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Action work, holsters


Dusty Boots

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I have finally decided to purchase NM Vaqueros in .357/.38 with a 4.62 barrel. After the purchase they will be tuned and slicked up. I would appreciate any and all guidance on who SASS members believe does quality work with timely turnaround at a  fair price. Since I feel certain that it will involve shipping them location is not an issue. Another area I need some guidance on is holster selection; what to look for, what to avoid, what’s the price point for a good serviceable rig? (I will not be shooting in B Western)

Thanks in advance for any help.

DB

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There are many good holster makers  out there.  I like Murphy Custom Gun leather.  Persimmon Dan will ask you all pertinent details such as amount of drop, cant, crossdraw or straight etc.  I am thinking cost runs about $575 or so and for that you will get a rig that will last forever.  Whomever you buy from, buy the best you can at this time.  With any company you can doll them up and run the price up.  Don't forget you will want a shotgun belt or bandolier.  I expect you will get a number of recommended makers here.  Call and talk to them and make sure you have a pretty good idea what you want before you order.

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Ask your local pards.  Many times there are folks close that make good holsters rigs for a fiar price.

 

Good holsters are sorta pricey but definitely worth it.

 

IF you cannot find a local, I have had great luck with Mernickle holsters.  He has been very involved in shooting and makes great stuff.

 

https://www.mernickleholsters.com/

 

Another in Michigan is Doc Noper.  He has added some great innovation as well.

https://www.facebook.com/Doc-Noper-Gun-Leather-150530958333442/

 

 

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Thanks for the replies. Actually the holster selection is the more daunting question. I assume you need to be “fitted” in person since you can’t go by your belt size.  I was wondering if the best thing to do was to order from a non-custom maker like Galco so that the holster can be exchanged if a different size is needed.

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7 minutes ago, Marauder SASS #13056 said:

Ask your local pards.  Many times there are folks close that make good holsters rigs for a fiar price.

 

Good holsters are sorta pricey but definitely worth it.

 

IF you cannot find a local, I have had great luck with Mernickle holsters.  He has been very involved in shooting and makes great stuff.

 

https://www.mernickleholsters.com/

 

Another in Michigan is Doc Noper.  He has added some great innovation as well.

https://www.facebook.com/Doc-Noper-Gun-Leather-150530958333442/

 

 

The folks at Mernickle are awesome to deal with and they have a great product. I just got my new rig from them and am completely impressed.

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You can call or communicate with the makers as they are very familiar with how to fit the belt to you. 

They will help you know how to measure. 

Remember that they have make hundreds and sometimes 1000's of rigs for people - most remotely, so they can handle it and work with you.

 

They usually make the belt so that you can gain or lose a little weight and it still fit.  That is also needed due to changes in clothing due to weather. 

 

So do not be afraid to work with them. 

 

Galco makes some good stuff, but I think the dedicated cowboy types are usually better for our game.

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Again, talk with your friends and check with some of the top shooters for hints on what will work best for you.  You can also try their leather, even if the belt is wrong, you can see the angles and the holster flare, etc to see if it matches your style.

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Holsters vary as to what you want to get out of them.   Sturdy authentic holsters abound, they look good and function well but not for speed.  If your looking for pure speed.. . there are only two makers I would recommend.. doc noper or colt faro.

  Colts are also functional works of art if you want some bling to them.   Doc is less about the bling. 

 

There is a good reason why a bunch of the sports greatest choose these rigs, and so many others try to copy them. 

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For your pistols, contact Jimmy Spurs. 
 

for your leather, J-M leather. 
 

you can do no better. Both will work with you to get exactly what you want. 

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2 hours ago, Dusty Boots said:

Thanks for the replies. Actually the holster selection is the more daunting question. I assume you need to be “fitted” in person since you can’t go by your belt size.  I was wondering if the best thing to do was to order from a non-custom maker like Galco so that the holster can be exchanged if a different size is needed.

I request my customers measure around the outside of their pants where they are going to wear the belt.  If that is over your pants belt, do that.  Either use a dressmaker's cloth tape measure or a piece of string (tape is more accurate).  If you plan to wear the belt over a heavy coat, measure that, too.  If you think you will gain or lose weight, that can be taken into account by the adjustment allowance.  This can be discussed with me on the "voice telegraph" (phone), so there is no misunderstanding.  Most custom makers will do likewise.  Galco makes great leather.  But I would suggest making the same measurements before contacting them. (Disclaimer:  This is NOT a solicitation for business. Just information for pards who are looking for custom leather whoever they deal with.)

Stay well, Pards!

