Single Action Revolver OC

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Does anyone carry a single action revolver, or specifically a Ruger Blackhawk? My question is primarily functional. A huge number of holsters on the market are oriented toward the cowboy action shooting crowd. Lots have a somewhat loose leather string that loops over the hammer. I wonder how secure this is for regular wear. Any thoughts?

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I myself would LOVE to carry an old school SAA drop loop rig, above anything else. It's rustic, beautiful, elegant, traditional, historical, and harbors the flavor of old school America. If i can get more comfortable, and OC becomes more understood and accepted, this is exactly what i would carry too.



It gets my thumbs up.

:dude: Bat


Edit as P.S.

- I used to live in Extreme Northern CA out on several acres of land, Beautiful country with fresh air and wildlife abound. I very often wore a old school drop loop with the little leather "string" It is 100% my preferred choice of rig. I never really had a problem with it, although I admit to replacing it with a brown heavy duty "shoe String" as i felt it was stronger, more secure, and would remove or "untie" faster by hand than leather. I felt the string mod gave me more options to either make a loop that came off easy (read as quick draw)- or if needed i could tie the hammer down tight to keep it more secure (long or rough exploring with climbing and or jumping involved). There are also a couple other little tricks i picked up to deal with retention, and/or accessibility. I had two drop loop rigs, One was for a shortened 1860 cap and ball revolver, cut down to SAA length for fast slinging. The other was for a bit more modern Ruger GP-100, double action, but very similar grip feel to the classics, and yes i usually thumb cock even on fast shots. The rig is and will be fine if managed properly.

Yes, i was an old school gun slinger back in the day...hehe.. still kinda am.

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Tho it is not my regular carry piece, I have carried my Ruger Old Army. It is particularly handy when hunting with my muzzlestuffer as that WAS the only thing WDFW would let me carry. Those rules have changed, but that's another story.
I carry it in a cowboy style holster. You're right, it is not as secure as a Serpa or many of the other level 2 or 3 holsters.
It's also reeeeeaaaaallllly slow to reload, so if carried as a defensive tool you need to consider what your options are.
Bottom line, it can and has been done, and if you use historical reference, quite a bit and used successfully for defense, but this is the 21st century. There are more modern choices.
In the favor of SA revolvers, there aren't many autos out there that offer that kind of one shot stopping power.







SpokaneIrish wrote:

Does anyone carry a single action revolver, or specifically a Ruger Blackhawk? My question is primarily functional. A huge number of holsters on the market are oriented toward the cowboy action shooting crowd. Lots have a somewhat loose leather string that loops over the hammer. I wonder how secure this is for regular wear. Any thoughts?

Click to expand...

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The revolver is not so much for OC use around town. Just soliciting experiences with carrying it more in a hiking context. I have trouble with the drop loop concept. Just seems like you might finish the hike and find your holster empty.

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Not with what my ROA or your Blackhawk weighs. If it weren't in the holster, it would definitely be noticed!

If it's security you're concerned with, it's pretty easy to add a strap and snap(s)

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I've carried a Blackhawk in a double Mexican loop holster/cartridge belt combo I made for ten years or better while working on a cattle ranch with no problems. And this holster has no retention strap at all. I also carry a Single Six in a crossdraw holster I made while hunting for shooting grouse. It does not have a retention strap either and in ten plus years I've never had a problem.

Eugene

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I know a guy who carries a SA 357 Ruger somethingHawk, in a decorative, but not all that dangley crap holster. It's not for the cowboy action thing, it's merely that a 357 can get the job done.

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I got a Bounty Hunter 45 I Open carry in Western style rig w/o loop/retention . . as long as I aint doing cartwheels or going on upside down carnival rides it aint going nowhere, I can run, get in n out car, etc . . I CC it with shoulder holster.