I am looking for a new cowboy rig for a 4 ¾ .357/.38 Beretta Stampede. I hate to spend more than the gun cost. Any recommendations?

I am looking for a new cowboy rig for a 4 ¾ .357/.38 Beretta Stampede. I hate to spend more than the gun cost. Any recommendations?
If you plan to keep the rig for a long time, would suggest you go with something other than the inexpensive, bottom-of-the-line models which use inferior materials and quickly lose their shape. Purchasing one of these, then purchasing a better one later is more expensive in the long run than having a quality rig to start with. It should be easy to fill your needs for a quality rig if you are willing to spend around $200 for one. Shop the sponsers of The Gunfighter Zone, www.gunfighter.com (http://www.gunfighter.com) to check out their prices as they cater to the CAS folks who need good gunleather. My rig is made by Kirkpatrick which has held up well for over five years of continuous use. Hope this helps.

I have a Model 12, 2-gun rig that I got in 2001, made by Tombstone Leather (now known as Knights Leather Products) and I wouldn't hesitate to get another! It will be awhile, though, since this one has held up beautifully and still has years of life left. I use it for all my CAS matches and occasionally wear it with one holster (cross-draw) when out on the 4-wheeler.

Well worth the money!

www.knightsleatherproducts.com (http://www.knightsleatherproducts.com)

Well, I got a Triple K single rig. I notice that it is very oilly. What is the best way to remove the excess oil??

I got bored last winter and made one for my friend's 460s&w, and a bandolier for my 45-70. I had not done any leather work until then, but they actually turned out pretty nice. Becides some basic leather tools it only cost about $30 for materials, and it was a fun project. I don't have any pics of the rig but here's one of my bandolier. Nothin speciel.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s168/keikihulamama/bandaleer.jpg

Well, I got a Triple K single rig. I notice that it is very oilly. What is the best way to remove the excess oil??

Lots of paper towels. The oil itself irritates my skin too much for me to wear as it will seep into your clothing if you don't blot it down first.

I used to make allot of my own holsters which I still use many today, but the past few years, I've been buying some very nice leather from Kirkpatrick. They offer beautiful high quality leather at a very reasonable price. When I was looking for a complete rig for my Ruger, I called to see what they had available. What I found was they often have rigs that have been on display that they will let go fo about half of what they are if you were to order them. For a product that I think is a good deal to begin with, this makes it a steal of a deal. While leather may not add a good deal to the resale of a handgun, IMHO quality leather can certainly add to the enjoyment of my ownership of that firearm.

. . . IMHO quality leather can certainly add to the enjoyment of my ownership of that firearm.
Absolutely and it will continue to look good years after the purchase so long as it's maintained. My Kirkpatrick rig is black and it carries my "Sunday" SA .45 Colt clone with the ivory polymer grips. Plan to add another Kirkpatrick rig soon in dark brown for "everyday" use.:)

I started with a rig from Blackhills Leather for my Vaqueros. It is pretty nice but my next one for my Blackhawks will be either a Murphy, Mernickle or a Kirkpatrick. I am leaning towards a Short Tom rig from Murphy. My wife is shooting with a Mernickle, Holy Terror rig and it is pretty to look at and very well made.

I think the leather is as important as the guns you chose.

Jay

. . . I think the leather is as important as the guns you chose.
Jay
Roger that. You have good taste in gunleather. A rig that will retain it's shape over the years will not only continue to look good but is actually gentler on gun finishes. It holds the gun in position not allowing it to flop around increasing wearing on the finish.

If you're still looking, gimme a holler. I could set you up for about $300. I have pics of some of the stuff I've made.