Glossary of Gun leather terms derived from
Packing Iron Gun Leather of the Frontier West by Richard R Rattenbury
Belt Holster: a shaped leather receptacle designed to carry a
pistol suspended from a waist belt.
Body: the principal element of a holster or scabbard within which the
weapon is retained (also called the pouch or well).
Boning: the process of rubbing the contours of a pistol into the
surface of a holster as part of the wet-molding procedure.
Buscadero: a style of gun belt consisting of a curved belt with a slotted
panel, and a holster with an extended drop loop that is suspended from the slot.(see A1 QuickDraw western holsters)
California Buckle: a usually rectangular or square, double -frame buckle having clipped corners and nickel-plated finish used on cartridge and cartridge/moneybelts.
Cartridge Belt: a leather or fabric waist belt fixed with a series of attached
or internal loops for the carriage of self-contained fixed ammunition (also
termed a Thimble Belt in early usage).
Cartridge/Money Belt: a folded cartridge belt having a hollow interior for
safekeeping money or documents.
Cheyenne Holster: a regional variation of the Mexican Loop pattern popular on
the northern plains.
Concho: a metal disk of silver, German silver or nickel brass sometimes used
to ornament gun leather elements.
CrossDraw: a holster worn on the opposite side of its intended configuration
with the gun butt forward.
Drop Loop: a Buscadero or Fast Draw pattern holster having an extended belt
loop or shank leather above the pouch which lowered the holster body to thigh
level when suspended from the belt slot.
Edging: removing the square edges from leather elements and seams with a
cutting tool.
Face: The outermost surface of section of a holster, scabbard or belt,
usually the grain side of tanned leather.
Fast Draw: a style of gun belt consisting of a deeply curved belt, usually
with a slotted panel, and a low cut, metal-lined holster that is suspended from
the slot.
Hammer Thong: a narrow diameter strip of latigo leather designed to secure
the pistol in the holster by looping over the hammer spur.
Left-Hand: a holster that carries the pistol butt-to-the-rear when worn on
the left side of the body.
Leg Thong: a narrow-diameter strip of latigo leather fixed at the toe of the
holster and tied around the led to secure the holster during the draw.
Lining: a thin, inner layer of chamois, glove leather, light lining leather
or fabric glued and sewn on the inside of the holster body.
Mexican Loop Holster: an indigenous western form typified by one-piece construction
utilizing an integral belt loop/back skirt, common during the metallic cartridge
era.
Right Hand: a holster that carries the pistol butt-to-the-rear when worn on
the right side of the body.
Saddle Scabbard:an elongated leather receptacle designed for the carriage or
rifles or carbines on horseback.
Rifle Scabbards:usually an elongated leather receptacle designed to carry a carbine
or rifle on horseback; the term also was applied to pistol holsters during the
period 1850-1880 and was used in Texas well into the twentieth century.
Shoulder Holster: a shaped leather receptacle designed to carry a pistol
suspended beneath the arm from a shoulder harness. Basic variants were the Texas
(full pouch) and Skeleton (clip spring) patterns.
