Cowboy Action Holster

Big sportsman's show last week in Harrisburg. I've been trying to find a holster for my Pietta 1873 single action for several years, many years actually. And not having any success. Gun shows were either new and very expensive, used and way too small or really bad shape.

I bought a holster and shoulder rig off these guys before for my Thompson Contender and have been happy with that so I went to check them out. I passed on them two years ago which was the last time I saw them as the pandemic shut down last years. But tired of searching I left them do their sales pitch on me. The Army medallion was what pushed me over the edge.

It has an issue however. The leg strap keeps the barrel from going all the way in which keeps the pistol about 3/8th of an inch out of the holster. I can force it in but this doesn't seem ideal. It could be it just needs to be used and shaped also but as I probably won't do this very often, I'm wondering if there is a possible solution to the problem. Take a look at the pics.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../0I8uaUj-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../NXXqtdy-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../iRwwtqd-1.jpg

Always interesting to see a Colt cartridge revolver with a octagonal barrel. I remembered Pietta made a short barreled single action with the octagonal barrel - not common.

my Uberti was a incomplete gun show find in 2007, did the conversion to 38 S&W with a spare Legal Defender cylinder, had to make the other parts. Excellent balance for a revolver, maybe even better with a shorter barrel. Would like a shoulder holster.Attachment 124143

You could try getting a very thin piece of leather and gluing it over the strap on the inside of the holster.

Allow the barrel to pass over the start of this new piece of leather higher up in the holster where there’s more room.

Or perhaps you can thin the strap a bit where it’s exposed.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

could be it just needs to be used and shaped

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Yes, just a break in issue. If this strap isn't holding the two slabs of holster together and in place why not just run it through the back slab alone and not through the holster?

Second that.

It is holding the two slabs of holster together unfortunately. I'm not sure it is needed however. I have considered this if nothing else works. I thought about trying to cut a groove in the holster but it's such a small area and hard to get at. The gluing of a leather "bridge" might work I do have leather glue around here somewhere.

You might try just putting a piece of duct tape there as a test.
If that works, replacing with leather will make it more permanent.

I suppose you could mark the offending piece of strap, then pull it out and sand the leather so the edge is smooth and rounded to help the barrel slip over it. The problem would likely be eliminated with lots of wear. You maybe speed that along by oiling that little section with neatsfoot to make it more pliable, then gently curl the area, maybe around a dowel with some rubber bands, and let it dry.

I love taking my Uberti SAA hiking as a sidearm, but the hip holster always seems to get in the way. I have a nice issued M7 tanker's holster I left service with. The strap top strap on a well worn m7 is stretched enough to fit over the wider grip of the m9. I preferred it to a drop leg holster. I would love to find a similar holster for my SAA. With adjustment, these are great too for concealing a full size in the winter under a sweat shirt. Haven't found one I like yet.

I would have the leg strap go through only the back slab and sew the front slab to the back slab at the lowest point.
Coloured thread, so that it does not stand out.

Good looking rig.

Put the leg strap through the square part not the holster then put some stitches of waxed thread between the loop you show and the bottom of the holster. Run them vertically and pull them tight and the muzzle won’t touch them.

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Originally Posted by baltimoreed

Put the leg strap through the square part not the holster then put some stitches of waxed thread between the loop you show and the bottom of the holster. Run them vertically and pull them tight and the muzzle won’t touch them.

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You gave me an idea I may try, not quite what you said but the vertical part. What if I run the leather strip in the opposite way, from outside to inside and let them hang out the end of the holster and then tie them off? The offending loop will be on the back of the outside leather.

Any of the above, or just dose the dang thong with neet's foot oil, and burnish the inside area in question with a piece of pipe from the bottom. Kind of like doing a few hundred draws without chewing it up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ssgross

I suppose you could mark the offending piece of strap, then pull it out and sand the leather so the edge is smooth and rounded to help the barrel slip over it.

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This is the solution cleaning up the edge will fix the problem, it's called beveling and it should already have been done. You could also after beveling the leather burnish it using beeswax.