weak hand gun with finger on outside bottom of trigger guard and and thumb on the rear sight. That eases the strong hand to have a open grip frame to grab in the transfer between hands. As a result have your holsters made with the gun trigger guard completely outside and on top of the holster. Other holsters have the trigger guard covered in the holster making it very difficult to transfer hands on the grip, to get your strong hand on the grip without dropping your pistol.

 

In my opinion the best bang for the buck is not cheap junk leather but leather from some of the high quality CUSTOM leather makers such as Kirkpatrick. That allows you to get very high quality custom leather at a competitive price and in a very timely manner.

Edited by Gold Canyon Kid #43974
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I have been shooting CAS for about 7 years now and have had very good luck with Western and Wildlife Wonders in Washington State (they advertise in the "Chronicle"). Holsters run around $60.00 to $80.00 and belts around $100 to $125. I am a Silver Senior Gunfighter with average stage times running around 60 seconds.

 

Before investing large amounts of money in equipment, I would urge you to evaluate your average performance. Good equipment can cut seconds but usually fractions of seconds off your total time, but you will probably not beat younger shooters. It's not a fast draw competition; the holster must hold the revolvers securely and be easy to reholster, but you don't have to get too fancy. Beware of belts with many bullet loops; they get heavier and heavier as you get towards the last stage of the day.

 

I have also found the same thing to be true of short-stroke kits for rifles or revolvers. Good sights, that you can see well, will do much more for you than gunsmithing designed to shave time.

 

Just my two cents. I have a great deal of fun and will never be on the leader board. Just depends upon what you want. Also, I enjoy being period correct within reason.

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Funny, my trigger guards are completely covered and I haven't dropped a gun, ever, since 1999 when I went to my first shoot. But then I'm not that fast, shooting Frontier Cartridge Duelist/Classic Cowboy I usually run in the high 30's. If I wanted to go faster, well, never mind, I'm just here to look good and have fun with my family. And there is a middle ground between cheap junk holsters and high end leather.

Edited by Springfield Slim SASS #24733
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For the finest in custom built leather, Johnny Morris simply cannot be beat. Wait time may be a bit long as he is usually swamped with orders. JM Leather. Well worth waiting for.

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I've had leather from many of leather makers out there. Most quality leather will last a very long time, if not a life time for many folks. Don't skimp on leather, it is just as important as you guns. Don't be influenced by anyone that says it doesn't. Looks are more important to some people than to others, but quality and functionality should not be compromised. I've had good luck with Kirkpatrick leather in general. Their prices are reasonable, and their delivery time is relatively fast. Waiting months on end for leather to be delivered gets old.

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Funny, my trigger guards are completely covered and I haven't dropped a gun, ever, since 1999 when I went to my first shoot. But then I'm not that fast, shooting Frontier Cartridge Duelist/Classic Cowboy I usually run in the high 30's. If I wanted to go faster, well, never mind, I'm just here to look good and have fun with my family. And there is a middle ground between cheap junk holsters and high end leather.

If you look at the better shooters in our sport only a few have their trigger guards covered in the holster except for cross draw shooters, gunfighters or double duelists, as they can grab their grips of both pistols with no hand transfer needed. There are a few shooters that are two handed that draw with their hands on the grips and then use a different thumb depending on which hand they drew with.

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Why don't you get the rig in the picture? That's a great looking rig and looks to have all the elements necessary for CAS. Plus is seems to be right up your alias.

 

+1

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First of all, speed- or fast-draw is NOT part of Cowboy Action Shooting! No, the gun should not stick in the holster, but cutting away lot of the holster to "speed" your draw isn't necessary, and if it decreases security beyond a certain point, a drastically cut down holster gains nothing and IMHO decreases safety. Personally, I don't care that much for exposed trigger guards on holsters. Your trigger finger should never go inside the trigger guard until the gun is pointed safely downrange!

 

Whatever style holster you pick is up to you, but you may wish to look into the styles utilized in the Old West, or B-Western movies, if that is your preference. Unlike many of the originals, which often were paper-thin, I recommend holsters made of topgrain, vegetable-tanned cowhide of no less than 8-9 oz leather (an "ounce" os a 64th of an inch). A lining, if one is chosen should also be of topgrain cowhide, smooth side to the gun cemented and stitched to the outer layer. For lined holsters, I generally use 6-7 oz for the outer layer, with a 2-3 or 3-4 oz. lining.

 

Even if the holster is supposed to be for your make, model and barrel length, it should be wet-fit to the gun. Even then, the holster will probably be a bit snug, and can be given a final wet-fitting by the customer. (I provide instructions for doing that with my holsters.)

 

As for belt size, I recommend taking an actual measurement around where you will wear your gun belt. If you plan to also wear it over a heavy coat, give the maker that measurement also. Best way is using a dressmaker's tape. Do NOT try to just give your pants waste size. Your pants may have stretched or shrunk over the years.

 

Expect to pay a fair amount (probably close to $100 per holster) for good quality work. The more decoration and fanciness, the more the rig will cost, especially if it is hand-tooled.

 

Good luck!

