Texas Rangers Holsters

[Alamo]

This popped up in my X feed.

Interesting historical note.

Every one of those guys, except for the fellow with the jacket and maybe the guy behind the horse, has his holster positioned well forward, almost appendix position.

 

[DadSmith]

This popped up in my X feed.

Interesting historical note.

Every one of those guys, except for the fellow with the jacket and maybe the guy behind the horse, has his holster positioned well forward, almost appendix position.

Looks like some wore their guns at around 2 o'clock position.
A couple of them look like teenagers. Or I'm getting old.
That reminds me we had a new state trooper down here at Versailles post.
He looked like he was 13yo.
I ask if he was old enough to be out of school. He laughed said he got that a lot. Said he was 24yo.

Edit:

I looked up the ages of different notable Rangers found this.
Captain John Hays, became a Ranger captain at the age of 23. He joined the Rangers at 19.

 

[Leadeye]

What we call drop holsters are more recent, back in the day most guns were worn at belt level.

 

[DadSmith]

What we call drop holsters are more recent, back in the day most guns were worn at belt level.

View attachment 351293

So what style holster are those in that picture above that some of those Rangers are using. They look like a 2 o'clock draw position.

 

[Alamo]

…
A couple of them look like teenagers. Or I'm getting old.
…

I looked up the ages of different notable Rangers found this.
Captain John Hays, became a Ranger captain at the age of 23. He joined the Rangers at 19.

That was pretty common then. People in general did adult things at younger ages. Now it’s just criminals that do that.

Frank Hamer was older when he joined, 22 IIRC, but he had already spent a number of years working as a blacksmith and a cowboy, which made him very familiar with riding and surviving on the Texas plains. At 21 he captured a horse thief on the ranch he was working for and the local sheriff recommended him to the Rangers.

 

[Alamo]

Oh, I forgot to mention the white or light-colored shirts in the photo. That seems to have become a Ranger tradition. All the ones I’ve seen during my time in Texas where white shirts, tan pants, and either a white straw, cowboy hat or a slightly tan or beige felt cowboy hat. 1911 seem pretty universal with them.

As far as I’m able to determine there is not currently an issued Ranger uniform, they are instructed to buy western style clothing with a certain coloration.

It has changed over the years, there’s a picture of Governor Bush surrounding by Texas Rangers, who are wearing dark blue (I think) pants. But still with the light shirts.

 

[DadSmith]

Oh, I forgot to mention the white or light-colored shirts in the photo. That seems to have become a Ranger tradition. All the ones I’ve seen during my time in Texas where white shirts, tan pants, and either a white straw, cowboy hat or a slightly tan or beige felt cowboy hat. 1911 seem pretty universal with them.

As far as I’m able to determine there is not currently an issued Ranger uniform, they are instructed to buy western style clothing with a certain coloration.

It has changed over the years, there’s a picture of Governor Bush surrounding by Texas Rangers, who are wearing dark blue (I think) pants. But still with the light shirts.

I was at a shooting range in San Antonio many years ago, and a Texas Ranger deputy I guess is what you call it was shooting beside me. Very nice polite man.
He said their are only about 20 actual Rangers the rest like him are deputized. It's been years ago. I may have something off since I'm trying to remember an hour session shooting with him. He was wearing a white shirt then. But can't remember what else he had on. He told the RO I could have his brass lol.

 

[Alamo]

I was at a shooting range in San Antonio many years ago, and a Texas Ranger deputy I guess is what you call it was shooting beside me. Very nice polite man.
He said their are only about 20 actual Rangers the rest like him are deputized. It's been years ago. I may have something off since I'm trying to remember an hour session shooting with him. He was wearing a white shirt then. But can't remember what else he had on. He told the RO I could have his brass lol.

Over the years, at least since I’ve been in Texas, the number of Texas Rangers (sworn peace officers) has been between about 100 to 150. Right now I think there are about 130 according to their website. I don’t know if there’s any vacant positions.

They also have a small staff off of specialists and admin who are not commissioned peace officers.

There is also another group of official rangers: the Special Rangers of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. There are about 30 of them. (maybe you ran into one of them?) They are commissioned peace officers in Oklahoma or Texas (some have commissions in both states) who specifically focus on the cattle industry.

The TSCRA was originally formed by cattlemen in Texas in 1877 to deal with cattle rustling and the like.

