The cowboy gun holster has a history dating back to the 18th century. Obviously, a recognizable entity for the cowboy established his quota of technological and slang names to enrich his unique recognition. Similarly, the gun holster became associated with the cowboy.
In earlier days, the gun was a major variety of the cowboy print; however, the weapons owned by cowboys were not always carried for the purpose of killing men. There were many other uses for guns with cowboys other than using them for the purpose of killing people.
There were a lot of sticky points regarding cowboy guns, such as that the gun should never be used against a man who didn’t have a gun to fight with. Since carrying a gun was part of the cowboy’s need for his life. It became necessary to have a holster to hold the gun, so the term cowboy holster gained slang recognition. A good cowboy gun holster would allow the gun to be removed from the holster with very few movements.
The old-style holster worn during the civil war had a small loop that was attached to the back for a belt to pass through; however, with this type of holster it was difficult to remove the weapon. There were models of holsters that were created with a flap that buttoned up above the pistol grip.
The Texas holsters came much later and were held quite firmly against the side of the person carrying the gun. This design allowed the user to pick up the weapon much faster than older models. This particular holster was tied along the leg with a leather strap or rope. This was done to prevent the gun from slipping when it was finally drawn.
There were gun holsters that were open at the bottom in a way that allowed a gun with a long barrel to stick out a few inches. This was actually meant to favor leaning and firing of an “old hip firing method”, but this is highly impractical and made up history.
The most practical pistol holster is the style worn by officers working to keep the peace. This particular holster was designed in a way that allowed you to put your finger on the trigger and your thumb to reach for the hammer and then tilt the gun forward a bit and it was possible to draw the gun quite freely and aim it at the prey instantly; the fastest holster draw.
Remember, there are plenty of gun-free places where the armed person can be convicted of coming across firearms. Federal buildings and post offices are strictly prohibited from entering illegally with weapons, even if you have a license. The same applies to courts and schools. Before you walk around with your gun holstered, understand what the law says.