Shoulder Rigs

The shoulder rig became particularly popular at the end of the 19th century. As civilization encroached on the raw frontier, keeping a weapon out of sight while in town became a priority for both lawman and unruly alike. Period-correct models laid the gun straight up and down under the armpit and proved difficult to access. Ours are styled for the period but are very slightly canted forward and provide both excellent concealment and access to the weapon.
 
In the Old West, the suspension mechanisms ranged from the Texas-style belly band to figure-of-eight and figure-of-nine configurations. The figure-of-eight style is our most popular and offers the best concealment. The Texas style with its belly band, while not particularly geared to concealment, offers an extremely stable platform for carrying a pistol horseback. Our Huckleberry and Nueces Rigs give a western flair to the more modern “tanker” style rigs and offer lowered gun placement as well as a comfortable and stable platform for crossdraw carry.

Chain & 4 Point Star

Havana

This rig has a nicely-contoured pouch. As was typical of the time, it was cut lower on the cylinder and trigger area to facilitate a faster draw. It also has a low-profile stitched-through toe, again typical for these holsters. Unlike period shoulder rigs which hung straight on the side seam of a shirt and were difficult to draw a pistol from, this one is canted slightly, bring the grips into position for a comfortable and quick draw.

Chain & four-point star

Figure of Eight (concealment)

Hamley Shoulder Rig

Light Mahogany

This rig features the typically amorphous pouch style common at the turn of the century. It has a stitched-through, low profile toe for concealment and is raked slightly forward on the chest to promote a clean, easy draw.

Hamley Geometric with repeating 9’s border

Figure of Eight (concealment)

Longridge Kelly’s Skeleton Rig

Chocolate

The skeleton rig made its appearance towards the very end of the 19th century. This particular one is built on the same lines as the traditional turn-of-the-century models with the exception of the sterling appointments on the spring and the boot. (Traditionally, these areas were unadorned.). The carving pattern is also more modern than would have been the case on a rig from this era. While this is a handsome and showy rig, we would not recommend it for active participation in SASS or CAS shooting events as the sturdy spring necessitated for this sort of construction makes the rig slow for re-holstering the pistol. However, if you like gathering points for style… this rig definitely says: “In your face!”

Elko Leaf

Figure of Eight (concealment)

Nueces Shoulder Rig

Natural Oil with black background

This rig has a slim jim-style holster suspended from a shoulder strap. It has a belly band which secures the holster at or just above the rib cage giving a very natural and stable crossdraw. While this rig is not designed for concealed carry, it is a very convenient way to carry a pistol while in the field or on horseback.

Elko Rose

Nueces

Tonto Rim Slim’s Rig

Golden oak with hand-painted figure

This holster was built for a diminutive ED Jacket pocket pistol. Because the rig required a particular angle and rake to make drawing the pistol even remotely convenient, the holster and axilla or shoulder loop are built as a two-piece rather than the typical single-piece unit.

Plain with customer-requested logo

Figure of Eight (concealment)
All Contents Copyrighted 2005 • All Photos Courtesy Don "Oso" Contreras