California Horn Loop

[Fox Creek Kid]

http://www.truewestmagazine.com/american-frontiersmen-devised-the-best-ways-to-carry-a-rifle/


My question is this:  would not carrying a rifle in one of these over years create a wear pattern on one side of the forearm? I ask this as many debate the wear patterns on Old West rifle forearms and what caused them. Some say it was how they sat them in bouncing wagon and others, such as myself, by using a horn loop as I believe that with time, weight & leather stretching somewhat that the forearm would be banging & rubbing on one side of the saddle, depending on which side it was carried on.

What sayeth the Forum? 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I don't know the answer to your question but would think a wear pattern would happen in any of the methods. Thanks for the link. It was an informative and enjoyable article.

[Red Cent]

Interesting.
The Henry did not have a fore end as does the 1873 Winchester. While the horn holster, because of its contact area,  would not create wear patterns on the 1873 and 1866 or Marlin and Burgess of around the same period, the contact of the fore end elsewhere would certainly create a wear pattern.

I watch quite a number of westerns and they may not begin to portray the real cowboy world, but I cannot believe the ways they carried their rifles in scabbards. Besides beating to death a running horse, some seem to creep outward and attempt to escape their berth.

The horn holster would seem to be an obvious answer to how one would/should carry his rifle. The holster does not provide cover from the elements including sand and dirt, but I can think of some simple solutions.

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[Buck Stinson]

I'm not sure how popular the horn loop was on the American frontier, because I sure don't see many of them for sale or in collections.  Those few that I have run across, have wear patterns that would indicate they carried either Henry's or Winchesters.  The other side of it is, they probably wore out quickly and therefore the survival rate is very low.  I do know that the NWMP started ordering these loops (they called them "slings") in 1878 for use with the 1876 Winchester carbines.  Many were ordered from the Whitman Saddle Co., which I believe was located in New Jersey.  These slings were also made by M. J. Wilson & Son's in Ontario.  In 1905, this company made 325 horn loops for the NWMP. 

PS, I noticed when looking at the True West article, that Phil pictured his Henry and horn loop on the Texas trail saddle I made for him around 20 years ago.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Buck, I wonder how many people would even know what one is if they found one at a farm auction, unlike a rifle scabbard.  

Notice how the loop in the Frederick Remington drawing seems to have two loops.  

[Trailrider]

I don't understand the reference to the "Southwest" position of rifle scabbards located on the right side of the saddle, with the rifle butt facing the rear! If the "near side" butt forward is the "Northwest" carry, wouldn't the former be a "Southeast" carry?  It has been many years since I went horseback hunting, packing a rifle in a scabbard...on the "Southeast" side carry. I kept the rifle from falling out of the scabbard going uphill by the simple expedient of having a "half-flap" that buttoned to the scabbard body and for a bolt action rifle, the flap had a hole in it that fit over the bolt handle. Never lost a rifle that way. I could dismount, unbuttoning the flap, grasping the rifle by the stock wrist, and pulling it free just before I swung my leg over the horse's rump.  I could also reach across the horse and pull the rifle while dismounted.

The U.S. Cavalry used the sling swivel with the carbine supported by the trooper's shoulder. To keep the carbine from flopping around, the muzzle was shoved through a leather socket attached to the saddle rigging.  The problem with this was that in the event the trooper was thrown from his horse, the carbine could keep him hung up! A sergeant came up with an open-front socket made of leather-covered spring steel that would allow the carbine to pull loose in such an event!

[Buck Stinson]

Fox Creek,
I think it would be very hard to identify by anyone other than a collector or history buff.