How did pioneers conceal their guns in the Old West?
In the early days of the frontier, few laws restricted the carrying of firearms. In this wild, unsettled region—whether in the wilderness or in town—packing a weapon for personal defense was often a necessity. Many frontiersmen wore their guns openly.
As soon as civilization found its way onto the frontier, a number of Western communities began prohibiting the carrying of guns in public. Regardless of such local statutes, peace officers, gamblers and those who lived on the fuzzy edge of law and order—along with some respectable bankers and shopkeepers—found it advisable to pack iron when out and about. In their effort to maintain decorum, the practice of carrying their hardware concealed from public view became de rigueur.
Although a handful of states once restricted concealed carry, all of them now allow it; Illinois became the last state to pass a law permitting concealed carry, with license applications first available on January 5, 2014. For those who wish to conceal their firearm, in accordance with the laws, of course, take a note from how frontier gentlemen and ladies hid their weapons out West.
So how did Westerners hide their big six-guns? Wyatt Earp reportedly had a special heavy canvas pocket sewn to the inside of his frock coat, spacious enough to carry a Colt Single Action Army revolver without detection.
Another means of secretly carrying weaponry were the high-topped boots worn by so many men on the frontier. Besides knives, small- to medium-sized handguns—especially the widely sold single-shot boot pistols of the early- to mid-19th century—could easily be hidden in these tall, stovepipe affairs.
Perhaps the most unusual mode of packing a six-gun was that practiced by Hardin in his later years in El Paso, Texas. Eyewitness accounts state that Hardin occasionally carried a pair of .41 caliber, double-action 1877 Colt “Thunderers” in his trouser pockets—with the muzzles pointing up! In an interview appearing in the August 23, 1895, edition of the El Paso Daily Times (just four days after Hardin’s death), Hardin’s landlady said, “Yes, Mr. Hardin was certainly a quick man with his guns…He would place his [unloaded] guns inside his breeches in front with the muzzles out. Then he would jerk them out by the muzzle, and with a toss as quick as lightning, grasp them by the handle and have them clicking in unison.”
A unique mode of packing the Peacemaker Colt—sans holster—was to thrust it into one’s waistband, and then open the loading gate. The opened gate prevented the Colt from sliding down into the pants, keeping it at waist level for a fast draw. Generally speaking, the system worked well, despite one frontier sheriff’s misadventure while relying on this method. He later stated that in one gunfight, he drew his Colt in such haste that he forgot to close the loading gate. He got his first shot off without a hitch, but as the revolver was cocked for a follow-up shot, a cartridge slipped out of its chamber into the loading gate area and jammed the gun. Fortunately for the lawman, his first shot settled the dispute and further gunplay was unnecessary.
