Whiskeyhotel2020
Member
This post turned out longer than expected. I tried not to rabbit trail too much. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read it.
I'll start off by saying this rig is special to me because of the man that wore it prior to me. That man was the one to teach me a lot of the ins and outs of carrying a pistol for self defense. He was a cowboy at heart and is sorely missed every day.
This rig started out as a single 1911 rig before Cowboy action had the wild bunch category. I know it's not period correct and he knew that also, however he didn't own any single action revolvers at the time. What he did have is a Kirk Patrick Deputy Marshal belt, a Bianchi clip grip mag pouch, and a Bianchi #50 Chapman Hi Ride holster. Now my dad wore that rig part near everyday around the house. Then he discovered the deals to be had on ebay. Soon he had scrimshaw faux ivory wolf grips for his .45 auto.
When i got out of the Marine Corps and my own collection of firearms started to grow he gave me my first couple of holsters and what I thought was strange advice. He said get a box and keep it in your closet. That's where all your gun leather goes that you thought you'd like, but found out it doesn't work for you, goes. Being a typical fledgling adult I just kinda shrugged and said oh I know what I like. That's a post for another time maybe. I would ask him about the black rig and where I could get one. He would tell me it was put together on a spare pistolerlo belt from Bianchi. So my search started.
I would try to find that belt at a price that I could actually afford. Everytime I would visit I would ask him again where to find that rig. He told me that the holster was a Bianchi #50 and was made for Rex Chapman during the forming of what is known as ipsic. and the mag pouch was a Bianchi clip grip. So back to the internet I went. The closest I came to finding a Chapman was a #233 Storm. Meanwhile, the old man was got three more. Each a one a little different.
On one of my visits we went shooting and he let me wear the black rig. I felt that awesome feeling like other guys felt when their dad handed them the keys to the family car the first time. I was so thrilled that you'd think I'd have looked closer at the belt. Nope. I liked the rig before that day. After that day I fell in love with that leather.
One Christmas I opened up a my present from mom and dad and there sitting in the box was a complete Bianchi pistolerlo rig. I danced around the living room like a little kid. My dad pointed out the notch in the belt where the holster loops over and told me that when I get a Chapman of my own it should fit right in there. Well, I finally found one on eBay for $20 and I tried to put it on the belt. It didn't work. That's when it occured to him that oh yeah it's not the right belt.
As time went on and he started to a mass a collection of some really nice gun leather, he decided that if he where to ever get out and shoot a cowboy action match he'd enter in the gun fighter division so he got a second Springfield Armory 1911 (this one was more up to date) a second set of would grips and a belt buckle. He replaced the mag pouch of the black rig with a second Chapman wore cross draw. And the black rig became the wolf rig. I have long since stopped asking him about that da#m belt and decided I'd find someone to just custom make one. I never got around to it there was firearms to buy, a divorce, I had two boys of my own, and all the other things life throws at you.
When he died I got the .45s (I posted about those in 2020) but my mom kept the wolf rig. That is until a last summer.
I took a good look at belt and found out that it was in fact a Kirk Patrick.
I have the wolf guns and the rig that carries them. Everytime I put it on amd slide those .45s into their holsters a smile crossed my lips and I think back on how my dad sent me on my own hunt for the components to find my own style. It's not as fancy as some of the rings out there, but it's fancy enough for me.
With the belt mystery solved I'm going to put together my own gun rig. I'm going to do it a bit different. I have the holster maker picked out (thank you Strawhat) and the weapon it will carry and maybe one day one of my son's will be on here writing about it. Thank you for reading and stay safe.
