Keeping a flap holster open?

[mushka]

For the first eighteen and a half years of my police career I carried a Colt official police .38 caliber in holsters that had a strap to hold the revolver inside. The last year and a half I carried a Glock that in their infinite wisdom decided that I needed to have was in a holster that you had to do several difficult manipulations to get the dxxmed thing out. Liked the revolver, didn't like the Glock and still don't. Nothing wrong with any kind of holster that one is comfortable with.

 

[GYJ]

But how much have you actually carried in outdoors activities?

I believe you are mistaken regarding the importance of a strap or other means of securing a pistol in active use.

I did like a half flap, I made and used several. Quicker than a full flap, but covered the action parts nicely from rain and snow.

Enough to know that a thong is just insurance, otherwise unnecessary. Packing Iron, look it up.

 

[Malamute]

Enough to know that a thong is just insurance, otherwise unnecessary. Packing Iron, look it up.

Ive looked through Packing Iron many times, its quite interesting, with some beautiful rigs, but theres a good reason hammer loops and retention straps evolved over time. And I feel insurance is a good thing, having had guns dropped out of holsters, snagged by brush, hammer cocked by brush on one occasion, that holster had an inferior strap location, over the trigger guard instead of over the hammer spur, which would have stopped the hammer. The gun did stay in the holster though. Riding horses through brush its easy to lose one and not realize it. It didnt happen to me but I know people that dropped them when riding.

Stuff happens, the more one carries in more situations, the more happens. Keeping the gun from getting either lost, or at best dropping in the dirt, gravel or rocks is a good thing.

I have a pretty nice copy of an 1890s Miles City holster I use quite a bit, mostly around the home place where Im not in brush, or dog walking in more open areas, and it looks great hanging on the peg by the cabin door, but I wouldnt carry it riding the motorcycle, or in brushy country without adding some sort of retention loop. Its intended for a Colt, meaning it fits a Ruger rather tightly, making it just about right to me, its still not as secure as a loop or strap. Most often I swap it for a Lawrence 120 with strap if more security is needed.

 

[Mad L]

New Rule at "The Bucket of Blood", Virginia City:
"NO LOADED GUNS ALLOWED IN THE SALOON"

Reason: Not long ago an inquisitive young lady thought it would be 'cute' to snag one of the Cowboy Shooter's six shooter, she thought it was just a prop (Nevada is Open Carry and some, a few still but some bars still allow), well - it wasn't 'just a prop' but luckily it was one of the guy's from the 'Shoot Out' show and only loaded with blanks...the rest of us Not from the show...well, things could have ended Real Badly!

Just another reason for that 'extra security'.

 

[nick_1]

most commercially available holsters for single action revolvers are simply very poorly designed from a safety standpoint and almost none of them would be legal in an IPSC match. the design trend seems to be more about looking like a dime store cowboy. If it doesn't cover the trigger and secure or completely cover the hammer its an accident waiting to happen.

 

[GYJ]

most commercially available holsters for single action revolvers are simply very poorly designed from a safety standpoint and almost none of them would be legal in an IPSC match. the design trend seems to be more about looking like a dime store cowboy. If it doesn't cover the trigger and secure or completely cover the hammer its an accident waiting to happen.

There is no merit to that statement whatsoever. What is legal in an IPSC match is irrelevant. No need to cover the trigger or the hammer, at all.

 

[nick_1]

proveing once again that many gun owners are clueless. There is a reason that firearms and technique evolve over time. enough folks get shot in the leg and some of us learn from it.

 

[GYJ]

proveing once again that many gun owners are clueless. There is a reason that firearms and technique evolve over time. enough folks get shot in the leg and some of us learn from it.

Clueless? You might want to step down off the high horse. Please explain how someone gets shot in the leg with a single action revolver because the trigger and hammer of their holster is exposed.

 

[nick_1]

lots of ways and thats the reason modern revolvers have transfer bars and modern holsters for every style pistol other than cowboy guns cover the trigger. The western holsters are all about looks. they look great but they are not safe to carry for anything other than hanging out at a dude ranch looking cool. if you are hunting or working its super easy for a branch to snag your hammer and your trigger = bang. Unsecured revolver can fall out of the holster and land on the hammer = bang as far as weapon retention they really suck. super easy for the guy in the black hat to come up behind you at the bar and pull your own gun on you. Even if you carry on an empty chamber when your hammer gets snagged it turns the cylinder to a hot chamber. If it dosent snag the hammer back far enough to lock it in the full cock position the hammer falls right back down on a hot chamber. If it does go to full cock the next branch to brush your trigger finishes the job. Especially with cap and ball rigs if you are carrying 6 with the safety notch you really need to make sure nothing snaggs your hammer because it does not take much to bump it out of safe. flap holster or a holster like my slim jim with the tight strap over the hammer addresses that issue as best as can be done for a primitive action. the holster for my Trapper pistol does a good job of covering the hammer. It does not cover the trigger. I have the set screws on my action superglued so that half cock is secure. I am ok with me carrying it hot on half cock because its a cross draw and points away from me. just don't stand to my left.....

