A couple of questions for you "cowboy" or SA revolver shooters....

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I've never seen a breast collar hooked up that high, but I've never ridden straight up a mountain in California either.
They call it a "pulling collar" and the idea is to get the harness high enough to not inhibit the shoulder movement. I like them.

The straps connect through the pommel, too, so added strength there (i've broken at least one breast collar).

not my pic but shows the straps through the pommel:
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IMO someone took the collar design from an Aussie saddle and turned out a western version:
 
Corpral Agarn, that's a fine looking mount that you're riding. What's its name and is it considered a Buckskin?
 
"Buckskins have dark mane and tail."

To me they are the prettiest horse there is. Many long years ago when I was young and tough I used to ride a line-back dun whose name was of all things, Buck. He wasn't mine but belonged to a stove up old cowboy that couldn't ride him anymore and I got to give him a little exercise now and then when I had some spare time.
 
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Hokkmike

I still do the "load one, skip one, load four" routine even with more modern single actions. Just a good habit to get into. I still have a DeSantis Deseperado rig that I got quite a few years ago and it's held up fairly well over the years. At the time it was a pretty decent deal for it but I checked their website and like everything else it's gone up quite a bit in price. Let us know what you decide to go with.

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Not sure where you could try one on before purchase. There aren't many places that sell stuff like that around my area. Maybe a tack shop or western store. If there is a Cabelas in driving distance they usually have a few on the shelf.
 
Hokkmike

I will add that I am a little hesitant to buy on line without trying on a belt and holster.

I can understand your concern about getting the right fit and everything but most holster makers can walk you through the ordering process. That and you might have a hard time finding any place locally where they carry western rigs for you to try out.
 
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I will add that I am a little hesitant to buy on line without trying on a belt and holster
Some time ago, I bought a special model of a 686+ with a tapered underlug, a 5" barrel, and flat sides on the barrel.

I really like it, and though it has neither the panache, nor,to me, the handling, of a Colt Model P, it is safer and faster to reload. The frame size is the same as that of a Colt Model 1892 New Army.

It is not your father's Colt SAA, nor is it a common factory standard model, and I was a bit worried about finding a holster.

I called El Paso Saddlery and described it to Miguel. He was very reassuring, so I ordered one.

Perfect!

Now, I'm not the man to ask, but Craig is--and he recommends them too.
 
Some time ago, I bought a special model of a 686+ with a tapered underlug, a 5" barrel, and flat sides on the barrel.

I really like it, and though it has neither the panache, nor,to me, the handling, of a Colt Model P, it is safer and faster to reload. The frame size is the same as that of a Colt Model 1892 New Army.

It is not your father's Colt SAA, nor is it a common factory standard model, and I was a bit worried about finding a holster.

I called El Paso Saddlery and described it to Miguel. He was very reassuring, so I ordered one.

Perfect!

Now, I'm not the man to ask, but Craig is--and he recommends them too.

It is not so much the holster I am concerned about as proper fit of the cartridge belt and whole rig on the waist and how it hangs off the hip. Nonetheless, you make a good point in that it is good to have an individual like Miguel to talk to. It is better than just checking boxes on a list and hoping for the best. Thank you.
 
Hokkmike

I still do the "load one, skip one, load four" routine even with more modern single actions. Just a good habit to get into. I still have a DeSantis Deseperado rig that I got quite a few years ago and it's held up fairly well over the years. At the time it was a pretty decent deal for it but I checked their website and like everything else it's gone up quite a bit in price. Let us know what you decide to go with.

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Your rig looks good. If there was a way I could be sure that one ordered over the internet would fit me as well as yours fit you I'd be all in. As you know all body styles are different.
 
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Howdy

Rule #1: Never shoot reloads unless you loaded them yourself!

Now that we got that over, I have been shooting single action revolvers for over 40 years.

I have Colts, Rugers, and antique Smith and Wesson Top Breaks.

I always only load five, even in a Ruger, which is perfectly safe to load six into. I find it is much easier to stay consistent and only load five in all of them, rather than load six in some and five in others.

I have been shooting CAS for almost 20 years, and we are only allowed to load five, no matter what brand we have.

The other thing is, even with a modern double action revolver, I usually only load five at the range, because ammo comes in boxes packed 5 to the row. Easier to keep track that way.

