making a holster and gun belt

[Go2Tex]

I've tried both ways, slots and stitching, and either way is a real time consuming ordeal but the stitched method looks the best when I do it. I'm considering stitching them to a separate piece of leather and then stitching that to the belt. Anybody try this?

[Billsotx]

GTT got a good idea of mounting the loops on a strap if you're going to do slots. Otherwise I'd line the belt. Lawrence used to attached the loops to a strap but they did not use the slot technique. I never done .22 rimfire but the spacing will be tight. I'd work up a sample. Take you time with it and you might turn that into a slide that hangs off the belt. Here's a few pixs of .45 Colt loops that illustrate the stitch pattern. You're talking the same thing only different with your twenty-two rims.

[Spencer G]

Thanks Bill for the pictures, that's a very interesting way to stitch without the need to worry about finishing off so many ends. I hadn't thought of doing it that way, but now that I've seen it, it definatly seems like the best method. Did you come up with it yourself? If so, do you mind if I use it?

Thanks again,

Spencer

[Rayban]

I've tried both ways, slots and stitching, and either way is a real time consuming ordeal but the stitched method looks the best when I do it. I'm considering stitching them to a separate piece of leather and then stitching that to the belt. Anybody try this?

Sounds like compounding the work, and being the lazy guy I am, I would just as soon stitch right to the belt...that's my plan anywayz.

[Billsotx]

That stitch pattern has been around forever. Go for it!

[Go2Tex]

I haven't tried using that continuous stitch method because it seemed to me that the threads would wear out pretty quick with the casings catching on it as you put them into the loop. Obviously, you could gouge a stitch groove but.... wow, that's a lot of work too.

Sooo, I've been stitching my loops by hand and it's a real pain. Fortunately, I don't do many belts.

[Warren]

I am in the process of making a .22 cartridge belt right now and the only thing to say is,"WHAT A PAIN". I had previously done so loops for .38 cartridges on a chest holster that I posted on the forum. They were hard to do and I only made 6 loops. I'm putting 25 on a belt for my son. It's a nightmare! As for what Go2Tex said about the zigzag stitch, I don't know about it wearing out (seems like it would to me too) but it's done with a machine. Since I don't have a machine I can't do it that way. I tried to cut slots but didn't like the way it looked and it didn't hold the .22 shells very tightly. I was afraid of the loops stretching or some of them being empty and the strap moving. Then you lose cartridges so whats the point of a cartridge belt? So I am just sewing them on by hand. Maybe it'll be finished by Christmas, I hope.

[Rayban]

Seems like for a .22 gun rig, a pouch strapped to the belt to carry rounds in would be more practical. Not too traditional looking, but they didn't "traditionally" pack .22s either. Just a thought.....

[Billsotx]

That diagonal stitch has been around for a long time. As far as that belt & loops in the photo, it has a lot of miles of practical use on it, not just worn for show. That's my personal belt and I worked out of those loops a lot. I'm hard on gear and that piece has held up better than I predicted. It's got a lot of life left.

If the stitches are tight you should not have a problem with wear if you use a tight stitch. I've seen loops done with only 1 and 2 diagonal stitches and those usually fray pretty quick. Those in the photo are not grooved. If you get the stitches tight the little stretch you'll get won't matter. Also when they begin to get loose leave the cartridges out and they shrink back. I don't leave cartridges in the loops, that is store them. Crude grows on them if you do that. I've seen it to the point they won't chamber. I wonder why the guy tried to load it into the gun.

As far as the .22 rimfire you're right. That's a tight fit - you're working in a tight spot. From a practical standpoint the .22 rimfire being an outside lubed cartridge and the loops rubbing and scraping the lube off the bullets I wouldn't mess with that for my own use, but the customer is always right ... lol! I hate loops that's what pockets and possible bags are for.

That method that GTT mentioned of building the loops works well from a practical stand point. Before speedloaders (gee now we're back to geezer days ... lol) we'd have two pieces of 12 inch skirt behind the loops to get some space so you could get your fingers around the cartridges. We're talking game playing here, working against the clock, nothing practical for the field. The best were thick skirt bevel so that they set at angle with the bullets resting against the belt and the rims of the cases kicked out so you could get your fingers around them. We also built slides like this for PPC competition and it wasn't unusual to see them on a street cops Sam Browne. I strayed from the .22, but someone might find something useful and share a better idea.

As far as looks I like the loops laced, the slot method, but you'd have to space them out for .22s and that in my eyes would look a little cheesy, but there were a lot of loops done that way when the B westerns were in vogue. One of those beauty in the eye sort of things. Nothing wrong with it. For .22s I'd probably go with a kip lace as it'll have less stretch and a thin piece of kip will be stronger than a piece of split skirt.

[Spencer G]

Thanks again for all of the advice. Since the guy commissioning the belt is a friend, I'll see if he really wants loops, even with all their disadvantages.