With the
amazing popularity of single action revolvers, it stands to
reason that there would be a great selection of holsters
available in which to carry them. The selection of holsters for
single action revolvers is almost endless...unless you want a
good concealment holster. There are a few good holsters on the
market that will work as a concealment holster for a big single
action sixgun, if you can wear heavy clothing to cover the rig.
Most single action holster makers cater to the cowboy style
crowd, but offer nothing for the man who chooses to carry a Colt
Peacemaker or Ruger Blackhawk as a concealed weapon.
There are also a few good designs available of what is known as
a working holster. This is basically a good strong belt holster,
but they are usually not designed with concealment in mind.
Maybe we
should consider why a person would want to carry a single action
revolver for a personal defense weapon in the first place. After
all, this is the age of the multi-shot, thermo-plastic,
point-and-keep-shootin’, laser-sighted, semi-auto titanium
death ray. Modern semi-auto pistols are a great choice for a
defensive weapon. As a class, they are light, compact, and
reasonably powerful. So why would a sane person choose to carry
a relatively heavy and bulky single action sixgun? There are a
few good reasons.
One obvious
reason is power. While a semi-auto can carry a bigger payload,
round for round, the single action sixgun packs a bigger punch.
A good defense round such as the .45 Colt or .357 Magnum carries
nicely in a single action sixgun, and while it won’t hold
fifteen of them, six powerful cartridges will handle just about
any situation for which a handgun is suited. While there are
good double action revolvers chambered for powerful cartridges,
they are generally not as compact as a single action, when both
have barrels of equal length.
Another good
reason for packin' a single action sixgun is reliability. The
things are about as simple as a revolver can be, with fewer and
larger internal parts than in other designs. Given the slightest
amount of care, the single action will fire each time, as long
as there is ammo in the gun.
A final reason
to prefer the single action is shootability. For the first
shot out of the holster, there is no better design than the old
thumb buster. A good single action, properly stocked ,
points like the finger of God. Many shooters agree that there
has been no improvement in the grip of a handgun since the 1851
Colt, which is the basic grip found on the Single Action Army
and Ruger’s early Blackhawks. Personally, I find the grip on
Flattop Blackhawks and Colt single actions to be near perfect
for pointability. They just seem to shoot where I look.
The major
drawback in carrying a single action sixgun concealed has been
the lack of a holster that will carry the gun high and tight
against the body, so that it could be easily concealed by a
loose fitting shirt or light jacket. This problem has been
solved by Bob Mernickle of Mernickle Custom Holsters
in Mission, British Columbia. It took the work of a Canadian to
design a proper concealment holster to carry the most American
of handguns; the single action revolver.
I recently
received from Bob Mernickle a pair of his PS6-SA concealment
holsters. The first impression of these holsters was that
of quality. The material and workmanship is first class on these
holsters. The tooling and stitching are flawless. The
finish is gorgeous. The design allows the sixgun to be
retained without the need of a strap or thumb break. The two
holsters received were made to fit the Ruger Bearcat and the
Ruger Blackhawk. Both fit their respective holster snugly, but
cleared leather quickly when needed. The PS6-SA has three
belt slots to allow a variety of carry positions. The gun can be
carried with a forward cant, slight rearward cant, and also as a
cross-draw. I prefer for concealment to carry the gun on my
strong side slightly to the rear. There the PS6-SA carries the
gun high and pulled in tight so that the butt of the gun
doesn’t show through the clothing. A great feature of the
PS6-SA is the low-cut front that allows the gun to ride high and
still clear leather quickly. The Mernickle design allows for a
quick, full grip on the handgun for a fast draw, yet the holster
retains the gun solidly until needed. The leather is formed to
fit the gun, and is stiff, as a good holster should be.
While a good
holster goes a long way in the comfortable concealment of a big
sixgun, it is only as good as the belt that supports it. If the
holster does not properly and snugly fit the belt, the gun will
flop around, be uncomfortable, and show through the outer
clothing. Also, if the belt is too thin and flexible, the gun
will flop around, be uncomfortable, and show through the outer
clothing. The holster and belt are a system. The belt from
Mernickle is the finest concealment gun belt that I have ever
seen. It fits the slots on the holster to perfection, but more
important, it does not roll over from the weight of the gun.
Throughout most of the belt it is over one-quarter of an inch
thick, with only the tongue area made thinner to assist in
buckling.
As can be seen
in the photos, the PS6-SA carries the gun high and out of the
way. Even while seated in a vehicle, the guns rides comfortably
without poking the ribs with the grip frame. A Blackhawk or Colt
conceals easily under a loose shirt or jacket, allowing a person
to have at his disposal a compact, reliable, yet powerful sixgun
while going about his daily life. If the gun is needed, it’s
right at hand. The PS6-SA allows a person to pack the same gun
that he would grab if at home, instead of a less powerful
compromise.
Mernickle
Custom Holsters makes many different quality designs for any
type of handgun. Check them out online at: www.mernickleholsters.com
The PS6-SA
holster is the best that I have found for carrying a single
action sixgun concealed, or just to keep a powerful gun at hand
but out of the way while working, hunting, or fishing. It is
also the sweetest little holster that I’ve ever seen for a
Ruger Bearcat. It is a great design built with quality materials
and top notch craftsmanship. I highly recommend it.
Jeff Quinn
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