Butt ammo cuffs?

[Panzerschwein]

Hello all!

I've got a question knockin around this 'ol brain of mine. Something I've wondered for years.

I see the cowboy (and cowgirl) shooters with their lever guns and whatnot on the trail, and some of 'em have contraptions like this on the buttstock:



They are a leather thing you strap onto your rifle's butt with some leather cordage, and they hold several shells on the side of the gun. They look cool and very handy, but I've got to wonder...

Did the cowboys of the 1800s really have such things? Is there any historical evidence to show that these really existed back when the buffalo roamed and "look at that Indian" meant more than looking at a motorcycle?

Seems like a mighty fine thing to ride the trails with. Someday very soon I'll have me a single-shot cowboy gun, either a Sharps or a rolling block, and I'd like one of these leather buttstock cuff ammo carrying things... but only if it's historically accurate!

If it ain't so, and it's a modern deal, when did these become into invention?

Thanks so much all!

 

[jmr40]

I don't know if they actually used them or not, but I've tried them and don't like em. They throw off the guns balance by adding too much weight in the butt.

 

[rcmodel]

And slower then carrying loose rounds in your jacket pocket.

You can reload faster out of your pocket without lowering the rifle.

Pretty hard to do when the ammo is behind your right ear.

I have never seen a photo of one used in the old west.
So I think it is a recent 'bling' thing.

rc

 

[Hookeye]

Speed of reload doesn't fully dictate "handy".
Loose rounds in pockets can be fast to reload, and said rounds can also fall out of pockets.
Change of clothing, or failure to toss ammo wallet or other in pack.............having the rounds with the gun kinda makes it idiot proof.

No ammo=no gun.

 

[Hookeye]

I always have plenty of ammo. Extra in the vehicle when on a hunt. Some in my pack, and in my gun.
Don't like a box of ammo hanging off my gun.
But do think for the single shot hunters, maybe 3 to 5 rounds would be nice.
Think many of the cuffs I've seen on the web to be ugly and or of too many rounds.
The Galco looks OK.............but for my TC I'd like maybe a lesser number of rounds.
So it looks like I'll be getting some leather and making my own.

 

[X-Rap]

The benefit of always having spare ammo attached to the gun is worth it no matter if the old timers thought of it or not.
I've never seen it in an old photo that I can recall.

 

[col.lemat]

It is a carry over from WW2 when the GI's would put the M1 eight round clips on the sling, and the early carbine cartridge pouch on the carbines butt stock. Before that you wore a prairie belt around the waist. Two more over the shoulders crossing in front as a bandolier.

 

[rondog]

How many rounds you figger you're gonna need for one poor lil' deer? Jeeze.

 

[Bull Nutria]

I use these in black elastic webbing made by Allen Co. on all my hi powered rifles and shotguns. the availability of handy ammo is critical when dealing with a crippled bird or other critter. they are especially nice when using single shot firearms.

these butts stock sleeves stretch over the stock tightly and are available at Academy, Midway etc .

Bull

 

[aarondhgraham]

In the book Packing Iron,,,

In the book Packing Iron,,,
There is a small section on cartridge belts.

There are no examples of anything attached to a stock.

That doesn't mean they didn't exist,,,
But in all my readings on older gun leather,,,
I've never seen an example like these modern ones.

Aarond

.

 

[kBob]

Whether they are original cowboy gear or not they can be useful, especially on single shots.

I have an elastic one like bull wrote about on an '94 Winchester thutty-thutty that is stored unloaded, yet if I grab the rifle to toss in the truck I don't have to go hunting through coat pockets, glove boxes, sock drawers or gun safes for ammo.

In a shot gun class I actually found I liked them BETTER on a pump shotgun than "side saddles" dispite the instructor and some others.

-kBob

 

[X-Rap]

I know many guys who carry a box of shells in their pack while BG hunting, while I believe that's extreme I also think I want more than what fits in the magazine.
I dislike ammo in my pants pocket and at some point during the day my jacket will be on my pack so if the need for more ammo should arise it's good to know that it will be close at hand.
I've also taken to using the buttcuff with the zipper pouch to keep track of small magazines that seem to grow legs, especially those that are hard to replace like those for the 788.

 

[stoky]

But do think for the single shot hunters, maybe 3 to 5 rounds would be nice.

