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Holster Questions for 7 1/2" Vaquero .45 Colt


Pat Riot

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Howdy,

I have always shot Rugers with shorter barrels than 7 1/2". Mostly 5 1/2". My current strong side holsters are for 5 1/2". They are Galco 1880's type holsters and gun belt.

At my last match, the first match I used my new, old model 7.5" .45 Vaquero I used my "old" rig. When I drew my 7.5" on my right I had to do this strange move with my arm and the gun came out of the holster and kind of came back and to the side and the RO told me that I came really close to breaking the 170 and he recommended I move my holsters more to the front so that wouldn't happen and his suggestion worked but it was weird for me.

 

Years ago I used to use a cross draw with a right strong side but switched to 2 strong side holsters on a typical gun belt so I could shoot Double Duelist and then Gunfighter. I am thinking about going back to a Crossdraw for a 5.5" Vaquero and a strong side right holster for the 7.5". I like to stay in the period of the 1880'a / 1890's for my attire and gear. I did look at a Buscadero rig for the 7.5" with a crossdraw or a left strong side for the 5.5" but I don't know if I would like the Buscadero. I found a maker/seller C&I (link below) that has a Mexican Loop type holster that would go with a traditional gun belt but the holster belt loop drops the holster down an inch or 2 for a longer barrel and I found that Mernickle has a "high performance" holster that utilizes a traditional belt but puts the gun down further on the side. The Mernickle rig looks a little "gamey" but I like the idea. I am not sure if I would like a Buscadero as it limits you on where you place your holster on the belt.

 

Old West Cowboys & Indians - THIS is an example of what I was thinking -

https://old-west-cowboy-and-indian-store.myshopify.com/collections/old-west-gun-leather/products/western-impressions-hand-tooled-leather-holster-long

 

Mernickle High Performance

http://www.mernickleholsters.com/bm_hp.html

 

My questions are:

1) Does anyone have a recommendation for a traditional looking strong side holster and who makes it so that it drops the butt of the revolver down say about 2" or thereabouts?

 

2) Has anyone ever switched from a traditional to a Buscadero with a crossdraw holster and how do / did you like it?

 

3) Has anyone used a crossdraw for a longer barreled revolver and what are the pluses / minuses? If so, who made the holster?

 

It seems like a lot of the major makers of holsters are not offering 7.5" holsters.

 

Thank you for looking.

 

Pat Riot :FlagAm:

Edited by Pat Riot, SASS #13748
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Mernickle High Performance

http://www.mernickleholsters.com/bm_hp.html

 

My questions are:

1) Does anyone have a recommendation for a traditional looking strong side holster and who makes it so that it drops the butt of the revolver down say about 2" or thereabouts?

 

 

 

Years ago I conspired with Bob Mernickle to build me traditional-looking strong side holsters with 2" drop. They look a LOT like his HP1 REF1 model.

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Was your front sight catching on your holster since it was for a 5 1/2'' barrel ? I shoot 7 1/2'' guns and have Old West Reproduction holsters . I have used both straight hang and cross draw but the cross dray is straight hang.

Woodfox

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Was your front sight catching on your holster since it was for a 5 1/2'' barrel ? I shoot 7 1/2'' guns and have Old West Reproduction holsters . I have used both straight hang and cross draw but the cross dray is straight hang.

Woodfox

Yes and since the holster sits high it was awkward. The sight hitting is not the issue. It's how I have to draw the revolver.

Thanks for the info on Old West Rep. holsters. It appears they do not have a holster that lowers the gun on your hip though.

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Doc Noper makes some great holsters for 7 1/2" barrels for strong side. Id highly recommend looking into them.

 

I've carried looking barreled gun s in a double cross draw rig. I love it but this particular rig isn't sass legal. Im a smaller guy so cross draw helps facilitate drawing. If not my hands are halfway up my armpits to clear the barrel.

 

My main match guns are 5 1/2" double strong side in a doc Noper rig. However my hunting and edc is mostly done with crossdraw

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I am thinking about going back to a Crossdraw for a 5.5" Vaquero and a strong side right holster for the 7.5".

Howdy

 

Do it the other way. Strongside for the short barrel, cross draw for the long barrel. I have been doing it this way since day one in SASS. I use a traditional Duke style rig. Trying to pull a 7 1/2" barrel out of a high riding strong side holster it is difficult to avoid getting my elbow tangled in my armpit. Pulling the long barrel from across my chest with a cross draw allows more room and I never get tangled up. This is my rig. Actually, two straight draw Duke style holsters. The 7 1/2" gun goes in the holster on the left, worn butt forward. The shorter barrel goes on the right, butt backwards.

 

This arrangement has worked well for over ten years.

 

DukeRig.jpg

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Howdy

 

Do it the other way. Strongside for the short barrel, cross draw for the long barrel. I have been doing it this way since day one in SASS. I use a traditional Duke style rig. Trying to pull a 7 1/2" barrel out of a high riding strong side holster it is difficult to avoid getting my elbow tangled in my armpit. Pulling the long barrel from across my chest with a cross draw allows more room and I never get tangled up. This is my rig. Actually, two straight draw Duke style holsters. The 7 1/2" gun goes in the holster on the left, worn butt forward. The shorter barrel goes on the right, butt backwards.

 

This arrangement has worked well for over ten years.

 

DukeRig.jpg

 

Driftwood, that is one of the things I considered. I haven't found a crossdraw for a 7.5" barrel though. Thank you.

