by John Markwell | Contributing Editor
Jack Gully is a cowboy at heart. He’s a pretty good roper, makes great chaps and chinks, cooks a mean piece of buffalo on his smoker, and makes really good leather holsters and accessories for both concealed carry and field use. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Jack in June and July of this year. We took part in a couple of brandings, cooked some buffalo, went scouting for prairie dogs, did a bit of shooting, and talked holsters in his shop.
The first of Jack’s holsters I ever saw, were on display at the Cor-Bon booth at the SHOT show in 2011. I was working on a written piece about chest holsters at the time and Pete Pi Jr. had a pretty good looking rig on display. The holster was made by Jack in his Newell, SD, shop under the trade name of Badlands Leather. (PO Box 107, Dept. TGM, Newell, SD 57760; phone: 605-456-1332; online: kbarjleather.com). I obtained a couple of Badlands Leather’s Backcountry Chest Holsters and they were included in the article which appeared in May 1, 2011 issue of Gun Week. I visited with Jack at SHOT in 2012 and again in 2013 where he was showcasing his expanding holster and leather accessory line. He struck me as a really nice fellow who made nice leather gear.
As the summer of 2013 approached, plans for the annual prairie dog shooting trip took a turn as my shooting buddies Don Duff and Jim Krotkowicz didn’t want to drive all the way to Montana. So, we started making a plan to go to South Dakota. I placed a call to Jack to see if he had any leads for us on places to shoot. The short story on that is that we ended up taking part in two large brandings (yep, they still do that out west) and got some great shooting in. We also visited Jack’s holster shop in Newell and came away with some new leather gear which I told my wife I really needed.
The main holster reviewed here is what jack calls the #1. It is a straight drop holster with a belt slot sewn to the back that is integral with the leather reinforcing strip that goes around the holster’s mouth. Another belt slot in the wing of the holster pulls the gun’s butt into the body to aid in concealment. Stitched-in sight rails top off this classic design, which is reminiscent of the old Gordon Davis model 453. The #1 is available for 1911 pattern pistols of all barrel lengths and other autoloaders. The #1 is made from #1 skirting leather and is nicely stitched with nylon thread. It retails for $80 which, until Christmas 2013, includes one of Jack’s matching Conceal N Carry Magazine Holders. For those who are into dress guns, the #1 can also be had in exotics such as ostrich or caiman or elephant (call for details and pricing). A matching belt to tote the holster and mag pouch is $75. The complete rig is a bargain at $155.
I left Jack’s shop in June with two #1 holsters; one for a Commander and one for my Springfield EMP. I wetted the EMP holster and detail molded it to the EMP while on the road. The Commander holster has yet to undergo wet molding and serves so well as it is, that I may forego that process. These holsters ride well on the Galco 1½ inch Holster Belt which I wear daily. The Badlands #1 holsters are very stable, unobtrusive when carried just behind the right hip, and provide a smooth, snag free draw. I got these holsters in mid June and carried one or the other almost daily for the remainder of my western trip, toting either my EMP or a Commander-sized 22LR conversion unit mounted on a Kimber 1911 frame.
Both my prairie dog shooting buddies, Don and Jim, are experienced pistoleros who have each owned and used a fair number of holsters over the years for both competition and daily carry. Both of these guys were impressed enough with the Badlands Leather #1 holster rigs that they each ended up taking one home with them. In fact, Don bought two complete rigs; one for himself, and another for his son to tote his 1911 in. The Badlands Leather #1 holster is a classically functional design that is well worth the asking price of $80. Don, Jim, and I are thoroughly enjoying using ours.
The aforementioned Backcountry Chest Holster that Jack makes available for a large variety of handguns, both revolvers and autos, and retails for $160 which includes a spare magazine holder or five round shell holder for revolvers. Backcountry outfits for guns with barrels longer than 8 or so inches cost a bit more, so call for details. These chest rigs have found great favor with hunters, horseman, and ATV riders. I’m a big fan of chest rigs for general field carry and use one a lot here in the WV hills. These holsters can be configured to position the handgun in the center of the chest (my preference) or lower on the body or off to the side more like a shoulder holster. Unlike a true shoulder rig, presentation and especially reholstering with a chest holster is much more convenient. If you’ve never tried a chest holster, I think you would be surprised at their accessibility, utility, and comfort.
Jack also offers a pretty neat line of belt pouches for folding knives. Some of these are designed for horizontal carry while others are more traditional. All have a western flare (see the website). The one I obtained while in Jack’s shop is the Double Loop Knife Sheath (which is actually his mag pouch molded to fit a knife). The sheath was flat when I first got it but a quick dip in water and a little time and effort soon had it molded to my favorite everyday folding knife and to the contour of my body. When worn on the belt behind the left hip this pouch is so comfortable I hardly know it’s there. I was worried about the security of this pouch, as it had no method of retention, but jack assured me the pressure created by the belt running through the dual slots would keep the knife in place (as it does a magazine). He was right. The Double Loop Knife Sheath retails for $20 and you get to “mold your own.”
Jack is slowly expanding the standard offerings of Badlands Leather and is not averse to doing custom work. When I was in the shop in July, Jack was working on a concealment holster for a fellow’s Springfield EMP that was to be carried in a BDU leg pocket. He also builds some period reproductions like the copy of the Heiser 1911 holster in the accompanying photo. If you are in the market for a quality leather holster or accessories, at a reasonable price, check out Badlands Leathers’ offerings; I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Good shooting .
