This is a sweet OWB holster I made today.



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Very nice indeed and appears you have a lot of talent. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the "open trigger" area but to each their own.

I agree, the craftsmanship looks great but I would want the trigger covered.

Nice work. How dies it attach to your belt?

Mals

Nice holster. Nicer watch.

40+ year old Rolex Submariner model 1680....yes it's my pride and joy. Thanks for noticing it!

As far as the exposed trigger, I have decided to never make another holster with the trigger covered up. I don't carry them unloaded or unable to access them when needed. I have in the past made them with child proof features but no more.

Why would you need access to the trigger while the gun is in the holster?

Covering the trigger is not a "child proof" feature. It's to keep something else from activating the trigger while it's in the holster, like a stick, cord or piece of clothing.

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Freedom isn't free.

Folks can argue the relative merits of covered trigger guards until the cows come home. The fact of the matter is that the OP is making holsters in a classic and historically correct style, not attempting to impose today's accepted standards on yesterday's designs.

I personally carried a variety of handguns over the course of my 24 years in law enforcement, and not only did all of my holsters have exposed trigger guards, I seldom saw anyone using a holster with a covered trigger guard. Many of those same designs remain in high demand by knowledgeable people, despite all the dribbles running down the legs of recent graduates of "Holster Genius School" who know everything about everything and don't hesitate to educate us old guys on our foolish choices.

Rant over.

Lobo,that reply is perfect.

During my years in the holster business I shipped to customers in all 50 US states and 33 other countries. Most of my products were modern designs intended for concealed carry, but a couple were modern recreations of classic designs (such as the Tom Threepersons' style).

At least a couple of times every week I was contacted by people who offered gratuitous criticisms of my holster designs, in addition to several with an idea for the "perfect holster" seeking someone willing to take on the job of turning their dream into reality in leather. It became obvious to me that these were people who had read at least two gun magazines and an internet blog or two, so they felt qualified as experts on everything to do with holster design and construction. Years ago I started referring to them as "graduates of Holster Genius School".

Covered trigger guards were never an issue until the advent of striker-fired semi-auto pistols (such as the Glocks and industry-wide clones of the type), frequently with no manual safety devices. As law enforcement agencies transitioned from double-action revolvers to semi-auto pistols (latter 1980's until the current date) there was a HUGE INCREASE in unintentional and negligent discharges, all too frequently including injuries and deaths. One of the measures taken in response was holster specifications intended to prevent contact with the trigger mechanism (i.e.: covered trigger guards), and that has become the norm for LEO's as well as public and private shooting ranges (especially those listening to liability insurance carriers and lawyers). Nothing wrong with that, but certainly not a panacea overcoming the very real needs of training, training, and more training.

Back in the days of the 20th Century the LE standard was American-made double-action revolvers, all of which were designed and manufactured to include such features as rebounding hammers (firing pin does not rest on the primer of a cartridge), hammer blocks (trigger must be fully depressed throughout the hammer fall in order to cause discharge), and DA trigger pulls averaging in the 20-pound range. LE training focused exclusively on double-action shooting, and some major departments required duty revolvers to be modified to prevent single-action mode entirely. All of these things combined to make unintentional and negligent discharges rare events.

Nearly all holsters for law enforcement and sporting use featured exposed trigger guards. Some (such as the clamshell designs used by LAPD and CHP) actually required the user to insert the trigger finger through the trigger guard to release the weapon from the holster. Law enforcement revolver training stressed trigger control, "staging" of the trigger during DA shooting, and keeping the trigger finger on the trigger! (Just about everything we did on police ranges 40 years ago would get us thrown off the property of today's ranges).

The semi-auto pistols occasionally seen in police use were primarily DA/SA pistols (such as the S&W Model 39) which had relatively heavy DA trigger pull and effective safety/decocking mechanism. Even the 1911-style pistols have an effective array of safety devices including the grip safety, sear-locking thumb safety, and disconnector devices that (when coupled with good training regimens) allow for safe carry and handling without concerns over exposed trigger guards.

The whole issue of covered trigger guards has become such a bug-a-boo issue that many folks today are appalled by the appearance of any holster without that feature; indeed, some will run away and more than a few will lose bladder control just thinking about it!

Rant continued to conclusion! At least now, in retirement, I don't have to deal with each week's new graduating class from the Holster Genius School.

A modern viewpoint only made necessary by Glocks and similar. THOSE can fire if something tangles the trigger. Especially when covered! By children!! DA revolvers and autos with external hammers and safeties -- and especially single actions -- are correctly carried with the bang switch exposed. Have been for one hundred years. Covered guards on those guns have caused some big problems when holstering and then entangling the trigger. Especially with trigger shoes.

It is not the holsters job to provide the safety that pistol makers leave out.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Ray (Lobo) and Red both know what they are talking about.
Here are a couple of those scary open trigger guards.
Ray's on the left and Red's on the right.

Click on the image once or twice to enlarge the photo.

Attached Images

	SAM_0855.jpg (95.9 KB, 132 views)
	SAM_1053.jpg (99.9 KB, 124 views)

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In Omnia Paratus

Couldn't have said it better, Ray......

