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Leather strap?

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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.
Actually I've had the pleasure of handling such a holster numerous times, just not a cap and ball revolver...yet. As far as the question about anyone ever getting themselves shot due having to untie the thong all replys so far seem to say no. So end of that discussion.
 
While hunting or even at a range if I have a revolver or a 1911 I use a chest holster by the Diamond D holster company in Alaska. They are made with the hammer strap. The straps work well. Only thing I can see with the guns being hammer strapped is if you were in a dangerous game situation and having to unstrap before drawing. ****** off bear or something coming quickly your way and no rifle or shotgun.
 
Let me recommend to all a book titled Packing Iron - Gunleather Of The Frontier West. It has photos and descriptions of many original holsters of the period and some copies too. As several other folks have already said, the holsters of the actual period were deep pouches designed to protect and retain the handgun under normal conditions. I recall seeing some good examples on early advertising posters of the firearms companies where the only parts of the arms themselves that were visible were the grips. That said, I have a rig made by the owner of the White Buffalo Leather Shop in Montana, Bob Schmidt. It's a copy of an original rig that's in a museum there, and it's a cut-down double loop high ride made for a black powder Colt. I have carried mine in it and also in a classic deep double-loop with no accidents or drops. It's my considered opinion that most period users would pack their handguns in a cross-draw, making them less susceptible to accidental drops without strapping the piece down. The hammer thong rigs discussed in earlier posts were indeed Hollywood inventions, designed by a firearms instructor and H'wood guru named Arvo Ojalla, who taught many actors and actresses that drop-loop holsters with leg ties were cool, and for years everybody on screen wore one. There are other reference books which touch on this subject, including another one titled The American Frontier that include excellent, clear photos of original rigs. That all said, I suspect this topic is on the very edge of the ones this forum was intended for, so I'll quit before I fall off.
Tanglefoot
 
Sorry If I misworded it or was misunderstood, I was asking if a person ever got himself shot while taking time to untie, not shooting himself. The shooting would have been by the "other guy", be it bushwaker, indian, sheriff, gunslinger or even your brother-in -law. Granted a thong can be untied in microseconds but by Hollywood standards that would be enough to get you killed. I was merely wondering if it ever happened in real life, a tied down gun would be at a disadvantage to untied one in a gunfight or ambush.
 
You don't untie a hammer thong.

It is a leather loop that is pulled up over the hammer spur. To remove the gun if the hammer thong is being used to hold the gun in the holster you just slip your fingers down to a position below the thong and pull upward. That will make the thong slip up and off of the hammer spur so the gun can be withdrawn.
 
So loop, leather thong,tie down etc. They all mean the same but there is no term or nomenclature for that particular item?
 
I prefer the hammer loop over the trigger or hammer strap. Adjusted properly the hammer loop just slides off the hammer and ready to go. The straps seem to get in the way of drawing and replacing weapon .
 
Nothing wrong with gaudy, is the holster lined? Seems like the rivets or studs would scratch the gun.

To answer your question: no, the holster is not lined, but if you look at the bottom picture in post #11 you can see that I made the welt extra wide, with the intent that the welt would hold the gun far enough away from the brass hardware to where they would not touch. My idea works OK, but if I had to do it over again, I would line the inside of the holster. I could always take it apart and add the lining if I see a need for it.

A thong, or hammer loop, is easy enough to add to any holster, and if you are interested I would be happy to post instructions.
 
BP! Lot's of characters in frontier situations, early on the east coast, later in the west, enjoyed the gaudy "bling"! Be it a saddle with flashy conchos in Texas, fancy chaps in the Montana hills, an elaborate metis style coat on the Canadian plains, the "fashion" of many of those on the periphery of civilization was kinda flashy and meant to express their character and independence. But clearly you know this! What with your manufacture of that lovely holster!!
 
D.Summers, I had to look up "metis coat"! I never knew that was what they were called, but the style is familiar to me. Thank you for the insight.
 
My brother! They are beautiful coats! I tried to make one last winter, and it came out pretty good. Didn't have the great tailoring that the native women were capable of, but it's alright! I took apart a fancy London Fog raincoat i bought from a thrift store, and used that for my pattern. I'll post a picture tomorrow after my 18 year old son, (computer expert!) shows me how. Man, I love that bit of work you did!
 
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?

Don’t know about that, but there are several references of someone being shot when their gun fell out of the holster and landed on the hammer because the hammer loop was not engaged, or never existed at all.
 
Sorry If I misworded it or was misunderstood, I was asking if a person ever got himself shot while taking time to untie, not shooting himself. The shooting would have been by the "other guy", be it bushwaker, indian, sheriff, gunslinger or even your brother-in -law. Granted a thong can be untied in microseconds but by Hollywood standards that would be enough to get you killed. I was merely wondering if it ever happened in real life, a tied down gun would be at a disadvantage to untied one in a gunfight or ambush.

Eutycus, here is a close-up of what I call a "hammer thong" on a holster I recently constructed. There is nothing to untie, or anything that can get tangled up. It is pretty much fool proof; just pull up and forward on the leather tab, and the gun is free to be drawn from the holster. The thong length is easy to adjust, and it stays where it is set.
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