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I shoot with a guy that has the short one as a crossdraw and the long one in a buscadero rig. He's a pretty short fellow and the arrangement works well for him. And it looks pretty cool.

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I like a buscadero style rig for longer barreled guns, and also shoot crossdraw.

 

My rig is by Alfonso's of Hollywood - it's the Paladin style.

 

I find I prefer this style over everything else I've tried in the last 20+ years.

 

SC

 

pG21IZqh.jpg

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Driftwood, that is one of the things I considered. I haven't found a crossdraw for a 7.5" barrel though. Thank you.

 

As I said, both of those holsters are straight draw Duke style holsters. But if you take a close look at the way the loop sits over the belt, you will see that when I wear them the holsters actually hang at an angle. Not enough to be a typical cross draw holster, but plenty enough so the 7 1/2" gun hangs at an angle, making it easy to draw. However, I do not wear the cross draw in front like a belly pack. Don't like that at all. The 'crossdraw' holster hangs at my side. Makes me have to swivel a bit more than most cross draw holsters when I pull that gun, but that is what I am used to. Anyhoo, reaching across the belly to pull a long barreled pistol prevents getting the elbow tangled up in the armpit.

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I make my own leather and would do just as DJ said, use the longer barreled gun in the crossdraw holster.

 

Any good leather worker can make a holster to fit your need

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Thank you all for your input.

 

I think I have my solution. I am going to have Springfield Slim make me a right / strong side Mexican Loop type holster for the 7.5" that has a 2-3" drop to it so it rides lower and then I am going with a standard crossdraw for my 5.5" gun.

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

As I said, both of those holsters are straight draw Duke style holsters. But if you take a close look at the way the loop sits over the belt, you will see that when I wear them the holsters actually hang at an angle. Not enough to be a typical cross draw holster, but plenty enough so the 7 1/2" gun hangs at an angle, making it easy to draw. However, I do not wear the cross draw in front like a belly pack. Don't like that at all. The 'crossdraw' holster hangs at my side. Makes me have to swivel a bit more than most cross draw holsters when I pull that gun, but that is what I am used to. Anyhoo, reaching across the belly to pull a long barreled pistol prevents getting the elbow tangled up in the armpit.

 

Driftwood,

I am leaning towards going with the cross draw for the 7.5" but I have question; how do you carry your shotgun shells? When I used a cross draw in the past I wore a shotgun belt but it was a bit fiddly sometimes. But, I did wear mine more to the front, not further to the side as you do.

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I am leaning towards going with the cross draw for the 7.5" but I have question; how do you carry your shotgun shells?

 

If you look at the photo you will see I have two slides for my shotgun shells. Each slide holds four shells, which gives me eight shells. Plenty enough for a stage requiring up to 6 shells with two left over in case of fumbles. I wear one slide on either side of the belt buckle, so they do not interfere with anything, since I wear my 'cross draw' holster all the way over by my left hip. When I encounter a stage that requires more than six shells, which does not happen very often, I will put on a shotgun belt in addition to my gun belt. But it does not happen very often these days. Before the match starts I check out the stages to see if I even need to bring the shotgun belt along from the car. I only stuff a few 44-40 rounds into my belt loops in case I need to reload my rifle for some reason. I stopped wearing a belt full of ammo a long time ago, much too heavy. The 45-70 round in the middle of the belt is in honor of John Wayne.

 

Sorry, but I can't tell you where I got those shotgun slides. I bought them a bunch of years ago from a leather maker when I attended the North East Regional in Thurmont. Long time ago, I never did get his name.

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Thank you Driftwood. Ya know, I looked at your rig several times and it never dawned on me too look at the slides. Duh <_<:)

 

Currently I wear an 8 shell slide over my buckle but I really do not care for it, but it beats a belt over top of the gun belt. I'll bet with some practice I could use a slide on my side.

 

Thank you,

Pat Riot

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Howdy:

WAAAY back when I started out in SASS, I had a 7/12 " Blackhawk, and a 1st gen Vaquero 5 1/2 " . I used the Blackhawk in a crossdraw , and the Vaquero in a standard style ( no Buscaderos here ) strong side holster . My only problem with this was the convention ( at the time , in clubs other than the one in which I was a member ) that anyone using a crossdraw holster HAD to needlessly handicap themselves time wise by doing something that was know as "The Cross-Draw Dance " . REGARDLESS of how many times it was demonstrated safe to draw without the contortionist routine, it was still insisted as being IMPOSSIBLE to not break the 170 . Sort of like a flat earth thing, it was. Gradually, it was ( grudging) accepted that yes, it could be done, and done quickly and safely. Around that time, the curmudgeonly ones got Modern class eliminated , "too many classes" being the excuse . Looking at the number of classes now, I see more than then. BUT I digress.

I liked the cross draw set up so much, I stayed with it when I went to shooting two Vaqueros, then when I switched calibers ( going to .38 Special ) with a pair of 6 1/2 " Stainless Blackhawks ( as they were lower in cost to buy, and the ammo was cheaper to load ). Only rarely did I run into an RO who tried that "Crossdraw Dance " crap with me by that time, the false call being contested by spotters as well as me, Way to make a fella feel welcome. ( YES that did happen when I was the "New" guy at more than one club, even though I was in no danger of taking honors from the home field favorite ).

By the time I got my first left and right strong side holsters, I was definitely more accustomed to the cross draw.

Jus' Sayin'

Edited by Conestoga Smith, SASS #18219
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