BTW, That's a nice lookin' holster, SFC

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Sheriff Russell Cottle. ret

Imagine the dismay felt by those who complain about not having trigger guards covered by holsters if they saw a Texas Ranger carrying these.
Lone Wolf Gonzaullas.jpg
Manuel T. "Lone Wolf" Gonzaullas didn't want trigger guards getting in the way...

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

Another of my "maybe" considerations: I was looking through Keith's "Hell I Was There" for his Alaska hunts and encountered a discussion about him and an expert about gun takeaways. The expert would shift the opponent's pistol and break his finger inside the guard. And Keith talked about that being partly solved by removing the front of the guard. I'll see if I can find it again. So -- what if removing the hoop wasn't at all about reaching the trigger quickly but was about keeping control of the pistol?

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Taking a handgun away and breaking your assailant's finger (shove to the side with one hand followed by push and twist with the other hand) was taught in basic police defensive tactics training back in the early 1970's. Very fast and fairly easy to do, but still glad I never had to try it on the street!

Beautiful tooling and stitching. I like having the trigger covered with leather also but that sure is functional and good work.

I'm sorry for exposing the kids to raw open trigger holsters. I'm a little old school and have made my own leather gear, knowing very well what the limitations of my firearms have. I will post this bunch of my gunbelts that show triggers... if you are easily distressed by the thought of triggers, just relax.

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SFC,

I think my Smith 617 would look wonderful in one like that. Can that be done?


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I really appreciate the offer, but I am not in the business of making holsters. I have a long ways to go in learning the leathercraft. But might I suggest that you go to your local saddle and tack shop and get recommendations on local talent. My saddle maker helped me tremendously making my first holsters and it's been great ever since. I even have no problem if you take the photo and tell'em this is what you want.

Beautiful holster. Imagine the outrage if you disabled the grip safety like they used to do in olden days as well.

Imagine if they removed ALL the safeties, the outrage. Oh, wait, then we would have Glocks and they would take over the law enforcement market. Forget I asked.

P.S. that little tab in the trigger of a Glock is not a safety against anything except being dropped.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Done better than you realize. I especially like the center holster that has a heavy influence from the way in which the Missouri Skintite was made by Chic Gaylord: all of the pocket formed fully away from the backside and wrapped around the frame, then double stitched where a welt would have been. Stitch it upside down with nylon cord and you'll be even closer to his :-)

1 (10).jpg the Skintite, image is db's.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

That is a minimalist holster that saves on leather material and is just enough to secure a SAA and yet gives very little drag on a draw. I have even lined a holster or two in Kydex for a formed fit yet the SAA literally jumps out with no friction. It MUST be secured with a hammer thong to retain it. The best thing about it is there will not ever be a collapsed holster. I build them very thick with 9-12oz saddle skirting. I love learning different styles and will try single loop and double loop versions later...always with exposed triggers!

Hahahhahaaa!!!! The kids got a little schoolin' tonight!

As far as fool proof holsters go, nothing is fool proof to a sufficiently talented fool.

I love the pearl-clutchers' reactions to any picture that might show a finger on a trigger, too. So predictable!

Beautiful work on that holster ! If you are looking for constructive criticism, the only thing I would change is that the leaf and swirl pattern goes through the Texas 1836 circle. If I was to order one I would ask that the circle be left solid with the pattern going underneath it and coming out in the center. That's the only thing I would do differently.

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1st smiles,lies.Last,gunfire.

Thank you for saying this. I am starting to feel less like an idiot for not wanting to appendix carry a Glock.

Outstanding work, Rick! Love the old-school styling.
I hear ya about not getting into selling holsters. There's something you lose when you turn your favorite hobby into a business.... your time off!!!

Per my post #16, I did find the Keith reference, begins on pp. 87. Here's a bit of it, too lazy to type it all:

"At that time the Colt Co. had J.H. Fitzgerald in constant attendance . . . Fitzgerald was up in front . . and had a man hold a gun on him and demonstrated how he could roll his big belly, grab the gun and turn it to break the man's finger before he could shoot him". Keith intervened and Fitz said to him, "Do you mean to tell me that you can snap that gun in line with me before I can divert it and break your finger?" "I think I can". And he did, three times.

Looking back at the text, I realise that it was my own reasoning about the missing guard, being that it was Fitzgerald who pioneered them, being done to avoid the finger breaking assault. Just a theory, and one that makes more sense than the missing guard being faster than with it. Jordan reasoned differently and cutaway only the side of the guard for quick access without the risk of bending the guard and rendering the pistol useless. Always made sense to me until the Keith commentary.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Very nice work!

Yours, along with many other holster makers here, is the definition of "hand crafted".

Mine, while they do the job nicely, always look "homemade"!

I don't appendix carry anything, not even a S&W J-Frame.

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36

Love them!
I'll bet that "Lone Wolf" had the grip safeties either pined
or he used a heavy rubber band when he was carrying them.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

They were/are pinned. Just look at them.

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CPT, Armor (Ret)
Luke 22:36