Of Holster interest

[Bob Wright]

I am reading a book about the period in Arizona of the Cowboys (rustler gang) and Wyatt Earp's vendetta ride following the O.K. Corral fight.

The story of the death of marshal Fred White by Curly Bill Brocius is a popular one, and the inquest that followed his death. He died three days after being shot, by the way.

But what I'm getting around to is Wyatt Earp's testimony in which he was quoted as saying the "Curly Bill returned his pistol to his "scabbard."

I recall as a youngster we referred to them as "scalberts" our young understanding of the word scabbard.

Bob Wright

 

[kmoore]

Interesting, do you think he is referring to what we call a holster on his waist or a scabbard/scalbert mounted to his horses saddle?

 

[Bob Wright]

Interesting, do you think he is referring to what we call a holster on his waist or a scabbard/scalbert mounted to his horses saddle?

He referred to a belt holster, as Curly Bill was dismounted at the time. And Doc Barranti sent me a copy of an old S.D. Myers ad which called a belt holster a "scabbard."

Bob Wright

 

[Bob Wright]

Here is the holster Model 988:

 

[Busterswoodshop]

I have heard holsters being called scabbards my whole life.
Some say holster and some say scabbard , but they all know what the other is talking about.

 

[kmoore]

Maybe I was the only one who did not know. I have never seen a holster listed as a scabbard or a rifle/shotgun scabbard listed as a holster. But it's interesting to say the least about how the English language has changed from the 1800s to now.

 

[Jeepnik]

Knew an older gent who used the term “pistol sheath”. To confuse today’s youngsters even more, he used “pistol” to refer to all handguns not just semi autos.

 

[Biggfoot44]

They're all Pistols . Some are Autoloading Pistols , some are Revolving Pistols , some are Single Shot Pistols , etc .

 

[Fox Mike]

They're all Pistols . Some are Autoloading Pistols , some are Revolving Pistols , some are Single Shot Pistols , etc

A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably.[1] The English word was introduced in ca. 1570 – when early handguns were produced in Europe and is derived from the Middle French pistolet (ca. 1550), meaning a small gun or knife. In colloquial usage, the word "pistol" is often used to describe any type of handgun, inclusive of revolvers (which have a single barrel and a separate cylinder housing multiple chambers) and the pocket-sized derringers (which are often multi-barrelled).

 

[Jeepnik]

Oxford dictionary says, a small firearm meant to be held in the hand. So depending on which dictionary you use it is or isn’t all handguns.

English language sucks.

 

[gramps]

Knew an older gent who used the term “pistol sheath”. To confuse today’s youngsters even more, he used “pistol” to refer to all handguns not just semi autos.

Yep, and the words clip and magazine were interchangeable too. Before anyone gets their panties in a wad, these WWll vets knew in a firefight, that when some one asked for a clip they needed ammo regardless if they carried an M1, or a Thompson!
gramps