Open top holsters SUCK. Flap holsters RULE. Convince me I'm wrong.

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Ugly Sauce said:
Wow that Matt's Bullet is nice. Nicer than my gun-show specials. And soft-cast too. I bet it really shoots nice. The Webley can be very accurate.
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I have been pleased with Matt's bullet so far for both my Mark VI and Mark IV. (this is a thread I have going on my work up of a load with the 455 bullet: https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...arch-for-published-data.888393/#post-11977400) Hopefully chronographing two new loads shortly.

Sorry we have gotten of on a tangent on reloading Webleys... That said I still carry my big Mark VI along with most of my other revolvers in an open top holsters. I do have one flap holster and its for my pretty Webley, a Mark IV made in the 1980's if you can believe it.

D3dOdVgl.jpg
 
No problem with the tangent, I think the open top vs. flap top was about done. That Mark IV is a beauty.
 
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A few years back Pacific Canvas and Leather was having a going out of business sale. They were down to left handed holsters. I'm left handed and bought a bunch. I picked up a couple leather tanker holsters.

Was out doing some physical stuff in the yard with my beater Israeli FN Hi Power carried in the tanker holster with the thong snapped. I learned that strap doesn't go a very good job of keeping the pistol in as my Hi Power went flying out of the holster onto the ground.
 
Wow. Just wow. I like the middle one, (like them all) but what kind of leather is that top one?
 
Nice rigs. I really like the middle one with the mag pocket. I don't carry the 1911 in the woods much, just due to it's weight. I have a .44 mag that weighs a bit less, and my .45 Colt weighs way less so that's what I take if I'm not packing a rifle or shotgun. I sure like it for concealed carry if venturing into the city. But, I think it's a great woods gun, you can shoot shot-loads in them and good for everything except grizz.
 
Ugly Sauce said:
I went up North yesterday to escape the world for a while, do my mountain man thing, and chill. Did some exploring and pre-season scouting. Tried to get into some unknown territory, to me, but failed. Blocked by brush that could not be defeated without an axe and machete, boggy marsh, deep stream channels...I failed! But I gave it a good try, got wet, busted brush, how long can that kind of fun last? !!!

Anyhow, I took my Rossi .357 92SR, (I have removed the totally useless saddle ring) loaded with 200 grain hard cast bullets over lots of WW296 for bear, (and had a bear encounter, 20 yards, man that rifle came up all by it's self, nice handling rifle...yeah...it's a Winchester...kind of) and my S&W "Airlite" .22 long rifle for small game should I wind up having an unexpected stay in the wilderness.

So....I've always been very disappointed with open top holsters. For that kind of brush busting/trekking/woods bumming, the pistol just gets so dusty and dirty, leaves, pine and fir needles and twigs all find their way into and on the pistol. Accordingly, I always use flap holsters. But, I can't find the flap holster that goes to my Airlite for some reason, so I put it in a Uncle Mike's I had laying around. I can find old holsters laying around, but not one I use.

Get back late at night, put the guns on the kitchen table. Next morning go to clean the guns, and there is the biggest GLOB of fir pitch and needle right on, over, and around the hammer of the Airlite. Dang. I had the pistol on my left, canteen on my right, and as it rides pretty high on the belt, and being under my left arm, I thought it would be pretty protected. Not.

So, open top holsters...they suck. Flap holsters...yeah, they rule.View attachment 1016540
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Learned from HKU ( hard knocks university ) akin to yours, I ALWAYS carry my shooters in Safariland Suede-Lined shoulder holsters, decades of carry, all shooter's still in mint condition. Give'em a try??
 
Yes, for CC that's the way to go. I do have some like that with a thumb-strap, some without, but I don't really worry about a pistol falling out of my holster. (when CC) In the dentist chair, I always make sure I have a thumb-strap holster, as that would be a weird place to have it fall out and clatter around on the floor, when you are in that "blast off" position.

On the other hand, if you wind up in a wrestling match on the ground, I wouldn't want the pistol to come out either, so I kind of like a thumb strap, where you just push the strap with you thumb and it comes un-snapped. My revolver holsters (for CC) all have them, (thumb straps) my auto pistols mostly don't, as they don't ride so high and stay put a little better. I think. ?
 
Jackalope 1 said:
Learned from HKU ( hard knocks university ) akin to yours, I ALWAYS carry my shooters in Safariland Suede-Lined shoulder holsters, decades of carry, all shooter's still in mint condition. Give'em a try??
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Lined holsters. No, don't have any. Would love to have one, but what I have at the moment is serving me well. Someday maybe.
 
I like the looks and utility of flap holsters for hiking and such. I got a reproduction 1912 flap holster for my 1911 and I also have a reproduction victory revolver flap holster
 
Only reason I ever felt I needed a field gun was in the event a grizzly or coastal brown got ornery when I lived in AK, and I surely didn't want a flap in my way if I needed my gun RIGHT FREAKING NOW! I liked the chest rig so I could still use waders.

