Time was when it was popular to cut the spur off a revolver’s hammer to keep it from snagging in your pocket or coat linings when you made a fast draw. Combat shooting authority Paul Weston, who favored this type of modification, aptly described the standard hammer as fishhook shaped.
The gunslingers of the old west always had some trick or method they used to gain an advantage over an opponent in a gunfight. Sometimes they worked…other times they did not.
Back in 1962, George Virgines wrote an article on the Gun Tricks of the Old West. In it, he specifically addressed the insider tricks of the trade to improve your odds of survival in the outlaw days.
Here is an excerpt from the original piece that talks about cowboy holsters.