Leather strap?

That little piece of leather that "cowboys" and gunslingers tied their revolvers down with, what is the official term for them? I'm sure you've seen them used in some westerns that tie around the hammer to keep the gun from falling out of the holster. And has there ever been any documented cases where someone couldn't get the thing untied quick enough and got himself shot?

I hear it called a "thong", and supposedly the cowboys of yore did not use them: it is a 20th century invention.

Many thanks, but wouldn't you agree that a gun could easily fall out of the holster?

Euty, I would think if you were thrown from a horse, your sidearm would probably fly somewhere. But since I have never been thrown from a saddle that is just speculation. I have also heard them called hammer straps. Maybe one of the members who rides with a sidearm would jump in with a comment.

Eutycus said:

That little piece of leather that "cowboys" and gunslingers tied their revolvers down with, what is the official term for them? I'm sure you've seen them used in some westerns that tie around the hammer to keep the gun from falling out of the holster.

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I believe it's called a "hammer loop."

Notchy Bob

Eutycus said:

Many thanks, but wouldn't you agree that a gun could easily fall out of the holster?

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Every calvary holster that I have seen is of the full flap design with a means to secure the flap in the closed position. This design offers some protection from the elements and keeps the pistol secure. Common but hardly universal is a lanyard that secures the pistol to the bearer.

Then I've seen the version that is a piece of leather that just sits under the hammer of the revolver. The tension from the hammer spring hold the gun down. I don't think I'd put too much faith in this one though. I believe this one would go flying before the "loop one" would.

Yes they would fall out without the strap. I had a friend that liked to carry a pistol side arm when he hunted and he was forever loosing it as he was tramping around hunting. Lucky for him, he never lost it permanent until he sold it and didn't get it back.

Most of the holsters you see on TV and movies were designed by Hollywood. These low riding holsters with leg tie downs and a hammer thong were not the holster of the common cowboy. These "qiuick draw" holsters of Hollywood look cool but would not be practical on the open range. The quick draw shootout on the street was also not common. Most of the first western holsters were the full flap military type. The flap was sometimes partially removed leaving a strap or totally removed creating the "Slim Jim" type holster. Look at some of Remington paintings of cowboys and notice the different holsters. Most of the holsters have a strap or the revolver sits deep down into the holster. I am sure the were fancy holster rigs back then, but the cowboys' were plain an functional.

fistmil said:

Most of the holsters you see on TV and movies were designed by Hollywood. These low riding holsters with leg tie downs and a hammer thong were not the holster of the common cowboy. These "qiuick draw" holsters of Hollywood look cool but would not be practical on the open range. The quick draw shootout on the street was also not common. Most of the first western holsters were the full flap military type. The flap was sometimes partially removed leaving a strap or totally removed creating the "Slim Jim" type holster. Look at some of Remington paintings of cowboys and notice the different holsters. Most of the holsters have a strap or the revolver sits deep down into the holster. I am sure the were fancy holster rigs back then, but the cowboys' were plain an functional.

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Most people back in the day did not carry a handgun working even outdoors because it just got in the way and was heavy. Cowboys carried a hogleg to take care of animal problems, not to engage in shootouts, but self defense was a factor; they also were mounted most of the time, so gun weight was not so much a problem. It's not good to go shooting around a large herd of steers on the open range, unless you want to chase them down in the next zip code. But putting down an injured animal or one out of control is an immediate problem. Of all the outdoorsmen I knew in east Texas as a boy, the only cattleman I knew who carried a revolver on a regular basis was the Constable in south Jasper County.

Here are pictures of a holster I made for my Centaure FAUL "1960 New Model Army" made in Belgium in the late 1960s. View attachment 38193View attachment 38193

The holster in not patterned after anything in particular, but just a combination of ideas, and built with the technology available in the later half of the 19th century. If you look, you will see I did include a thong/loop/strap to retain the gun in the holster. The thong is adjustable for how tightly I want the gun held in place.

After I made the holster I gave it a quick "aging" to more closely match the gun.

BP! That is a fabulous, freaking fabulous holster!!