 

[Dale Lilly]

Then there is always the half flap.

That's purty ... Dale

 

[Bad Karma]

Interesting. I wonder why a guy like Elmore Keith bought into the ‘Hollywood invention’ of straps and hammer guards, at least in many of the photographs of his guns and their holsters? Never associated Keith to quick draw.

Perception is a funny thing. A lot of people think they need a strap or thong but do they really know? Not really. As I said, they did not have them historically because they did not need them. It's not even really necessary on the Threepersons either. Also as I said, if your sixgun is falling out of your holster, you need a new holster. But what do I know, I've only made about 200 of them.

If you plan on riding at all, I’d suggest a retention strap of some kind. The gentlest nag can suddenly decide she’s about to be killed by a plastic grocery sack and during the rodeo it’s easy to lose track of your pistol.

 

[GYJ]

lots of ways and thats the reason modern revolvers have transfer bars and modern holsters for every style pistol other than cowboy guns cover the trigger. The western holsters are all about looks. they look great but they are not safe to carry for anything other than hanging out at a dude ranch looking cool. if you are hunting or working its super easy for a branch to snag your hammer and your trigger = bang. Unsecured revolver can fall out of the holster and land on the hammer = bang as far as weapon retention they really suck. super easy for the guy in the black hat to come up behind you at the bar and pull your own gun on you. Even if you carry on an empty chamber when your hammer gets snagged it turns the cylinder to a hot chamber. If it dosent snag the hammer back far enough to lock it in the full cock position the hammer falls right back down on a hot chamber. If it does go to full cock the next branch to brush your trigger finishes the job. Especially with cap and ball rigs if you are carrying 6 with the safety notch you really need to make sure nothing snaggs your hammer because it does not take much to bump it out of safe. flap holster or a holster like my slim jim with the tight strap over the hammer addresses that issue as best as can be done for a primitive action. the holster for my Trapper pistol does a good job of covering the hammer. It does not cover the trigger. I have the set screws on my action superglued so that half cock is secure. I am ok with me carrying it hot on half cock because its a cross draw and points away from me. just don't stand to my left.....

I'd say you're the one without a clue. Oh where to begin. The western holsters are all about looks??? Tell me you know nothing of holster history without saying you know nothing about holster history. Traditional western type holsters are some of the best ever devised. Yes, even for actual use. Because I know that people have been using them for over 160yrs. Nothing can snag and cock the hammer on your revolver if the holster is actually fitted to the gun, which it should be. That's only going to happen if your holster is a cheap leather sack like the one you posted elsewhere. If you can cock the hammer of your revolver while it's in the holster, you need a better holster.

Guns also don't just fall out of holsters. If yours are falling out, you need better holsters. In 40yrs of carrying handguns, I've never had one "fall out". That includes the last 25 or so years with the Threepersons, which covers even less of the gun than frontier type rigs. A holster design that was state of the art in the 1920's and still sees tons of use today. In short, there is absolutely NO MERIT to your statements whatsoever. I've encountered this ignorant argument many times, usually from folks who know nothing about guns that aren't Glocks and think everything should have a covered trigger, just because.

Do you have a lot of bad guys sneaking up behind you and snatching your percussion pistol??? Maybe you should stick to Glocks and kydex.

As I've also posted in this thread, I've been heavily researching gunleather and making the stuff for 10yrs. With several showing up in magazines, books and hunting shows. So you should probably throttle back on the condescending, arrogant posts until you get your feet wet. You'll have a more harmonious outcome.

If you plan on riding at all, I’d suggest a retention strap of some kind. The gentlest nag can suddenly decide she’s about to be killed by a plastic grocery sack and during the rodeo it’s easy to lose track of your pistol.

Is that why there are zero retention devices in all of Packing Iron?

 

[nick_1]

the good old dime store wild west where the good guys are always good, bad guys always lose and no one ever has an AD... me thinks there is a reason the really good modern SA guys and galls have steel deflector plates protecting their legs. this is my competition set up for my 50 cal trapper. Not my comp belt. I just got off work and suited up with what I was wearing. I would rather the holster covered the trigger as well but its what i could find and it does a great job covering the hammer so I feel ok running through the woods hot. In competition we run unloaded.

I had a decent practice session on 5" steel at 25 and 30 yards but the run kicked my butt. I have 10 days to get in shape 3 shot group on 25yrd 5" steel .

 

[GYJ]

the good old dime store wild west where the good guys are always good, bad guys always lose and no one ever has an AD... me thinks there is a reason the really good modern SA guys and galls have steel deflector plates protecting their legs.

No, the actual wild west.

The steel deflectors are exclusive to fast draw rigs. You know less than I thought.

 

[nick_1]

ignorance is bliss apparently. heck just read this forum for personal stories of AD's and accidently cocked SA pistols...