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This may not be fast draw as you suggest but being a timed event, you do not want a slow draw either. No one has suggested putting your trigger finger inside the trigger guard, but outside the trigger guard. This is a timed event so the faster and safer one can transition their pistol from their off hand to their other hand does save time and is safer than trying to juggle a grip frame from one hand to the other. Who said anything about a drastic cutting down of the holster, just leave the trigger guard exposed. That leaves the cylinder in the holster, the barrel in the holster, and most of the frame in the holster. Most of us like the holster to hold the gun so that as we move it does not come out accidentally but still allows an easy draw. Many of the best holsters for our sport made today use some form of plastic or metal between layers of leather inside and out to hold the holster shape almost forever. May not be period but it works. Rifles in 38 special, 357 mag or even 45 LC are not period correct either and that covers about 95% of our rifles.

First of all, speed- or fast-draw is NOT part of Cowboy Action Shooting! No, the gun should not stick in the holster, but cutting away lot of the holster to "speed" your draw isn't necessary, and if it decreases security beyond a certain point, a drastically cut down holster gains nothing and IMHO decreases safety. Personally, I don't care that much for exposed trigger guards on holsters. Your trigger finger should never go inside the trigger guard until the gun is pointed safely downrange!

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What I probably should have said was that I don't mind having the top of the holster cut so you can insert your finger inside the trigger guard, although I recommend not doing it, and many of the Old West designs have the cutout in the holster, but I prefer to see the back of the trigger guard supported by the holster. (Note: Double action revolvers should NEVER be put in a holster with the trigger exposed! Too much chance of grabbing the trigger of the holstered gun, or having brush or other objects setting off the gun!)

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Since you live in Tavares, you have a great custom holster maker in Altoona. This is Classic Leather Works, owned by Halfbeed Don, who shoots CAS with the Lake CO Pistoleros in Eustis. His phone Number is 407-669-1700. He does excellent work and has made two rigs for me which I use and have received many compliments.

 

Jersey Bird

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Old Slapout makes some nice leather http://oldslapoutholsters.com/index.html

 

And you can always add those types of conchos to any belt you get. I get lots of stuff from Tandy because there is a store close to where I work (I do all my own leather work) but there are many leather online retailers.

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/epoxy-cross-conchos-2

 

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/christian-cross-concho-1-1-4-3-2-cm

 

Holsters and belt I made for my 1871 open tops. I've only done leather for myself and family though.

 

DSC_2622_zpsiq2i19pf.jpg
DSC_2624_zpstlmcse2z.jpg

 

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My opinion will probably be unpopular, but it's what I did and I'm glad I did it this way. I got a cheap rig to start off with and used it for the first couple years. Then when I figured out what I was actually looking for in a belt and holsters, I had one of the local custom guys make one for me and I love it. When it came time to get my first 'real' set of leather, I never would have ordered from someone I couldn't see face to face. But as I get more experience and know what I want better, I probably won't have a problem doing that.

 

Since we're talking about trigger guards, I personally won't have a holster that exposes the trigger guard. I don't think too much less of the fellas who do, but it doesn't feel as secure to me. I don't need to use my trigger finger to get a good grip on it. That said, I have to admit that when that first cheap rig was getting old the part covering the trigger guard actually caused problems. But my custom holsters (from JM leather BTW) have that edge formed and hardened

Edited by Ramblin Gambler
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Trailrider: I like your way of thinking. I shoot FCD, or CC, if I wanted to go real fast I wouldn't shoot these classes. I don't own any dressmaker's tapes, but I do own a few tailor's tapes!

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I'm gonna tell how I came about using what I am ten years later.

Back in 2005 when I got in to sass I was making leather stuff for fun. I made my holsters and a nice single boscadero rig with what started out with a cross draw by the next summer I was shooting gunfighter and using a drop loop and a straight drop holster. Then I got to noticing the winners at winter ranger and EOT seem to be wear kirtpatrick long hunter holsters. A friend bought a pair of the originals and I took a good look at them and tried to make something similar but couldn't get the back right. I gave up and ordered a special order set of plain black 09 models to represent the cutting down of military holsters since I was wear a uniform back then. About a year ago I ordered a set in brown since I had started shooting classic cowboy. Then this year I ordered a set of S&W scholdfield pattern holsters that shipped yesterday. I've ordered both belt types the ranger and the taper type. I'm thinking of getting a set of the muzzle forward holsters to try out.

 

Back when wild bunch took off I bought the evil Roy setup from mernickle and was happy at EOT I went into their tank to buy something and was in line and the misses made a comment that I didn't that was right for someone wanting to sell me something. I let it be known that I didn't like it and she kept on that trail of comments and I left not to spend a cent with them again . So kirtpatrick leather an d docs old west leather has been getting my money ever since. If I ever get a sticker for leather I will return to making my on gear again.

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Garth

I would also suggest that you talk to Halfbreed of Classic Leather Works as recommended by Jersey Bird. He is almost always at the Lake County Pistoleros monthly match in Eustis, next Saturday June 18.

 

Something to keep in mind when choosing a rig: Even though CAS is not a quick draw game, it IS a quick re-holster game. You'll find that you can loose a great deal of time if your guns don't go back to leather easily.

 

Hope to see you in Eustis Saturday.

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  • 1 year later...

OK, I came late to this Party, but here goes:

 

Have a special holster made to hold a very obviously labled bottle of Geritol.

( as per Lawrence Welk )

 

"Geritol, the SASS Cowboys' favorite performance enhancing drug !"

 

  • Haha 1
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