A proper thong works very, very well. It is a loop of leather placed about the hammer, ensuring it doesn’t cock or fall out of the holster when brushed against a branch, tumbleweed, desperado, etc.

It is quickly pulled off the hammer with fluidity. There should be no terrible struggle or “untying” needed. Classic system that works nicely to this day. Here is mine:

Notchy Bob said:

I believe it's called a "hammer loop."

Notchy Bob

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I used to use one on a revolver of my Dad’s I carried and shot for years when I was a teenager and later.
Once you get the hammer loop leather broken in, and adjusted juuuuuust right, it works perfectly.
Easy and quick to slip on and off, yet keeps the gun in the holster flawlessly.

Eutycus said:

Many thanks, but wouldn't you agree that a gun could easily fall out of the holster?

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Yes, I do believe that would be possible. The thong I put on mine holds the gun very securely, even upside down.

Here is another picture of the gun

I thank you gentlemen for your input. I really enjoyed the pictures as well. Now for my original question.Is there a case of anyone getting himself shot while trying to undo a loop?

D.Summers said:

BP! That is a fabulous, freaking fabulous holster!!

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Thanks! It might be a little gaudy, but I like it!

Nothing wrong with gaudy, is the holster lined? Seems like the rivets or studs would scratch the gun.

Eutycus said:

Now for my original question.Is there a case of anyone getting himself shot while trying to undo a loop?

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I have not heard of anyone shooting himself while fiddling with the hammer loop or thong. The loop goes over the hammer spur, and hammer need not be cocked at any point while the revolver is in the holster. You pull the loop over the hammer spur with your thumb and forefinger, then pull the free end of the thong to pull the loop down snug. Friction keeps everything in place. When you want to deploy the revolver, pull up on the loop with your thumb and forefinger and push it off the hammer spur. Either operation literally takes about one second when you learn how. If you think you're going to need to draw your revolver (or "skin yer hogleg," in the patois), you remove the loop well in advance. The hammer loop is a very simple contrivance, practically foolproof, and it works very well.

I have heard of a thong punched for a hammer-mounted firing pin which goes under the hammer to retain the gun in the holster. Maybe that's what you were thinking of... You would need to at least partially cock the hammer to get the thong under it, or to remove the thong for drawing the gun. To me, this seems like a bad design, an accident looking for a chance to happen. I could easily see a nervous or careless person shooting himself in the leg with that type of arrangement. I would never use one.

I have heard of cowboys being shot in the leg while saddling their horses, though. If you have a live round in the chamber under the hammer in an unmentionable sixgun with a hammer-mounted firing pin, even a light blow to the back of the hammer could result in an accidental discharge. The old-time cowboys would drop the near-side stirrup over the saddlehorn to get it out of the way while tightening the cinch. If the horse spooked or jumped, the stirrup might come off the saddle horn and flop down, and whack the hammer of the holstered sixgun. With a live round in the chamber under the hammer, the gun could easily "go off" and shoot the cowboy in the leg.

Some years ago, a friend of mine was at a local range on a weekday morning. He was the only one there, and he decided to practice his fast draw with live ammo in his revolver. Long story short... He put a round in his leg. Please don't make any smart aleck responses. He was a good man, a straight shooter in every sense of the word, but he showed a momentary lapse in judgement. The wound was relatively minor, but he was on Coumadin for A-fib, and bled heavily. He did require surgery to repair the wound, and they had to stop the Coumadin for the procedure. Post-operatively, his cardiac issues became problematic due to the break in his Coumadin therapy, and resulted in his death just a few days later.

So, please, no fast draw with loaded revolvers! Ever! If you feel the need to try fast draw with your cap-and-ball revolver, load caps only! Or just dry fire it and say "BANG!" Fast draw is pretty much a Hollywood phenomenon. I've read that on those rare occasions when shootouts did occur back in the day, people faced off with guns already in hand.

Be safe!

Notchy Bob

Eutycus, have you ever tried a hammer thong holster?

Most of your questions and observations are not well founded in reality. I think if you tried one you might enjoy it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them, even today.