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Phone & Text: (208)-660-4172
E-mail: hholsters@gmail.com
Address:
Horseshoe Saddlery
205 9th Ave S. Suite 114
Great Falls, MT 59405
Hours:
By Appointment only
Copyright ©2024 Horseshoe Saddlery
To keep Chicago Screws from coming apart put some lock tight or nail polish in them. And yes I have replacement Chicago Screws for sale.
I prefer to have my holsters start out on the snug fitting side. Should it be necessary to loosen your holster up, take a plastic grocery bag and wrap it around the gun. Insert the UNLOADED gun into the holster and let it set over night. This will stretch the leather out approximately two or three thousandths of an inch. If necessary, wrap the gun with two bags. You can use up to three bags to stretch the holster. If this is still not successful, give me a call and I will be happy to adjust the fit for you.
How to care for you leather goods, to ensurer that they will last for years to come. leather is skin and just like your skin it needs conditioning
Yes, I make holsters for you south paws, too.
All holster and accessory can be made for either left or right handed. I do not discriminate against south paws.
Water dose not hert leather, heat does. should your holster get wet, remove the gun and allow the holster to air dry in a warm dry place. When dry condition it.
I use dabond bonded polyester thread. Cotton and linen thread will eventually rot, particularly in humid weather. Although some makers will try to justify the use of natural fiber threads, common sense would dictate that synthetic threads are much stronger and rot resistant, and will last much longer. Consider this scenario. You have two lengths of rope, both of equal length and thickness, they have been stored in a humid warehouse for twenty years. You will be using this rope to repel down a 150 foot cliff. Your choice, natural or synthetic?!!
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color #156824 green times new roman heading size 24
Q:
Q: WHAT IS FBI CANT / TILT?
FBI tilt refers to a holster that is designed in such a manner that the grip of the gun angles forward and the muzzle of the gun points to the rear, as opposed to a neutral or vertical rake where the gun rides straight up and down. Usually the FBI tilt is approximately 10-15 degrees. This tilt offers an advantage in concealment keeping the butt of the grip from protruding away from the body.
Are there advantages to a pre-curved belt?
Some manufacturers make their belts pre-curved to fit the body. The claim is that they are more comfortable this way. If we thought this to be true, we would make our belts pre-curved. However, we feel that the extra time and consequent expense in an already pricey belt, simply is not worth any minimal advantages this type of cut may offer. After a few weeks of wear, any belt will take a set or curve to YOUR specific body shape.
There is absolutley no advantage to horsehide as a material for high-quality holster manufacture. All of our standard products are constructed of best quality cowhide.
Q: Is there any advantage to horsehide?
titleWhy don’t your holster utilize a thumb break? Q: How do you retain the weapon so well without retention devices?
I am aware of the fact that regulations of several agencies insist on a thumb-break or other retention system. However, all my belt holsters are designed to function efficiently without these devices; it is, in fact, an integral part of their appeal. So regrettably, I cannot adapt or alter them in any way as this would only interfere with their efficiency.
The only holster we make with a thumb break is the shoulder holster. It is our philosophy that a well designed and formed holster, when moulded to a specific gun, will have enough retentive qualities to secure the weapon without the use of extra retaining devices. We do realize that some law enforcement agencies require the use of thumb break for their concealment holsters. On large agency orders we can provide thumb breaks, but regrettably, we cannot do this on individual orders. As with any holster, whether or not it is equipped with a thumb break, you are best holding onto your weapon in the holster, during strenuous physical activity.
A: Mitch Rosen Gunleather custom fits each holster to the piece required by the customer’s order. There is no substitute for precise fitting (boning) to insure a secure fit and smooth draw. All of our outside-the-pants holsters are fitted so that the holster is indented into the ejection port, front of the trigger guard, and also firmly into the rear of the trigger guard. We have been doing this for over a decade. It is this trigger guard fitting that causes the weapon to “click” into the holster. |
The most accurate way we have found to measure is to set the saddle on the horse, with whatever pad you’ll be using, and run a piece of twine (or soft tape measure if you have one) from the bottom of the saddle rigging on one side under the horse and over to the other. The twine should be sitting where the cinch will be sitting- make sure it hasn’t slipped further back on the barrel, which can give you an inaccurate reading. In general, we want the top of the cinch buckle to sit about 8” below (or 5-6” below if it’s a dropped rig saddle) the rigging on either side. So, with the measurement you just took, subtract 16” (or 10”-12”, depending on your rigging type) this should give a pretty accurate reading. Keep in mind the overall shape of the horse. On a smaller horse or pony, 8” below the rigging may be too far down, and put the buckle way too close to the elbow. In these cases, you may need to round up 2” or so. Based on observations on our own tack (dropped rigged wade style saddles), our cinches sit about 4-5” below our saddle pads.
