There’s something timeless about a western holster.

The smell of leather.
The creak of a gun belt.
The look of a revolver riding low on the hip.

For over 150 years, western holsters have been more than just a way to carry a firearm — they’ve been part of the identity of the American cowboy. From lawmen and ranch hands to outlaws and stagecoach guards, a man’s rig told a story before he ever spoke a word.

At Mernickle Custom Holsters, that history matters to us. Every stitch, every curve, and every design choice we make is rooted in the traditions of the Old West. But as Cowboy Action Shooting has evolved, western holsters have had to evolve too.

The challenge has always been simple:

How do you build a holster that performs at the highest competitive level… while still looking like it rode straight out of 1880?

That’s where Mernickle Craft was born.

The Original Western Holster

The early western holster was built for function first.

Cowboys spent long days horseback riding, working cattle, crossing rough country, and protecting themselves from danger. Holsters needed to securely hold a revolver through dust, sweat, rain, and hard riding.

Most original rigs sat fairly high on the belt and held the revolver snug against the body. They were practical tools designed for real-world use — not speed.

Fast draw wasn’t the priority. Retention, durability, and accessibility mattered most.

Over time, regional styles began to emerge. Mexican loop holsters, buscadero rigs, cavalry styles, and carved leather patterns all became iconic pieces of western history. Hollywood later added its own flair, giving us the flashy gunfighter rigs many people still picture today.

But even with all those changes, one thing stayed the same:

A western holster was meant to reflect the personality of the shooter wearing it.

Cowboy Action Shooting Changed Everything

When Cowboy Action Shooting came onto the scene, shooters suddenly needed something the original Old West never demanded:

Speed.

Modern competitors draw and fire revolvers at speeds the original cowboys could never have imagined. Stages are timed. Efficiency matters. Comfort matters. Consistency matters.

A traditional holster design could still work, but competitive shooters quickly discovered limitations. That led to innovation across the sport.

Holsters began evolving to allow:

• Faster draws
• Easier reholstering
• Better gun angle and positioning
• Improved comfort during long match days
• More natural hand movement
• Greater consistency under pressure

The problem was, many “competition” holsters started losing the western soul that makes Cowboy Action Shooting special in the first place.

That never sat right with us.

Keeping the Old West Alive

At Mernickle, we believe performance and tradition belong together.

That’s why every rig we build starts with respect for the Old West look and feel — even when the engineering underneath is built for modern competition.

Our High Performance series didn’t happen overnight. It came from years of studying shooters, watching movement, listening to feedback, and constantly refining designs to help competitors shoot smoother, faster, and more comfortably.

But we never wanted our holsters to look “modern tactical.”

We wanted them to still look western.

That means:

• Handcrafted leatherwork
• Traditional carving and tooling
• Old West styling
• Classic lines and profiles
• Custom finishes and personal touches
• Rigs that still look right sitting next to a lever gun and a cowboy hat

At the same time, we build them with purpose-built competition geometry, carefully tuned ride height, cant, spacing, and draw angles designed specifically for Cowboy Action Shooting.

It’s old-school craftsmanship meeting modern performance.

The Steel Hidden Beneath the Leather

One of the biggest evolutions in modern Cowboy Action holsters isn’t something you immediately see — it’s what’s hidden inside.

Traditional Old West holsters were built from layered leather alone. They worked well for the time, but competitive shooting demands something entirely different. Modern shooters need consistency. They need rigidity. They need a holster that performs exactly the same on the first draw of the day and the hundredth.

That’s where our metal-lined construction changed the game.

Our High Performance Series Dual Strong Side w/One Reload Slide was designed to give shooters every possible advantage while still preserving the classic western look that defines Cowboy Action Shooting.

Beneath the handcrafted leather exterior is a robust internal metal lining system engineered for serious competition use. This hidden reinforcement gives the holster structure and stability that traditional leather-only designs simply can’t match.

The result is a rig that:

• Maintains its shape match after match
• Allows smoother, more consistent draws
• Provides easier and safer reholstering
• Reduces unwanted flex during movement
• Delivers a solid, dependable feel on the belt

For competitive shooters, consistency matters. A collapsing holster or soft leather can cost precious time and create frustration during fast transitions. Our metal lining helps eliminate those problems while keeping the authentic western appearance shooters love.

But performance doesn’t stop there.

The High Performance Series was also built with ergonomic wrist relief and a carefully cut-down design that allows for natural hand movement and seamless gun transfer. Every angle, ride height, and contour was developed with speed, comfort, and efficiency in mind.

Step onto the range like a true sharpshooter with our High Performance Series Dual Strong Side w/One Reload Slide. This isn’t just a holster — it’s a statement of skill and style. Designed for those who take their shooting seriously, this competition-ready rig blends strength, comfort, and efficiency into one unmistakably western package.

More Than Just Equipment

For many shooters, a western rig becomes personal.

It’s part of their alias.
Part of their style.
Part of their story.

Some shooters want a clean and classic setup that looks like a working cowboy rig. Others want fully carved holsters covered in floral tooling, silver spots, conchos, or outlaw-inspired flair.

That’s the beauty of western leathercraft.

No two shooters are exactly alike.

And honestly, that’s what makes this sport so special.

Cowboy Action Shooting isn’t just about speed. It’s about keeping a piece of the Old West alive while building a community around it.

Every time we build a holster, we try to honor both sides of that tradition:

• The history that inspired it
• The modern shooter who depends on it

Tradition Never Stands Still

The Old West itself was always evolving.

Leatherworkers constantly adapted designs based on the needs of ranchers, lawmen, travelers, and gunfighters. Innovation has always been part of western craftsmanship.

We simply carry that tradition forward.

At Mernickle, our goal has never been to replace the spirit of the Old West.

It’s to preserve it… while helping modern shooters perform at their absolute best.

Because the perfect western holster shouldn’t force you to choose between tradition and performance.

It should give you both.

And that’s what Mernickle Craft is all about.