Western Holsters

[chrisash]

Living in the UK , I am a bit confused about the holsters used in westerns

Most western style holsters on this forum i have looked at seem to be fixed to the belt by a loop yet many holsters shown on TV and westerns seem to show the holster and belt as a fixed item

Welcome comments

[alpha2]

There is a fairly long history to Western holsters. The rigs changed over time, and also depending on the regional influences, the holsters/rigs could look decidedly different. Also, a lot of the rigs made today are for Single Action Shooting competitions. Whereas holsters I make, are for daily carry either inside or outside waistband, hanging on a daily worn belt. A complete belt/holster rig wouldn't be practical for me, as they tend to ride much lower than a standard belt holster. Also, different guns would require a different complete rig for everything you might carry. One more thing...today we are likely to carry numerous guns for different occasions, while in the 'ol days, they likely had one rig for their one, (or two) guns.

Jeff

[Josh Ashman]

Hello Chrisash,

There are many different styles of holsters and cartridge belts and a lot of what is shown on TV and in movies is inaccurate. That said, I am not aware of any true 1 piece holster/belt combinations. The "buscadero" and other similar styles feature a drop in the belt with a slot that the holster attaches through. This "fixes" the location of the holster on the belt and is likely what you are seeing. This is also generally thought to be more of a Hollywood design than a using design. A low slung gun belt with a leg tie down may look cool and seem like a fine idea when you're walking down main street but it's really not at all comfortable on a horse or for doing much of anything at all. Carbine or rifle in a saddle scabbard and pistol in saddle bags or pommel bags is how I go armed when on horseback 90% of the time. If I have a pistol on a belt it's strapped high and tight to my side and only when I'm on something I trust not to blow up. The reasons that make this true for me today would have been the same to someone 100 years ago. 

That's my $0.02 anyway. All the best, Josh

[Joon1911]

If you’re interested in the history and transition, the Rattenbury book Packing Iron is top notch!  I read the whole book at my local library and ended up buying a copy on eBay for a song  

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Packing-Iron-Gunleather-Frontier-West/dp/0939549085

[dikman]

For anyone interested in Western gun leather that book can be considered as the "go to" for information pertaining to the subject!

The story goes that the early Hollywood westerns used original/traditional holsters but the movie makers soon realised that they needed a gimmick, thus the Buscadero was born. As anyone who has carried a revolver will tell you, having a low-slung holster tied down to the leg is not very practical for anything other than standing (and maybe walking). Arguably, the most comfortable carry is a crossdraw with the holster riding high and to the front (as shown in many old photos). Some of the more recent Westerns appear to be striving for a more accurate presentation and are tending to show this style of gun carry, getting away from the Buscadero.

Most on here tend towards the more traditional style (i.e. loop over the belt) albeit with some variations to suit specific needs.

[Lobo]

The holster designs generally popularized by television shows and motion pictures from the late 1950's until the 1970's are usually of the 'buscadero' style, with the holster mounted to a drop-loop extension on the low side of the belt. There is little (if any) historical accuracy to the buscadero design; it developed mostly as a Hollywood trend.

The popular TV western shows corresponded in time to the rebirth of Colt's Single Action Army revolver (scheduled for discontinuance by 1957) and the rapid growth of the sport of 'quick draw' competition. Supplementing demand was the company Great Western Arms, which produced somewhat crude, but cosmetically accurate, copies of the Colt's revolver (many of the actual guns used in Hollywood productions are actually Great Westerns (including 'Gunsmoke' and a number of other long-running series), both for the motion picture industry and for sale to the general public (available as finished guns or as a parts kit to be completed by the individual) at very reasonable prices. By the early 1960's Sturm Ruger Company stepped into the marketplace with their Single Six and Blackhawk revolvers. At the same time companies in Spain and Italy started production of reproductions of the early Colt's as well as Remington revolvers. All of these trends continued until the present day, and Cowboy Action Shooting and the Single Action Shooting Society grew into very large sporting events. Today the vast majority of revolvers used in such sports are Italian reproductions or modern Rugers.

Today, when someone mentions 'western style' holsters and rigs it is not unusual for that person's sole frame of reference to be the styles popularized by television and movie use. In more recent years there has been a trend toward greater realism in those entertainment fields, with gun belts and holsters more in keeping with the actual products used during the 'Wild West' period (generally mid-1860's to mid-1890's). Recent productions are more likely to show historically correct rigs such as Mexican Loop, California Slim Jim, and others of the period.

Holster makers wishing to work within the 'western' market need to learn and understand the differences. When a potential customer is describing a 'Hollywood western' design it will do little good to attempt to nudge that customer toward the 'real thing', and the potential customer seeking historically correct designs will close their minds against 'Hollywood' type rigs.

Edited October 11, 2018 by Lobo

[plinkercases]

here is a link to the bio of Arvo Ajala who was instrumental in the evolution to the Hollywood quick draw style of rig.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arvo_Ojala

Here is a link to a makers sight (not an endorsement though it is nice stuff!) and a good summary of western holster evolution.

https://www.cochiseleather.com/western-gun-leather-history.aspx