 

[Leadeye]

So what style holster are those in that picture above that some of those Rangers are using. They look like a 2 o'clock draw position.

Those all look like belt level holsters from the photo, the grip is well above the belt line where a drop holster it's much lower. Why they have them positioned the way they do I don't know. I've never ridden a horse while carrying a sixgun, although I've got a lot of saddle time. Maybe you have the gun in it's holster between your leg and the horn of the saddle.

 

[MindfulMan]

Cool thread !
Reminiscent of the same time period that was portrayed in Zane Grey books,
such as Riders of the Purple Sage.
Those cowboys got to "slappin leather" !

 

[Alamo]

Those all look like belt level holsters from the photo, the grip is well above the belt line where a drop holster it's much lower. Why they have them positioned the way they do I don't know. I've never ridden a horse while carrying a sixgun, although I've got a lot of saddle time. Maybe you have the gun in it's holster between your leg and the horn of the saddle.

They put them in front because it is easier and faster to draw. You don’t have to reach back like when the holster is at 3 or 4 o’clock, and it doesn’t take as much arm and shoulder movement. This is also an advantage of appendix carry.

p.s. it also makes it possible to draw with the other hand if necessary.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Those all look like belt level holsters from the photo, the grip is well above the belt line where a drop holster it's much lower. Why they have them positioned the way they do I don't know. I've never ridden a horse while carrying a sixgun, although I've got a lot of saddle time. Maybe you have the gun in it's holster between your leg and the horn of the saddle.

Something to keep in mind is photography was a *big deal* in this time frame and the photos are posed. If they wore them that way daily or just moved them to be more visible for the photo, I don't know. I do know contemporary drawings and paintings depicting them in action tended to be a more traditional behind the hip or cross draw.

If you find yourself in San Antonio, and you haven't already been, there is a very nice Texas Ranger museum there: https://www.buckhornmuseum.com/

By happenstance, I visited not long after reading Bossenecker's (sp?) book on Frank Hamer.

There's another in Waco, but I haven't been to that one.

 

[DadSmith]

Something to keep in mind is photography was a *big deal* in this time frame and the photos are posed. If they wore them that way daily or just moved them to be more visible for the photo, I don't know. I do know contemporary drawings and paintings depicting them in action tended to be a more traditional behind the hip or cross draw.

If you find yourself in San Antonio, and you haven't already been, there is a very nice Texas Ranger museum there: https://www.buckhornmuseum.com/

By happenstance, I visited not long after reading Bossenecker's (sp?) book on Frank Hamer.

There's another in Waco, but I haven't been to that one.

I occasionally get to San Antonio. I have several family members there.
Next time I'm down there I'll stop by.
Appreciate the heads up on the museum.

Found this on internet.

Texas Ranger Cpl. J. Walter Durbin (at right)
Doesn't say who is standing beside him.
Cross draw.

 

[Slow Hand]

Those all look like belt level holsters from the photo, the grip is well above the belt line where a drop holster it's much lower. Why they have them positioned the way they do I don't know. I've never ridden a horse while carrying a sixgun, although I've got a lot of saddle time. Maybe you have the gun in it's holster between your leg and the horn of the saddle.

I would bet that they pushed them forward for the photographer and then afterwards slipped them back to a 3 o’clock position.

 

[Leadeye]

Cool thread !
Reminiscent of the same time period that was portrayed in Zane Grey books,
such as Riders of the Purple Sage.
Those cowboys got to "slappin leather" !

What do you think about the photographic composition aspect of this? You take a lot of really good pictures.

I've noticed that you see old pictures of soldiers with guns and they are usually of the pocket variety instead of belt or horse pistols. Almost all are held in front of them,

 

[Tactically Fat]

THE Texas Rangers museum is in Waco. And it's absolutely worth the stop in if you're in the area just to look at the firearms.

Note: Despite being the Texas Rangers museum, there wasn't a single baseball in the building.

 

[MindfulMan]

What do you think about the photographic composition aspect of this? You take a lot of really good pictures.

I've noticed that you see old pictures of soldiers with guns and they are usually of the pocket variety instead of belt or horse pistols. Almost all are held in front of them,

The prevailing style of photography at the time was 'highly posed'.
Photos were taken on expensive (and heavy) glass plates, and photographers didn't want to take more than one photo. Everything was staged.