Showing posts with label handgun holsters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handgun holsters. Show all posts

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Carrying Handguns on Horseback


Trailblazervi asked: "Would you please address the handgun which you have holstered. Would that be a good choice and can it be carried on the horse rather than on your person?"

I now carry or have carried several handguns when horseback. When I was an Army Range Rider I carried a Smith & Wesson Model 686 .357 Magnum revolver in a cross draw holster as well as when the Agency changed to one standard handgun I carried a Beretta Model 92 semi-automatic 9mm in a strong side holster. Both holsters were carried on 2 1/4 River Belt.

These days when I'm horseback I normally carry a Ruger Vaquero .45 Long Colt Single Action Revolver which is the handgun in the bottom of the picture at top. Going clockwise from the Ruger are the S&W Model 686 and a Beretta Single Action in .357 Magnum. The most common belt I use today is a canvas and leather cartridge belt and I wear it with the buckle in my back so the cartridge loops are in my front for easy access. I'll carry .45 Long Colt 250 grain lead cartridges, .45 LC snakeshot and usually 6 rounds or so for the rifle I am carrying. Some days I carry blank cartridges if I was planning on doing some gun training on my horse.


Cross draw holsters are seldom used today outside of competition where the ease to grip, draw and re-holster the gun are desired. Other than wearing a holster on your belt, another option is to wear a shoulder holster. There are several excellent makers out there, the two that come to mind are El Paso Saddlery and Classic Old West Styles, both based out of El Paso, Texas. The picture to the left is a shoulder rig from El Paso Saddlery called the Doc Holiday Rig.





Another option is a Pommel Bag. I have never used a Pommel Bag and probably never will as I carry a lariat and a canteen around over the horn of and hanging on the swell of my saddles. El Paso Saddlery not only makes a Pommel Bag with one or two holsters (see picture at right), but also makes saddle bag holsters, although these may be harder to access especially when riding at any speed. Pommel bags, or carrying holters around the swell of the saddle, were prevelent in the Civil War which was the first war that the U.S. was involved in that used large units of Cavalry. Pommel Bags allowed soldiers to carry several handguns, for close in fighting on horseback, because re-loading black powder revolvers took too much time. 




I have seen Craig Cameron carry a flap holster secured to his saddle on the right hand side where the cantle meets the skirt. These seems like a good rig. The flap holster protects much of the gun from dirt and debris. I am not sure how Craig Cameron secures the holster to the saddle, maybe with a saddle screw through where you would normally find one in that saddle position.





I prefer to carry a handgun on my body, but I'm sure either the Pommel Bag or Flap holster would be viable for you.  Most makers can provide a holster for any common handgun you have.  Good luck and let me know what you decide on. Safe Journey.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Holsters for Horseback



I received an e-mail question from Cody asking "What type of holster do you wear when you are carrying your handguns?"

The gun and holsters in the picture (right) is a Ruger Single Action Vaquero in .45 LC carried in an El Paso Saddlery holster called the Shootist. If you notice, I am carrying it pretty high. It is actually on a canvas cartridge belt worn above my pants belt. When worn on the strong side, meaning the same side as the hand you would draw the gun from the holster, the higher the carry on the waist - the generally harder and slower draw is.

If you watch Mounted Shooters, they wear their belt and holsters around their stomach (above their normal pants belt line) and right in front.  They use holsters, called cross draws, slanting the handles or butts of their guns towards their strong side. This is for ease and quickness of a draw when in a seated position like being in the saddle.

When I was a Conservation Law Enforcement Officer, I carried a Smith & Wesson Model 686 .357 Magnum in a El Paso Saddlery No. 2 Thumb Break holster, which I had them make as a cross draw, worn on a 2 inch El Paso Saddlery River Belt. This belt was worn around my pant's belt and held in place with belt keepers. This was a comfortable rig and my handgun was very accessible. Cross draws were and are common for people who spend a lot time horseback.

The most common guns, holsters and belts I wear now are pictured below, from top to bottom: Ruger Vaquero .45 LC in the El Paso Saddlery Shootist Hoslter on a El Paso Saddlery Canvas Cartridge Belt; Smith & Wesson Model 686 .357 Magnum in a El Paso Saddlery No. 2 cross draw Thumb Break holster on a 2 inch El Paso Saddlery River Belt; Beretta Single Action .357 Magnum in a Ross cross draw holster which I sometimes carry on a canvas cartridge belt.


The reason I use Canvas Cartridge Belts for many applications is that I can carry the handgun holster on a belt that holds extra rifle rounds for the rifle I am carrying be it a Winchester Model 94 in .30-30 or .45 LC; a Marlin M1985 in .45-70 or a Sharps in .45-70.

You may be able to find decent and cheaper holsters in major sporting goods stores. On any holsters that uses Chicago Screws, consider putting locktite on the Chicago Screws. Most of the higher end holsters will use rivets or the holster will be made without any hardware. Here are some sources for modern and traditional western holsters:

El Paso Saddlery
http://www.epsaddlery.com/

Classic Old West Styles
http://www.cows.com/

Wolf Ears Equipment
http://www.wolfearsequipment.com

Frontier Gunleather
http://www.frontiergunleather.com

Kirkpatrick Leather Company
http://kirkpatrickleather.com