Here is the original black 7 1/2" rig I ordered straight from Ojala in 1985. I made belts for the short black and tan rigs pictured. Both holsters found on sale online without gun belts. The stuff in the frame is what Arvo sent me as mentioned in an earlier post here. I want to post anecdotes for posterity of things he told me on the phone before they fade in my head. He told me, maybe exaggerating a little that the guys in Silverado never touched a gun before. He said he stayed at Scott Glenn's house while coaching him on fast draw. He was supposed to spin guns for Costner in closeups but got in a car wreck in New Mexico so taught Costner to do it himself, and he did great. He said he had a lawsuit pertaining to the car wreck.
I told him I wish I could find real jigged bone grips for a Colt single action. He said he had a pair once but Gary Cooper bought them. In an early 70s gun magazine Sammy D. Jr. showed his gun collection and on the wall was a 4 3/4" Colt SAA with jigged bone grips he got frome Gary Cooper. Clint Eastwood said he owns that gun now. Could those be the Ojala grips?
There's that great picture of Ojala cheek tocheek with Marilyn Monroe aiming down at the gun in his hand from "River Of No Return" where I guess he coached them. This was very early for him doing this. I asked him if she smelled good and he laughed and said, "Yeah!".
He said Kevin Kline and Costner carried real Colts in Silverado but Glenn an Italian gun, probably from Allen Arms I would think. Don't know if Kline's had real ivory, though.
That black rig was $195 + $5 shipping in 1985. Took a year to get. I dropped a hint saying I liked the Paladin rig better ($300) hoping he might make mine like that but no luck. He did say, though, that they looked better for left handers because the horse faced forward.
I believe he was in Roseda, Ca. at the time and I think (this part is foggy and maybe not right)he said his holsters were made in Tacoma. Something about his son being in the military his daughter in law running the shop. Maybe I'm mixing that part up with something incorrect someone else told me.
I mentioned Andy Anderson and he lit up a little saying, "The sonofa ....used to work for me!". And we know what that's about, right, Red?
If I remember anything else I'll post it. It was real thrill talking to him about movies and holsters. I only wished I knew ahead of time that he was going to be outside Sonora, Ca. not far from me when coaching Michael J. Fox in the western Back To The Future sequel. I'd like to have tried to call him to get onto the set.’, if he remembered me at all. Though long winded, I hope those out there who are into Hollywood fast draw find this interesting.