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Not all action jobs are the same. As Hoss stated, Jimmy Spurs does really fine work. My wife has a pair of NMV's he did and she loves them. They are smoooooth. I have a pair of Vaqueros that Cowboy Carty did. He removed the transfer bar. They are also smooooth. The difference is in the trigger pull. Jimmy's has what he calls a "crisp" feel to it. Carty's trigger pull is a little softer feel. She loves her's, I love mine. Both are good gunsmiths and are easy and fair to deal with.

 

Not saying that other smiths aren't just as good. It's just that I've dealt with both and have no problem endorsing both. 

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2 hours ago, Duffield, SASS #23454 said:

Three Cuts is in your area and does good action work.

I also like Long Hunter in Amarillo, TX.

 

Duffield

If someone asked, I would sure endorse Long Hunter.  He worked over a couple of my Ubertis about ten years ago, including converting the hands from leaf to coil springs.  Excellent work at a very fair price.  

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14 hours ago, Marauder SASS #13056 said:

 

 

 Doc Noper.  He has added some great innovation as well.

https://www.facebook.com/Doc-Noper-Gun-Leather-150530958333442/

 

 

Doc Noper and JM from personal use, Colt Faro would be on my "what to try" list.  Mernickle does popular work also and certainly a  great sponsor/contributor in our sport.

My personal choice (first hand use) on revolvers would be Jimmy Spur and Boomstick.   I am leaving Snake Oil George  off list on revolver (or rifles)  because he claims to be retiring but great work if you can get him to do it.  (You did not mention rifle or shotgun but since I am mentioning my personal first hand experience in CAS smiths I'll add these: Rifles-Lefty Wheeler, Jim Bowie, Boomstick, & Cody, shotgun-Fast Eddie).  Smiths I have not used are mentioned above and good things are said about their work (Longhunter, Three Cut, shotguns by Doc Noper, etc)

Try as many as you can before spending the bucks.  There are certainly many fine smiths and leather makers in our game.

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13 hours ago, Hoss said:

For your pistols, contact Jimmy Spurs. 
 

for your leather, J-M leather. 
 

you can do no better. Both will work with you to get exactly what you want. 

I second both of those recommendations.  Johnny does great leather work and my Jimmy Spurs pistols are the best pistols I've ever owned. 

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I'll throw a couple other names into the mix.  

 

Lassiter has tuned and short stroked both my sets of SASS Vaqueros.  Incredible work.  I wouldn't hesitate an instant to send anything to him.

 

I've been using the same Kirkpatrick rig from the very start almost 10 years ago. If $$$ were no option I'd love to try some of the other custom makers out there but the off the rack stuff I'm using is still going strong. 

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Another option is to order your revolvers from one of the cowboy gunsmiths with the action work already performed.  I bought my New Vaqueros from Longhunter Supply.  If you are buying new revolvers anyway this saves you the cost of shipping them out for action work.

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To buy from smith is good suggestion.

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1 hour ago, Shooting Bull said:

I'll throw a couple other names into the mix.  

 

Lassiter has tuned and short stroked both my sets of SASS Vaqueros.  Incredible work.  I wouldn't hesitate an instant to send anything to him.

 

I've been using the same Kirkpatrick rig from the very start almost 10 years ago. If $$$ were no option I'd love to try some of the other custom makers out there but the off the rack stuff I'm using is still going strong. 

You are quit right SB. I have had numerous Kirk rigs and still own one of their first LH9 drop rigs.

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I always recommend to not skimp on holsters.  Get a set that fit you and the style you plan to shoot.  All the names mentioned above are great holster makers that understand how we use them in this game.  Having run the timer for a lot of matches, watching new shooter struggle with cheap holsters is painful to watch.  Just ask the top shooters at your annual/state/regional matches and those names above will all be mentioned.

 

I have had great luck with Kirkpatrick holsters.  My first set was an off the shelf LH-09 rig and I now shoot a custom variation of that rig that they built to my specs (more drop and more muzzle cant).  I prefer a Kydex or steel lined holster.

 

When this rig wears out, I will likely jump on the Colt Faro train and have him build me something a little flashy. 

 

Oh, and Jimmy Spurs builds a fantastic pistol and usually has a very quick turnaround time.  

 

If I had a set budget for action job and holsters, I would prioritize the holsters and ensure I got them right.

 

Totes

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22 hours ago, Dusty Boots said:

I have finally decided to purchase NM Vaqueros in .357/.38 with a 4.62 barrel. After the purchase they will be tuned and slicked up. I would appreciate any and all guidance on who SASS members believe does quality work with timely turnaround at a  fair price. Since I feel certain that it will involve shipping them location is not an issue. Another area I need some guidance on is holster selection; what to look for, what to avoid, what’s the price point for a good serviceable rig? (I will not be shooting in B Western)

Thanks in advance for any help.