Not near as purdy as the post one pix, and anachronistic to boot:

A couple of xtra rounds, gets a semblance of a cheek weld up to where the scope ends up with a 20 moa base. Also has a pouch for a lens pen and plastic tin of Scope Dope. It gives Bambi a sporting chance with that stuff rattling around.

 

[jeepnik]

How many rounds you figger you're gonna need for one poor lil' deer? Jeeze.

While I'll admit the idea isn't to shoot a deer so full of holes you ruin meat, but there is always the possibility of either two legged varmits or some sort of an emergency where more rounds might be needed.

While hunting I usually have the firearm loaded and carry two complete reloads. Never needed more than what's in my rifle, but you just never know.

This setup has worked well for some years now.



I usually only use one or the other, and carry another reload in a ammo wallet attached to my belt. Something along these lines.

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

I have always carried extra rounds on my belt or in a pocket. Something about the rounds being exposed to the elements when on the stock.

 

[danez71]

I would think that pants pocket carry wouldn't be the best option on a horse and with the heat, at times, wearing a jacket/vest wouldn't be a great option either just to carry ammo.

If they had ammo belts it seems that some clever guy would attach it to a rifle stock but I didn't see any pics.



What I did find quite a few pic of were leather and brass belt worn ammo pouches during the civil war era.

 

[Malamute]

The only frontier period item anything like that I recall seeing was a military contraption of a sort of cartridge box or block fixed to the side of the gun just ahead of the action on a trapdoor Springfield rifle.

The butt cuff is a good idea, and would be handy if one wanted to keep ammo with the gun. I dont care much for the way they change the balance. I sometimes carry spare loads in a pocket, but more often in a cartridge belt. Belts are simple, functional, and keep a usable, accessible amount of ammo handy and mostly out of the way.

 

[ontarget]

I always carry at least a full loading in the gun and a full reload usually in my coat pocket. But here during hunting season I don't generally wear my jacket/coat just for ammo bearing purposes. It's usually dang cold, with the exception of this year opening day. The cuffs do the trick if they are your style.

 

[Lafitte]

All things aren't for all peoplle, some like 'em and some don't. I have one on my go-to '06, when I get the rifle I know I have ammo. Where I live, wild hogs are pests. Your mileage may vary.

Lafitte

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I sewed up a couple out of some elk hide that I had. One is on my Marlin 94 in 44 mag and the other is on the Sharps 45/70. Both hold six rounds and don't disturb the balance for me.
YMMV

 

[MilsurpShooter]

Personally I always thought it was maximization of space. The ones I use and the ones I've seen used are really more cheek pads to raise your head to scope level, rather then waste space, add some ammunition storage on it and your good to go.

I've often wanted to get one of these for my Mosin 91/30 with PU mount just because it's hard for me to keep a consistent cheek weld. One day gotta stop procrastinating and call the guy to see if he can do a left hander version.



Extra ammo and a pouch for the cleaning kit can't hurt IMO. But as far as Western... Can't recall ver seeing photo's of it until the M1 Carbine in WWII

 

[Driftertank]

Had a cheap elastic one on my Rem 870 shotgun once. I didnt like how it tended to slide forward towards the stock wrist under recoil. Dont know if leather is susceptible to walking like that or not. I liked to keep slugs on it. I'd load shotshells from a pocket, and could pull a slug from the stock and stuff it in the tube pretty quickly if i felt the need to thump something a bit harder.

Not sure if I'm in favor or against them, but mine generally lives on a shelf in the closet now....

 

[Deog]

I like mine. Had a leather guy in Texas make the slings and cuffs.

 

[Stony]

I've probably got 1/2 dozen or more rifles with some sort of ammo carrier on the butt. I never know which one I am going to pick up to take to the woods with me in the mornings....and I pretty much carry a rifle with me every day. I like to not have to go figure out which ammo I have loaded for which rifle and this way I can just pick up one and go. My most used rifles are loaded all the time and have a few extra rounds on the butt for just in case.

 

[jmorris]

I don't think I have seen 1800's photos with them but surely some one had to have done it.

Everyone has seen the bandolier in old photos.


One thing that would make them less useful back then would be the equipment that they used. Like the posse that killed Ned Christie, the 1873 Winchesters that most of them had would have been chambered in .44-40, .38-40 or .32-20, likely in the same caliber as the peacemaker in their holster so you grab ammo from the same spot for either firearm.