A Review of the Tex Shoemaker Jordan Rig

Is there anything sweeter to a RevolverGuy than packing a classic revolver in a classic holster made out of premium leather? I have to admit that I spend more time carrying guns (bottom feeders, no less!) in polymer holsters these days, but my revolvers all ride in cow or horse hide. I won’t deny that modern chemistry has given us some wonderful materials to make belts and holsters from, but my round guns will always get holstered in leather, thank you very much.

Luckily for me, Justin understands this quirk in my nature. He might pack his 640 Pro in a polymer holster worn on a nylon riggers belt, but he still gets the fact that custom leather rigs are special, and that some guns deserve them. Recently, in a wonderful, RevolverGuy type of gesture, he gave me a Jordan holster for my cherished Smith & Wesson Combat Magnum. It’s a beautiful rig, and I’d like to give you a tour of it. Continue reading “A Review of the Tex Shoemaker Jordan Rig”

Fighting Leather: The Jordan Holster

The sands of time fall slowly through the neck of the hourglass at the border, and sometimes they stop entirely. Despite the progress made in other parts of the nation by the early part of the 20th Century, the border Southwest of the 1920s to 1940s looked virtually unchanged from the days before the Mexican-American War, almost a hundred years earlier (1846-48).  The endless revolutions, bandit wars, cross-border raids, smuggling, looting, livestock theft, lynchings, military invasions, murder, and “normal” border violence disproved any notion that the days of the “Wild West” were over. Continue reading “Fighting Leather: The Jordan Holster”

VZ Grips L-Frame Tactical Diamonds

Since reading Protect Yourself with your Snubnose Revolver by Grant Cunningham, I’ve been convinced I need to try revolver stocks sans finger grooves. Unfortunately, finding stocks for a square butt revolver isn’t the easiest task. After my dismal experience with the Pachmayr Presentation, I decided to just go with something I had a bit more confidence in: the VZ Grips L-Frame Tactical Diamonds. Continue reading “VZ Grips L-Frame Tactical Diamonds”

The Speed Beez Speedloader Review

The search for the perfect revolver speedloader continues. I’m willing to try pretty much anything to find that balance of speed, comfort, concealment, and logistical feasibility (cost and availability). This week I am trying the Speed Beez speedloader. Continue reading “The Speed Beez Speedloader Review”

Safariland Split-Six & DeSantis Second Six Pouches

Recently I had occasion to visit Prescott, AZ. I was invited out to tour the Ruger factory Mike Wood was invited out to the Ruger factory and he was gracious enough to ask me to tag along. During the rest of our time there we did some shooting and did the “mall crawl” through many of the local gun stores. A lot of them had bins of used grips, pouches, nylon holsters, and miscellaneous magazines. There aren’t many guys that enjoy rooting around through stuff like that, but I do, and apparently Mike does, as well. I found some pretty interesting items, but nothing as cool as a beat-up pair of Safariland Split-Six pouches! Continue reading “Safariland Split-Six & DeSantis Second Six Pouches”

A Gen-X’ers Review of The DeSantis Speed Scabbard

Ok, guys, I have a confession. I’m one of those shifty, self-centered, good-for-nothing Gen-X’ers. It’s true. In addition to the other flaws inherent in this condition, I am also one of those guys that doesn’t really know leather. Sure I like the smell of it, but beyond that I’m pretty much lost. Take a look at the photo below. Does that look like a guy that knows the first thing about leather? Nope! So when Gene DeSantis offered to send me DeSantis Speed Scabbard, I said “sure!” but I knew I had to get smart on animal hide pretty quickly.

Continue reading “A Gen-X’ers Review of The DeSantis Speed Scabbard”

Grip Gripes: The Pachmayr Presentation Grip

As most of you regulars probably know, I grew up on the Marine Corps’ MEU(SOC) .45, a custom 1911A1 issued to a handful of Marines. In my day this gun came with a Pachmayr wrap-around grip that covered the front strap with a thin layer of checkered rubber. With this memory in mind, and memories of a good set of Pachmayr revolver stocks I once owned, I recently purchased a Pachmayr Presentation grip to replace the Hogue finger-grooves on my 686.

Continue reading “Grip Gripes: The Pachmayr Presentation Grip”

The 5-Star Firearms Speedloader Review

It’s speedloader time again! A few weeks ago I reached out to 5-Star Firearms to ask for a sample of their loaders to review. They got back to me promptly and got a package on its way. I’ve had three or four weeks to play with these things, so here goes my review of the 5-Star Firearms speedloader. Continue reading “The 5-Star Firearms Speedloader Review”

The MaxFire Speedloader Review

I recently had the opportunity to work with the Maxfire Speedloader a bit. I have been curious about this loader for a while as it offers a somewhat novel approach to the problem of reloading a wheelgun. When Mr. DuVernay sent his package of speedloaders to me to compliment Mike’s classic speedloader article, he also enclosed a MaxFire exemplar. One of my favorite adages is, “in theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they’re not.” In theory this is a pretty good speedloader… Continue reading “The MaxFire Speedloader Review”

Dark Star Gear Holster Comfort Modification

A while back I wrote about my troubles with the Dark Star Gear AIWB holster. I really liked the rig but it was incredibly uncomfortable to wear. I mentioned this to Nick of JOX Loader Pouches and he recommended a light, non-destructive mod I could make to the holster. So I gave it a go and I give you: the Revolver Guy Holster Comfort Modification! Continue reading “Dark Star Gear Holster Comfort Modification”