I have one in the shop now. Starting out as a "OM" Vaquero, 5.5" in 45 Colt.
First a little background:
In 1893, Congress authorized a commission (The Dawes Commission) to conduct a census of the Five Civilized Tribes. This was completed in 1907 and amended in 1914. This is the official register upon which tribal membership is based. My maternal grandmother was registered as a blood member of both the Cherokee and Chickasaw tribes in 1902. According to tribal rolls, her grandmother walked on the infamous "Trail of Tears" in 1838, when the Cherokee Tribe was force marched in winter from Georgia to the Indian Territories (Oklahoma). (That's a quick synopsis).
To honor and remember my maternal Native American ancestry, I have decided to make a gun rig.
I am starting out with an "OM" Vaquero in 45 Colt. Bobby Tyler is converting it to a 38-40. It will have an unfluted cylinder with engraving of Native American pictographs: "She Who Watches" (for protection), a turtle (for long life), a bighorn (success/food) and an owl (for wisdom). On the backstrap, it will say ”Nu na da ul tsun yi” 1838. That's Cherokee for "Where the Old ones Cried" (the Tribal name for the Trail of Tears). Grips will be bighorn sheep horn by Patrick Grashorn. A Bisley hammer and trigger will finish the pistol up. Of course, case hardening with fire-blued screws.
I already have a Bowie knife from Bark River. I have de-constructed the sheath and re-died it in a dark mahogany. I also have a small knife that I will make a sheath for that matches the Bowie sheath. Both sheaves are stitched and laced with sinew. Both knives have bighorn handles, to match the pistol grips.
I also have ordered a "Shootist" rig from El Paso Saddlery. I have de-constructed it and dyed it to match the sheaves and re-stitched it with sinew. The belt will remain light colored. I also added a copper buckle and some copper conchos. I have a matching Colt Lightning (dob 1887) that I am refinishing a forend for. It is also 38-40.