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Saddle rings on lever guns, why?

calamitywood
I grew up with horses and guns but one thing i missed in my raising was the purpose and proper use of a saddle ring on a lever gun. would someone please ease my worried mind?
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7 comments

Date Votes
  • gskyhawk
    I can't say if this is 100% correct but i have read it goes back to the calvery days where a lanyard was attached to the saddle ring on the rifle back to the saddle, that way if they droped it , it wouldn't be lost , they could just pull the rifle back up
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  • warcrob
    The so called saddle ring is nothing more than a lanyard ring. It was put on carbines so that mounted troops with a lanyard fastened to the rifle could carry it on horse back. Usally the lanyard was placed over the the shoulder and neck of the rider much like u see banditos wearing bandeleros. This sometimes proved to be somewhat auckward and many troopers simply hung them from the pommel of the saddle.

    If you ain't got a sense of humor you got no business bein here!
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  • plains scout
    Pretty sure the above comments are correct. Pistols of the calvary vintage sometimes have these as well -- same reason. First you had to stay in the saddle and second you did not want to lose your weapon and have to dismount and call time out when you went to retrieve your fallen weapon. [}:)]

    "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
    ~Abraham Lincoln
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  • v35
    The early saddle ring cavalry carbines were attached via a heavy snap fastener with roller that hung from a belt, looped diagonally across the chest of a trooper . A heavy leather ring called a socket was mounted on the saddle for the carbines to fit into so they don't bounce around.
    I believe later carbines had a leather shoelace loop on the ring to fasten to the saddle and keep the carbine in the scabbard.
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  • calamitywood
    works for me thanks everyone
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  • modoc
    Close but no brass ring.The civilian rifles with the small rings were completed with a leather strap that went around the horn and the carbine hung in that position.The full scabbard wasn't even invented until 1900.That means that a whole bunch of guns were carried outside.There were full length scabbards but were NOT tied to the saddles,but carried in the hand or tied behind the rider.
    I'm talking about civilian carbines.The information on military rings is correct.Got to keep the cowboy shooters informed.

    BILL
    KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY.BUT NOT HOT.....single action S&Ws are keepers
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  • v35
    Modoc- I question that some carbines would be carried just dangling from a saddle horn by a thong or strap between the Civil War and 1900 unless a cowboy was expecting some immediate action. It would beat up the horse and the gun and be at risk of falling.
    The leather socket, which in effect was a scabbard, was found necessary by CW cavalrymen & there were lots of surplus saddles , harnesses etc after hostilities available through Bannermans etc.
    It doesn't sound reasonable that it took 35-40 years for a full length scabbard to appear. And as to the mounting location, why would they change it from the secure location of the original ?
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