Holsters:

I form fit a few holsters years ago. I did not soak the holster in water for a few hours. That is not necessary. A quick dunk into a pail or sink full of water is all that is necessary. Then wrap the gun really well in a couple of zip lock bags and jam the gun into the holster. Allow it to dry over night, that's all there is to it. Don't put it near a heat source, just let it dry in room air. You want the gun to be well wrapped so the moisture will not reach the gun. If you wrap it in a few zip lock bags, the holster will dry a tad larger than if in just one. Stands to reason, more bags are thicker and will swell the shape a bit. As stated, you don't want the holster floppy, you want it stiff, so it holds its shape. Lined holsters are always better than unlined holsters. A lined holster will usually have an inner layer of soft calf skin that will not wear the blue as much as the thicker leather that forms the body of the holster.

You have heard the saying you get what you pay for. You paid a pretty penny for that Smoke Wagon. Why buy a cheap holster for a nice gun?

Here is my Duke rig that I have been wearing for almost 20 years in CAS. This one was made by S.D. Myres. Notice how wide the belt is, almost three inches.

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A number of years ago I picked up an antique Smith and Wesson New Model Number Three. I wanted a nice holster for it so I called up El Paso Saddlery and ordered a Slim Jim holster for the NM#3. El Paso has zillions of dummy guns they mold their holsters around. I chatted on the phone a bit and mentioned that the lower area of the frame in front of the cylinder would probably need some extra space.

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Fits pretty good. I paid a little bit extra for some nice Border Stamping.

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The holster is open on the bottom without a plug.

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The great thing about El Paso is everything is custom. They had no problem making my holster fit onto a 3" wide belt. You have the choice of lined or unlined, left or right, straight hang or cross draw and a whole bunch of other stuff. You get what you pay for.

It turns out this holster also fits a Russian Model.

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And Schofield.

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It even fits an antique Merwin and Hulbert. Notice the 7" barrel of this revolver pokes through the bottom of the holster. A nice feature of a holster without a plug at the bottom. Notice too there is some obvious wear around the lip of this holster after having been used for a bunch of years now. I like to store these holster with a tennis ball stuffed into them. Helps keep the top from compressing down for an easy reholstering during a match.

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I actually have two of these holsters, I liked the first one so much that I bought another one just like it a couple of years later, for when I bring more than one antique revolver with me to a match.

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Howdy

Rule #1: Never shoot reloads unless you loaded them yourself!

Now that we got that over, I have been shooting single action revolvers for over 40 years.

I have Colts, Rugers, and antique Smith and Wesson Top Breaks.

I always only load five, even in a Ruger, which is perfectly safe to load six into. I find it is much easier to stay consistent and only load five in all of them, rather than load six in some and five in others.

I have been shooting CAS for almost 20 years, and we are only allowed to load five, no matter what brand we have.

The other thing is, even with a modern double action revolver, I usually only load five at the range, because ammo comes in boxes packed 5 to the row. Easier to keep track that way.

Holsters:

I form fit a few holsters years ago. I did not soak the holster in water for a few hours. That is not necessary. A quick dunk into a pail or sink full of water is all that is necessary. Then wrap the gun really well in a couple of zip lock bags and jam the gun into the holster. Allow it to dry over night, that's all there is to it. Don't put it near a heat source, just let it dry in room air. You want the gun to be well wrapped so the moisture will not reach the gun. If you wrap it in a few zip lock bags, the holster will dry a tad larger than if in just one. Stands to reason, more bags are thicker and will swell the shape a bit. As stated, you don't want the holster floppy, you want it stiff, so it holds its shape. Lined holsters are always better than unlined holsters. A lined holster will usually have an inner layer of soft calf skin that will not wear the blue as much as the thicker leather that forms the body of the holster.

You have heard the saying you get what you pay for. You paid a pretty penny for that Smoke Wagon. Why buy a cheap holster for a nice gun?

A great post be to sure. Right now I am considering either tossing the reloads or using them as decorations in my cartridge belt when I get one. Thanks for all of the insights and benefits of your experience.
 
Right now I am considering either tossing the reloads or using them as decorations in my cartridge belt when I get one.

Another thing I learned a long time ago. Lots of rounds in the loops on your belt makes the rig extra heavy. Take another look at that old rig of mine. I'm pretty sure it came with twenty cartridge loops. Notice how many rounds are actually in the loops? Only about 5 or 6. Those are actually 44-40 rounds for reloads for my rifle, in case I have a dud or squib. I don't keep any 45 Colt rounds (the rounds my Colts are chambered for) in the loops. About 20 years ago I realized that carrying 20 rounds in the loops may look cool, but it makes for an extra heavy gun belt along with two Colts and 8 shotgun rounds. I'm even thinking of removing the knife. It is only for show, I never use it.

If I was going to order a new belt today, I would not have any cartridge loops on it at all. Or maybe just a few for rifle reloads.

Lots of shiny rounds on the cartridge belt are purely Hollywood, not very practical at all.
 
