Holsters snd stuff......

[Bob Wright]

Over the years there have been holster makers who have risen to some level of fame. Not so much for the quality of their work but for innovative designs, quality being expected, of course. The S.D. Myers Saddelry of El Paso, Texas being one. This holster maker was favored by the FBI agents and also by one Col. Charles Askins. El Paso Saddelry claims to be the continuation of that older firm. Another of note was the George Lawrence Co. of Portland, Oregon. This maker was favored by Elmer Keith as their No. 120 became a Keith's favorite.

I have come to depend on Mike "Doc" Barranti for my creations. Doc was originally located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but has since relocated to Texas, as befits a holster maker. Doc has made what has become my favorite holster for daily carry. I recently asked him to make a custom design embodying my ideas.

For the past three years this has been my favorite. It is a modification of his No.1 Shuck and fits me and my Blackhawk perfectly:








Bob Wright

 

[creeksidewilly]

Very nice.

 

[contender]

Decades ago,, I'd read about custom holsters,, and their makers by folks like Skeeter. For a long time,, I never felt the need to spend a lot of money on a top quality holster.
Then, about 30 years ago a local guy at a local gun show had a holster I saw & realized was much better & nicer than the "cheaper" stuff I'd been using. A buddy of mine had bought a holster from him & I realized for the first time what Skeeter meant.
I tried a few different holsters,, but wasn't able to get what I felt was a good one. The local guy had moved out of our area & we never saw his work offered anywhere else.

I have some known names but they are also bigger commercial brands.

Then I tried on Doc Barranti's NW Hunter chest rig. WOW!!!!!!! Not only was it well built,, it was comfortable and easy to wear. I placed my first (of many) order with him. Now I own several of Doc's creations. I own Simply Rugged & Diamond D,, but Doc's work is still steps above their holsters. He earned the nickname "Doc" because those of us who enjoyed Skeeter,, knew that Skeeter had said; "Next to my doctors,, my holster maker is the most important person I know!" His nickname is well deserved. Truly the epitome of what Skeeter meant!!!!

Mighty nice shuck there Bob!

 

[protoolman]

Curious as to what the mods are?

 

[Fox Mike]

I pound out my own,
This is my LCP II:

This is for a single six.

This for my SP 101:

 

[kmoore]

I remember in late 70s having a custom made Lawrence holster made for a S&W 59 (9mm). I drove to the company to pick it up. An old 2 story timber made building in down-town Portland. It would have had a view of the Willamette River but I didn't go into that part of the building. I walked up a story of steps inside a dark hallway as all steps creaked. At the top was a door leading into an office. I think I rang a bell at the counter and an old guy maybe in his 70s came into the office room. I told him who I was and what holster I ordered. He left the room and came back in with it. I didn't hear any machines running, no hammering sounds or anyone talking or walking around in the building. I wish to this day I had the time to talk with the old man and maybe get a tour of the holster company. I was on my way to work.
Seems like only a few years later the building was tore down and company closed. I wonder if I met one of the Lawrences or even George.
The holster was a cross draw, lined and safety strap added. Made for a LH shooter. I sold it with the gun about 10 years later. A great holster.

 

[Bob Wright]

Curious as to what the mods are?

The No. 1 Shuck was made to wear on a pants belt and, I believe was stitched around the toe of the holster. Also had a thing retention loop. I requester eliminate the retention thng, to have the toe open, and use a cuff, or band. The result was a holster that could be threaded through a slotted gun belt. I glued a piece of heavy leather inside the belt loop to fit it to a pants belt. I think that's all.

Bob Wright

 

[Jeepnik]

Bob, you have some of the nicest holsters. I run toward cross draw and sometimes even the best makers just can't get the cant correct. When I find a maker who can I feel blessed. And while I know we are talking custom holsters, I discovered that Simply Rugged got it right. The holsters I tend to use "in the field", except for my favorite are customs. I feel better about scratching up a good quality but lesser expensive holster. And the High Desert of SoCal has scrub that will do a number on leather.

 

[Bob Wright]

Bob, you have some of the nicest holsters. I run toward cross draw and sometimes even the best makers just can't get the cant correct. When I find a maker who can I feel blessed. And while I know we are talking custom holsters, I discovered that Simply Rugged got it right. The holsters I tend to use "in the field", except for my favorite are customs. I feel better about scratching up a good quality but lesser expensive holster. And the High Desert of SoCal has scrub that will do a number on leather.

As to SoCal scrub brush, I was stationed at Camp Roberts back in the day. in the field, there was a scrub tree maybe shoulder high that grew intertwined with another and had thorns that cut my combat boot with a slit maybe three inches long, fortunately boot only.

Bob Wright

 

[Jeepnik]

As to SoCal scrub brush, I was stationed at Camp Roberts back in the day. in the field, there was a scrub tree maybe shoulder high that grew intertwined with another and had thorns that cut my combat boot with a slit maybe three inches long, fortunately boot only.

Bob Wright

1972 I was doing the ER portion of my EMT training at Victor Valley community college. They brought in a motor cyclist that had been injured. He was covered with a sheet that was completely blood soaked. I figured the worst. When we removed the sheet we found he was covered head to toe (only his eyes, sunglasses, and buttocks were unscathed) with with severe scratches. Seems he had imbibed a bit and decided to take off across the desert in sunglasses, shorts and sandals. He went into one of those thorn bushes (they get pretty big).

