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Old 03-16-2018, 10:17 AM
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Default Holster Misconceptions

Movies and TV shows have created a lot of misconceptions about how men stored and carried their pistols during the late 1800's. The holster was basically a functional piece of cowhide fashioned by a local leatherworker to hold and protect the gun for carry and storage. This late 1880's Colt came to me from a family some years ago just the way Uncle Ben carried it when he was alive. A pretty crummy holster made usable through the use of cowhide strips. You could use them to tie the gun up for protection if left laying around the house or stuck in a saddlebag, or you could create a rig suitable for wear on the belt. Nothing much like you see being used in the old Westerns. Only a rich man could or would invest in something fancy. The gun was just a tool, kind of like a hammer today.
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File Type: jpg 1878 Colt and Holster 1.jpg (88.9 KB, 191 views)
File Type: jpg 1878 Colt and Holster 2.jpg (93.0 KB, 180 views)
File Type: jpg 1878 Colt and Holster 3.jpg (98.0 KB, 170 views)
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Old 03-16-2018, 12:02 PM
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Looks like he had some basics covered quite well for the late 1880s.
As my friend in OZ would say "show us the back". Thanks.
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Old 03-16-2018, 01:01 PM
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I've already returned the gun and holster to the vault. The back is basically just as crummy as the front. Amazing how many really old guns come with their holsters. I've had several show up from the 1870's through 1890's. WWI holsters are pretty much just like these older ones. Just a bit more refined.
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Old 03-16-2018, 02:43 PM
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When an ol cowhand fork'd out a month's wages for a saddle,

tweren't much left over for a fancy holsters and such doings....

A lot of times, a pocket was just sewn to the chaps or chinks to carry a pistol in.

I've saw a lot worst still in service today.

That's a perfect example of what a working man would have.
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Old 03-18-2018, 05:25 PM
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I'd be willing to bet that some of the more affluent gun owners back then had some pretty fancy holsters too. Wouldn't you love to have seen some of them?
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