I suppose my side arm for deer hunting or grouse hunting is really just there because I always have a pistol in me anyway so a flap might be OK then, but I don't have any; though I see your point about dust and dirt and twigs.

Though, fairly often the gun is still under a jacket or game vest so it's less of an issue for me.
 
Yes, I would feel naked without a pistol, so I'd carry one for no reason at all. But, I like to have small game taking capability, so I really like the AirLite, it's accurate enough to shoot grouse, squirrels or rabbits, in the "live off the land/survival situation", but no weight penalty at all, or hardly none. That pistol is something like 11 ounces, and a box of fifty rounds sure doesn't weigh much. And the little thing is accurate. I have two larger .22 pistols, a High Standard Sentential and an old Colt Police positive in .22 WRF, and try as I might, neither one can out-shoot the AirLite.

So I usually pair it with a rifle or shotgun, when hunting and certainly don't need it right freaking now!!!! But when not hunting, I might carry a rifle/shotgun/musket for grizz and carry the AirLite too. I don't live in AK, but I do hunt, trek, explore and hike in a grizzly recovery area. I've not seen one there yet but I have cut some huge tracks that look, to me, just as big as pictures of tracks you see in AK. And they tranq'd and tagged a very huge one in the area not too long ago. I have had two grizz encounters in other places, but each time that grizz turned and ran like he'd just seen Lucifer himself. (or herself?)

Some days when not hunting, I like to carry a .22 rifle, and then either a .44mag or .45 Colt. But again, I like to know it is well oiled and clean. But you are right, in cooler weather, flap or not, the gun is protected and pretty much out of the weather. We had a very hot summer here, so I did a lot of hiking in T-shirt weather. But again and again, I suspect that AirLite wouldn't tolerate too much grit, twigs or fir needles to jam up, (or a glob of pitch) so I for sure like to keep it well wrapped up. :) I'd never need it in a hurry, but I'd be annoyed to have to stop and clean pine or fir pitch out of it.

As you know, this all started when I misplaced my flap holster, carried the AirLite in a open-top, and discovered a big glob of pitch on the hammer. Luckily it did not find it's way down into the action.

Now even with a open top holster, there is still a strap to unsnap and get out of the way, so I don't think a flap is that much slower. A little bit, but not a huge difference. ?
 
Jonesy814 said:
I like the looks and utility of flap holsters for hiking and such. I got a reproduction 1912 flap holster for my 1911 and I also have a reproduction victory revolver flap holster
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I have an old S&W Victory "type" pistol, (just doesn't have the "V" prefix) which I think is a great sidearm for....whatever. It's probably the only pistol that I don't have a flapper for. In the past I've found that the .38spl and .357 shot-shells are really quite effective on grouse. So those pistols have good small game capability, not as good as a .22, but great wolf or cougar repellent, better than a .22. I'm a fan of the .38 Special revolver.
 
Ugly Sauce
I have an old S&W Victory "type" pistol, (just doesn't have the "V" prefix) which I think is a great sidearm for....whatever.
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Me too!

These revolvers were purchased by the government for use by security guards protecting non-military installations, banks, and factories involved with the war effort.
9YTLBWX.jpg
 
bannockburn said:
Ugly Sauce


Me too!

These revolvers were purchased by the government for use by security guards protecting non-military installations, banks, and factories involved with the war effort.
View attachment 1020165
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Those are the coolest. Mine has the five inch barrel. I really think they are great sidearms for hunting or trekking when one has a rifle/shotgun/musket for more serious work. As mentioned, they throw a useful/effective shot load, and can be accurate enough with a very light load that won't tear a grouse up too much, and is just right for a rabbit. Great survival guns. I was able to get mine sighted in to POI=POA, by trying a couple different bullets and powder charges, and just taking a teeny tiny bit off the front sight. A medium powder charge (she is an old girl after all) and a 141 grain SWC did the trick.

I like to pair mine with my Rossi 92 in .357. I can always use the pistol ammo in the rifle, should I run out of .357's. (not sure how that would happen) !!! Yours is in nice condition. I rescued mine from the bottom of a tote in a garage when we were cleaning out one of our rental-houses. It was pretty rusted up, but no rust in the barrel or chambers, so I got it back to good working condition.
 
UncleEd said:
What would Indiana Jones say about all this?
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Just remember the movie "The Undefeated" with John Wayne and Rock Hudson. When they were facing that Mexican bandido, Wayne asked Hudson if his flap was snapped (it was snapped) so Wayne had to draw and shoot the bandido. As the OP states, flaps have their uses - in certain situations. If the situations should change abruptly, you could be in deep trouble.
 
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