I just purchased a Taylor "Smoke Wagon" (Uberti) deluxe revolver in .45 Long Colt with a 5.5 inch barrel. The manual says that the firing pin is designed only to punch the primer when the trigger is pulled but also recommends that the cylinder under the hammer be kept empty. So, that is what I am going to do.

Here are my questions; I appreciate your answers.

1. Is it a wise policy to only shoot lead bullets out of this type of gun? A person I know very little gave me an almost full box of reloads that have a semi wadcutter type of bullet. I am nervous about shooting somebody else's reloads out of my revolver anyway.

2. Where is the best place to buy western style cartridge belts and holsters without breaking the bank? I did get a holster in the deal but no belt and will first try to match what I have to save some money. I realize over time that a holster will likely discolor the gun. I am wondering if there is a way to "break in" the holster making it more supple.

3. If there is anythng else I should know about the care and feeding of this type of revolver please let me know. (I have already purchased and loaded snap-caps for dry firing)

THANKS!

I personally see no use at all for jacketed bullets in revolvers such as these. Unless you need an expanding bullet and you're not a bullet caster, then perhaps. But cast/swaged lead bullets will do 99% of what most of us need done.

I really like El Paso Saddlery leather, but it's not inexpensive. That said, they run 4 or 5 specials every year and until Feb 16 they're have a 20% off Valentine's Day sale (Coupon code LOVE20). I'm really tempted to order a holster for my wife for Valentine's, that would fit my Model 21-4 Smith, of course. :D

I ordered this one, a 1930 Austin, awhile back for my Uberti Frisco and an super pleased with the quality.

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A year or so ago the auction sites had a glut of these same holsters and they could be had for $70 or so dollars. Don't know where they came from, but they seem to be all gone now.

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This one was made by David La Flair in Arizona. I found it on Ebay in perfect condition for $110. Since then it's seen quite a bit of field use has a little wear on it. But it's a very high quality rig and a perfect example of the deals that are out there if a man is just patient.

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Wearing belts with full cartridge loops and a holster does make for extra weight for sure, and not at all necessary for trips to the range, etc. The only time I wear such a rig these days is if I'm going to be aways from the house or out for extended periods of time. I like to go on long walks on the ranch next door and usually wear a whole rig because one never knows what might happen 2 or 3 miles from the house. I keep a pile of revolvers in holsters on the bookshelf above my computer in the study and anymore when I go outside to work pretty close to the house I grab one and slide it onto my pants belt then drop a half-dozen or so extra cartridges into my pants pocket.

I never bothered "fitting" the holster to the revolver. If EPS says it will fit a 5 1/2" Colt, then you can bet it will. That is another reason I prefer a somewhat supple holster, they form to the revolver better.

Uberti revolvers are quite sturdy and "care" involves nothing more than occasional cleaning. I think your model comes with a wire-type bolt/trigger spring, so you should be good to go.

Regarding the retracting firing pin, I own a Uberti with this "feature" and it seems quite foolproof.

Here's a video of how it works

Oh, and definitely pull down the reloads.

35W
 

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The other thing is, even with a modern double action revolver, I usually only load five at the range, because ammo comes in boxes packed 5 to the row. Easier to keep track that way.

I've always heard that you can judge a man's intelligence by how often he agrees with you. You must be a pretty bright fellow there Driftwood. I thought I was the only person who does that. ;)
 
Thanks all for your replies, links, and the amazing pictures. My thought was to use the .45 Colt as a range gun, maybe hunt with it on few occasions, and have it as a "top of the stairs" gun at night. I will train my wife to use it pulling the hammer back only as the final step in a necessary use of the gun. My usual carry is a Glock 42. I'm thinking of "upgrading" to a Sig 365 but like the pocket size of the smaller .380. I bought the .45 LC as a companion to my 1953 Model 94 in .32 WS. I have been watching too many episodes of the best "gun" show on TV, Gunsmoke....
Given that context, I would recommend a gunbelt from Triple K as a good quality economy belt. I have a new belt in mind from El Paso Saddlery, but basic border stamping to make it look somewhat classy means a $200 belt. If planning on using the bullet loops, get ammo with nickel cases, or the brass will react to the leather, stick, and turn green and gunky. Alternatively, you could be disciplined about loading the bullets in the loops only when using the belt.
 
What you get with El Paso Saddlery is excellent quality, authenticity, and outstanding customer service. They made a customer for life when I approached them at a regional SASS match because the lining was coming loose in one of my holsters. I asked if they could fix it. The guy looked sad and shook his head, then gave me TWO brand new holsters and let me keep the old ones!
 
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