Any market for less common revolver holsters?

[CraigC]

I'd like to eventually have one of every make & model of percussion revolver replica available and offer traditional holsters for them. With most gunleather being made for Colt 1851/1860 or the Remington 1858 sixguns, I imagine the owners of Rogers & Spencer, Starr, LeMat, Spiller & Burr and Dance & Brothers revolvers have had to make do with what they can. I was wondering how many present would actually buy a holster specifically fitted for one of those guns. Or would you continue to just use those made for other guns with some interchangeability?

 

[rodwha]

I had been looking for a simple leather holster for my ROA and found it nearly impossible so I've bought one for an 1858 with the intentions of stretching it.

I have in mind to one day buy either a Colt '62 Police/Navy and/or '63 Remington pocket. I'm not sure about holster availability, but doubt they are common.

I'm more utilitarian and don't care for frilly/shiny, and not having a large sum of $ to put into my hobbies keeps me from putting a lot into anything other than what needs to be (guns, custom molds, kegs, etc.).

 

[NCWanderer]

Aren't there some folks who can make custom holsters fancy or plain for any gun you may have?

 

[CraigC]

Aren't there some folks who can make custom holsters fancy or plain for any gun you may have?

You have to have either a sample gun or a dummy to make a holster for any handgun. I don't know of many makers who provide holsters for some of the guns I mentioned. Most deal with only the most popular and all the mass produced stuff is pretty generic in fit.

 

[zoom6zoom]

It's not just repros... I'd love to be able to find a decent OWB leather holster for my four inch Rhino.

 

[denster]

There is a seller on ebay shootist274 that offers holsters for the Rhino 4"

 

[Crawdad1]

Yea, Craig makes great quality custom built holsters. What he's asking is if there would be a demand for the other less common handguns so he will make them for you.

Craig do you have any flap holsters for a 49 Pocket with a 4" barrel?

 

[CraigC]

I haven't made a flap yet but was going to for my Open Top.

And I do have a Uberti 1849 Pocket for patterns and fitting.

 

[Dframe]

I'd certainly like to have one for my 36 calibre Spiller & Burr repo. I much prefer minimalist plain jane holsters to the ones with fringe, flaps and bells and whistles. I just want it to hold the gun well and be convenient for drawing.

 

[bainter1212]

Check out Larry Sullivan's shop on etsy.com

He goes by the name of Picketwire1881. He makes custom holsters at reasonable prices. He specializes in period correct holsters for single action revolvers.

I had him make a holster for one of my Smiths. He is very skilled and communication was great.

 

[CraigC]

Check out Larry Sullivan's shop on etsy.com

I appreciate the input but I am the maker looking to see if there is enough interest to justify my purchasing of several different obscure blackpowder pistols for the purposes of making holsters for them. I want them anyway but if several folks want holsters for one particular model, I can expedite things to make it happen. So this really isn't the place to plug other makers.

 

[CraigC]

I added a poll to the website.

 

[Jaymo]

Craig makes a damn nice Slim Jim holster for the 1849 pocket/1862 police.
He made one for my 1862 police, and it's saweeeeeet.

I want a holster for my 7.5" ROA.
I wonder if you could make a holster for one by making a Remington New Army holster, only make it a little oversized around the frame/cylinder?

 

[Crawdad1]

Craig, I voted for the Ruger as it seems to be the most popular.

 

[CraigC]

Thanks for the support and the votes.

Jaymo, do you have both guns? I figure the ROA should be pretty close to the 1858's profile. If you have both guns I may try to work with you to get a tracing of them. A decent tracing should be enough. I've got a good Slim Jim pattern for the `58 and it would be easy to adjust it with a little extra room here and there.

Good thing about the Colt pocket models is that having an 1849 covers all of them, having to only make adjustments for barrel length.

 

[Old Fuff]

It may not be your cup of tea, but here's an example of someone that isn't likely to find what he wants, off the shelf. My solution to problems like this one is to make my own, but few people want to attempt it.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=732969

 

[CraigC]

That is a good example. I can make a holster for almost anything but I have to have the gun in hand, both to make a pattern and to wet mold it. So it needs to be something I either already have or something I can procure relatively cheap like the aforementioned replicas. I also do not have an FFL so cannot receive customer's guns, unless they're blackpowder and not considered a "firearm" by federal law. Which further limits the scope of this exercise.

 

[BSA1]

CraigC,

Based on the shooters interest on THR and SASS Forum I would say NO.

THR members generally do not show interest in reinacting or carry of C&B revolvers.

SASS rules require large frame revolvers such as the 1851 Navy and up. Their need is easily met with SlimJim holster variations and Mexician loop patterns.

While no doubt a market exists reaching it would be difficult. Perhaps you could develop and refine a design that Cabelas would be interested in selling such as a Pocket Pistol starter/gambler kit.

 

[Old Fuff]

That is a good example. I can make a holster for almost anything but I have to have the gun in hand, both to make a pattern and to wet mold it.

I solved that problem up to a point. Those small .32 and .38 pocket revolvers made by Colt and Smith & Wesson (plus a lot of others) were very popular in the Old West and elsewhere. Today you sometimes run across examples that consist of a frame, barrel, cylinder and trigger guard (if it was detachable). They are generally non-functional and often date as made before 1898. None use "modern, easily obtained cartridges," meaning smokeless powder ammunition. I have bought many for prices ranging from $15 up to $50 as the value depends on what parts remain.

Never the less, they work fine for making patterns and molding leather. Incidentally none of the original holsters were molded. To the degree they were came about because of damp conditions while the gun was holstered.

 

[CraigC]

SASS rules require large frame revolvers such as the 1851 Navy and up. Their need is easily met with SlimJim holster variations and Mexician loop patterns.

Traditional designs for large frame guns are exactly what I'm talking about.

Perhaps you could develop and refine a design that Cabelas would be interested in selling such as a Pocket Pistol starter/gambler kit.

This isn't a commercial enterprise but strictly a creative outlet that bears little fruit. That's all it will ever be. All I'm really trying to do is throw my fellow shooters a bone and have a little fun doing something different. I'm going to eventually have at least one of every percussion sixgun I can buy and I will offer holsters for them. My only thought was that if there was one or two on that list that folks have been needing a holster for, I would consider putting that one at the top of the list. If there's little or no interest, then I'll just procure them according to my own judgement.

Incidentally none of the original holsters were molded.

I'm not talking about hand boning to every nook and cranny. Any good holster should be molded to whatever gun it's fitted for. All this involves is getting the holster wet (usually with the final coat of dye), inserting the revolver into a ziplock bag and forcing it into the holster to let it dry. The bag creates enough space that the resulting fit is snug but not too tight. Hence the need to have specific guns to fit holsters to. For example, holsters for the 1851 and 1860 are interchangeable. They are not, however, interchangeable with those made for 1858's and hence, would not be compatible with one of those guns I mentioned in the OP. I'm not talking about generic fit holsters but holsters fitted specifically for oddball guns like the Rogers & Spencer or Starr single action.

 

[AethelstanAegen]

I'd be really interested if you ever had a nice holster for a S&W Safety Hammerless, particularly a flap holster.