To double check, once you have your measurement, look where the ring will be sitting according to what you calculated.
If the answer is “yes” to both these questions, then the size will most likely work! If you answered “no”, you may need to adjust a couple inches up (or down) depending on what you’re seeing with the horse, saddle, and pad combo. Your own observations of what is sitting right in front of you should absolutely be a factor in your decision.
. When the buckle sits too low in the elbow area, it can rub and cause a lot of friction, because of the extra skin in there that stretches as the horse’s leg extends forward with each stride. Anyone that has dealt with saddle sores at one time of another has most likely noticed the sores in one area- right behind the elbow! Again, a cinch that is too short can cause rubbing and pressure in this area, even if the material is otherwise clean and fully functional.
On the contrary, a cinch that is too long (sitting right below the rigging) causes a saddle to be unstable. Because the cinch buckle doesn’t have flat and even contact with the horse’s side, the reduced surface area leads directly to less stability.
The rigging of a saddle, both where (position) and how (Double Dee-ring, O-ring, plate, etc.) it is rigged, definitely create other factors to consider when fitting your cinch, no matter the material.
Let’s compare a dropped rigging saddle to a regular Dee-ring rigged saddle. With a dropped rigging (whether it be plate, O-ring, or in-skirt) saddle, the ring extends further down the horse’s barrel than a regular “Dee-ring” rigged saddle (which is sitting up on the skirt.) The lower the ring sits, the less distance the cinch will need to travel around the horse. Assuming these two types of saddles fit the same horse, a 32” cinch may fit properly with the dropped rigging saddle, but the horse may need a 34” or 36” with the regular Dee-ring rigged saddle, because the cinch needs to travel further around the horse for the buckle to sit in the right spot.
Too Short — The cinch on this drop-rigged saddle is too short – as it’s almost to the elbow…
Almost perfect…
This cinch is almost too long but it’s better to have it be too long, than too short. The increased surface area of the cinch helps hold the saddle in place.
This is a regular “D” Saddle – no drop rig. This is an excellent fit.
The last thing to consider when choosing a cinch, of any type, is the width of the cinch relative to where the saddle is rigged, or the rigging position. The descriptions below are a general guide- some saddle makers have their own specific placement that they like to set the rigging, which may not fall exactly under one of these categories. If you are not sure what your rigging is, that’s ok. Observe where the ring sits, and try it with different cinches- look for bunching or pinching behind the elbow, if it sits flat, etc. Just taking the time to look at all of these on your horse will teach you a lot!
The further forward the cinch sits, the more aware you need to be of how the cinch fits in the horse’s elbow area, no matter the cinch type. An 8” wide roper cinch may pinch and bind a horse that has very springy ribs if the horse is ridden in a full-rigged saddle. To avoid this, some cinches begin to “flare” in different areas, which can accommodate a horse’s unique shape. The same cinch as described above on a 7/8 or ¾ rigged saddle might work fine for that same horse, because it is sitting further back. A slab-sided horse however might do fine with a wide roper cinch on a full rigged saddle.
Another example of a poor cinch/horse/saddle combination would be a narrow straight cinch on a center fire saddle- it because it won’t distribute the pressure properly or comfortably for the horse. A center fire saddle would require a much wider cinch, and because of where it would sit, there would not be as much of a risk with the cinch rubbing behind the elbow.
One thing is for sure: there are lots of variables for each individual case- examine your tack (where sweat and dirt is built up, this can indicate an area where there is too much friction, especially on the materials that are right next to the elbow). There is not a one-size-fits all cinch chart that will work for every horse and every saddle combo. Listen to your horse- if they are not performing as they normally do, or are acting uncomfortable even though the saddle fits well, observe where and how the cinch fits. It is often one of the most overlooked pieces of tack we use!
Whatever type of cinch you choose, make sure it fits properly. This is the biggest factor in making sure your equine partner stays comfortable and able to function at his best!
Phone & Text: (208)-660-4172
E-mail: hholsters@gmail.com
Address:
Horseshoe Saddlery
205 9th Ave S. Suite 114
Great Falls, MT 59405
Hours:
By Appointment only
Copyright ©2024 Horseshoe Saddlery