On the side note, once the Doc figured out what happened he disgustedly told me to clean the scratches with Phisohex and a scrubbing pad. Had to make sure those wounds were clean to prevent infection.

 

[gnappi]

I just about always thought of a holster as a bucket to drop a gun into so I didn't have to carry it in hand and rarely did I ever deliberately seek out and buy a "nice" holster. But if I stumbled on one I liked at a gun show or online for CW I'd get it.

All together I only have nine nicer pieces of leather and seven of them were bespoke for guns that holsters were either not available for or I had a special CW need.

 

[contender]

I think a lot of people look at a holster the way gnappi has mentioned. Until they wear a gun for 8-12 (or more) hours every day for several days. THEN once they try a quality built, with purposely designed features for serious use,, they understand why a good holster is worth every penny.

I tried the "cheaper" route with different holsters long ago. And yes,, I still have more of them hanging on a rope in my closet than I care to admit. I've used various ones as teaching tools in clinics to show the types & materials etc.

Kydex is a modern, and popular type of holster material that has it's place. And they can function quite nicely in many ways. But a fitted to the gun, top quality leather holster is most often the best choice. One place I choose a Kydex design over leather are my USPSA competition speed holsters. They are designed as a special purpose type, and their operational features can't be duplicated easily in leather.

I do have a cheap padded cordura types mounted on my tractor & my ATV to carry guns. I look at them as utility types that I won't wear on my person unless nothing else was available.

Doc's leather is a high functioning piece of art. It's the standard by which I judge all others.

 

[nrobe50]

Made by a local bootmaker. I have a few of his holsters. They always fit the reolvers perfectly.

 

[Watertender]

I also think that Simply Rugged makes one of the best holsters available today. They use top quality leather and build the holster exactly the way you want it. I would recommend them to anyone.

 

[Bob Wright]

Fit to the gun is one thing. Speed of getting the gun out and on target is another.

I carry a Single Action and I find cant is critical. Your hand must grip the gun so the thumb is on the hammer spur. Too much forward cant and the hand is cramped trying to reach the spur. The first contact between hand and gun butt must find the hand perfectly positioned n the gun butt even before lifting.

Bob Wright

 

[Jeepnik]

Kydex is a modern, and popular type of holster material that has it's place.

My eldest once tried to convince me that plastic was better than leather. When I explained I was old and would never own a plastic holster, the little brat called me a "Vegan Handgunner". I'd have paddled his behind by he's bigger than me now.

 

[Coyote56]

Never could figure the reasoning of spending hundreds/thousands of dollars on a firearm AND having the intention of using it as a potential life saving implement…
only to secure it in a cheesy ill fitting holster made from some weak kneed material.

Holsters for whatever I'm carrying are bespoke hand crafted leather. Period....

 

[Yaworski]

Never could figure the reasoning of spending hundreds/thousands of dollars on a firearm AND having the intention of using it as a potential life saving implement…
only to secure it in a cheesy ill fitting holster made from some weak kneed material.

Holsters for whatever I'm carrying are bespoke hand crafted leather. Period....

Leather is so 1990s. Anyway, most people aren't gunfighters and only need a holster to avoid putting their gun on the ground at the range.

 

[contender]

"Never could figure the reasoning of spending hundreds/thousands of dollars on a firearm AND having the intention of using it as a potential life saving implement…
only to secure it in a cheesy ill fitting holster made from some weak kneed material."

Well put.

I'm in full agreement on that feeling. But sometimes,, a cheap holster will be quite functional. As I mentioned,, I have a Cordura & foam cheapie from Uncle Mikes that I have bolted to my tractor. It's permanently mounted there to allow me to work, AND have a SA revolver handy,, "just in case I see a need." And if it gets wet, damaged, muddy or whatever,, I don't care. And my competition speed holsters are from Kydex or other synthetic materials. They too are special purpose, and can be quite expensive.

However,, for long hours, full comfort, and durability in all sorts of conditions,, top quality leather is king. And Doc's leatherwork is the top of the bunch in my opinion. I've worn a couple of his different rigs from before daylight until after dark out bear hunting, or deer hunting. No fatigue from a big heavy SA revolver.
And on a normal day to day when I use a SA handgun, on my belt,, I have a few different designs by him, and they too feel so good, that I don't feel affected at the end of the day.

Bob's holster he's shown above,, if a person were to lay hands upon it,, and many other makers holsters,, they will quickly see the subtle, yet important differences he's built into his work.

BTW; Those holsters shown above look mighty nice too!

 

[kmoore]

Last fall I found a new and maybe better way to carry binoculars and a handgun. Hiking, hunting, riding in UTVs, ATV's. A chest rig to hold binos and a kydex holster for a handgun. This holster is made in Idaho by Gunfighters. It uses a mounting plate on the bino rig. I can buy other holsters to fit on mounting plate. This is fitting a S&W .45 Shield. The handgun is form fitted and locked into holster. It's a 2 hand operation to unholster. One hand on bino rig while the other removes gun. Leather would not work out on this type of holster mount and use. The system and equipment was kind of an experiment for me. It's works great. I tried a plastic holster but it failed.
The draw back is cost. The bino rig, mount plate and holster add up to about 300 bucks.