DB

Shoot'em for a yr before do'n anydangthing to'em.

Unless you finish in the top 10%. Put that money towards ammo and practice. 

OLG 

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3 hours ago, Totes Magoats said:

I always recommend to not skimp on holsters.  

 

I couldn't agree more.  One of the most profound questions I was ever asked was, "You've got over $1K wrapped up in those pistols, why on Earth would you skimp on the holsters you're carrying them in???" 

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I have some Galco leather for my non-SASS guns.  It does what it is designed for well enough.  However CAS requires quick, reliable reholstering on the clock.  Our holsters are flared for quick reholstering and are quite stiff - sometimes steel is used to ensure they retain their shape.  Stick to holster makers who know how to make CAS-competition holsters. 

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So far, nobody has mentioned Tombstone Leather, but they've had very positive comments about them on other threads here.  I recommend them highly.  A number of our local shooters use his leather, and really like the products. 

 

I suggest you talk with Nick, the owner, before you make a rig selection.   He's easy to talk with because he understands our CAS needs. His workmanship is superb and pricing is quite competitive.  

 

They likely will outlast you.  

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1 hour ago, Dusty Devil Dale said:

So far, nobody has mentioned Tombstone Leather, but they've had very positive comments about them on other threads here.  I recommend them highly.  A number of our local shooters use his leather, and really like the products. 

 

I suggest you talk with Nick, the owner, before you make a rig selection.   He's easy to talk with because he understands our CAS needs. His workmanship is superb and pricing is quite competitive.  

 

They likely will outlast you.  

You are right.  I have  never had any of Nicks leather, but have had chats with him and seen examples of his work.  I would recommend him for sure.  Thanks for mentioning.

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On 3/24/2020 at 11:27 AM, Abe E.S. Corpus SASS #87667 said:

Another option is to order your revolvers from one of the cowboy gunsmiths with the action work already performed.  I bought my New Vaqueros from Longhunter Supply.  If you are buying new revolvers anyway this saves you the cost of shipping them out for action work.

I would like to do that but I am committed to buying from Cabelas/BassPro as the cost is covered by the credit I have in their Club point system. I am pretty sure no one wants to be paid in gift cards.

DB

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On 3/24/2020 at 7:41 PM, Dusty Devil Dale said:

So far, nobody has mentioned Tombstone Leather, but they've had very positive comments about them on other threads here.  I recommend them highly.  A number of our local shooters use his leather, and really like the products. 

 

I suggest you talk with Nick, the owner, before you make a rig selection.   He's easy to talk with because he understands our CAS needs. His workmanship is superb and pricing is quite competitive.  

 

They likely will outlast you.  

Could not agree more. Nick is the very best. He’ll make anything you want to your specifications and is really great to work with. There are lots of great leather makers out there, but not all of them are great at the customer service part. Nice is both. I have at least one rig from all of the names above, and Tombstone is my favorite. I like it so much, when it came time to get a rig made for my little boy, I called Nick. 

19 hours ago, Dusty Boots said:

I would like to do that but I am committed to buying from Cabelas/BassPro as the cost is covered by the credit I have in their Club point system. I am pretty sure no one wants to be paid in gift cards.

DB

I completely understand your point here, as I have the same club card. I still say go with an outfit like Longhunter. They get the guns at wholesale prices, so buying a gun and action work cost only a little more than buying a stock gun would.  Costs of action work gets expensive because of the work and the shipping both ways. Trust me, those cabela  points Won’t go to waste. You’ll use them for ammo or reloading gear. Or better yet, cap and ball revolvers. 

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On 3/23/2020 at 9:04 PM, Hoss said:

for your leather, J-M leather. 
 

you can do no better. Both will work with you to get exactly what you want. 

 

I second this.  JM Leather does amazing work, and does it quickly. You can view his offerings at JM Leather. His prices are good too. I opted for an all-in-one rig rather than a separate shotgun belt. It has worked amazingly well for me, and it was around $450-ish.

 

 

JM Rig Concho Holster.jpg

JM Rig.jpg

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23 hours ago, Dusty Boots said:

I would like to do that but I am committed to buying from Cabelas/BassPro as the cost is covered by the credit I have in their Club point system. I am pretty sure no one wants to be paid in gift cards.

DB

Don't know till you ask.  Might be an arrangement that is acceptable.  Run it by someone, Longhunter good start.

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