Sad News About Gordon Davis

This note from the current issue of SHOOT! Magazine about Gordon Davis, one of the greatest holstermaker ever:

Gordon has been struggling with diabetes...Unfortunately, Gordon's condition has recently become much worse. He is almst blind; he has only one eye working and cataracts in [that eye]. He had to give up his tools and shed to pay for his back rent; he can't stand up and work anymore and is hoping to get Social Security. He now has no means of income and is on state medical disability...

I can't really do justice with how influential Gordon Davis has been in sport shooting. He's one of the original Wild Bunch, the founders of cowboy action shooting. There's the classic story of Gordie calling me up in the early 1980s, all excited about "shooting IPSC with cowboy guns." I listened to him describing how he and Harper Creigh — who would become SASS #1, Judge Roy Bean — were shooting old Colts and Winchesters off horses made of barrels, etc.

"What do you think?" Gordie asked me. I, commited "combat shooter" and Jeff Cooper disciple that I was, told him that was the stupidest idea I'd ever heard. "Good lord, Gordon," I said, "what are you smoking out there in California?" Years later Harper would ask me if I had any real estate or stock tips for him, since I'd done such a good job in "predicting" the rise of cowboy action shooting; the Judge still carries his internationally famous ivory-handled Colt SAAs in a spectacular Gordon Davis cowboy rig.

Before SASS, Gordon Davis, along with Milt Sparks, practically defined the modern carry holster. Gordon quickly realized that the fledgling sport of IPSC represented an incredible holster lab, and his rigs were quickly in heavy demand. Here's an AMERICAN HANDGUNNER profile from 2001.

I still have and use a Davis "Chuck Taylor Special," my first comeptition holster for a 1911.

SHOOT! is raffling off a custom Cimarron single action and what may be the last Gordon Davis rig. You can get details at the SHOOT! site or at (800) 342-0904. Tickets are $10 apiece.

I'm not sure what I'll be doing, but keep watching the blog...Gordon deserves our help!