Shotgun Chaps
Shotgun Chaps
Shotgun chaps are the close-fitting western chap: each leg wraps fully around your leg and zips shut. They're warm, they don't flap, and they're the style you'll see most in the western show pen and on northern ranches. Chaps Fit shotgun chaps come in black, brown, two-tone and turquoise leather and suede, with fringe, tooled yokes, studs and side lacing, in sizes 2XS to 8XL.
Why They're Called Shotgun Chaps
With both legs zipped closed, the two straight leather tubes look like the side-by-side barrels of a double-barreled shotgun. That's where the name comes from. Old-timers also called them "stovepipes" for the same reason. Shotguns are the oldest style of American cowboy chap, in wide use among Texas cowboys by the 1870s, and they're still the most common chap in western horse shows today.
What Makes a Chap a Shotgun
- Fully enclosed legs: each leg wraps all the way around. There's no loose flap like on batwings.
- Full-length zipper: runs down the outside of each leg, usually from the thigh to the ankle.
- Boot flare: the bottom of the leg is cut in an arch or slight flare so it sits smoothly over your boot.
- Yoke and belt: the shaped leather at the waist, often tooled or finished with conchos, with a buckle at the front and lacing at the back for adjustment.
- Fringe: traditional along the outside seam. It's optional on plainer work shotguns.
Shotgun Chap Styles at Chaps Fit
- Fringed classics: the Classic Fringe Leather Shotgun Chaps, Brown Leather Shotgun Chaps with Traditional Fringe, Classic Shotgun Chaps with Hand Cut Fringe Style and Elite Western Fringe Shotgun Chaps.
- Statement and show styles: the Turquoise Shotgun Chaps with Tooled Yoke, which has a hand-tooled yoke, conchos and full-length fringe, and the Western Two Tone Leather Shotgun Chaps.
- Clean and understated: the Black Leather Shotgun Chaps with Classic Design and the Leather Shotgun Chaps with Traditional Fit.
- Detailed leatherwork: the Black Leather Shotgun Chaps with Side Lacing and the Brown Leather Shotgun Chaps Classic Stud Style.
- Suede: the Suede Western Shotgun Fringe Chaps, which have a soft nap that grips the saddle.
How Shotgun Chaps Should Fit
Shotguns are the most fitted chap, so sizing matters more than with any other style.
- Thigh: smooth and close, with no gap at the front when you're mounted. The thigh is the most important measurement.
- Knee: fitted, with just enough room to bend comfortably.
- Zipper line: the zipper should run between the side and the back of your leg, not down the front, and without twisting the leg.
- Waist: the yoke should sit on your hips and cover your jeans belt when you're in the saddle.
- Length: the hem should cover your boot heel when you stand, so it still covers the top of your boot when your knee bends in the saddle.
Measure your thigh, knee, hips and inseam in your riding boots, and compare them with the size guide. If you fall between sizes, see custom chaps.
Shotgun Chaps vs Other Styles
- Shotgun vs batwing chaps: shotguns are warmer, close-fitting and zippered. Batwings are looser and cooler, and they snap on and off over spurs.
- Shotgun vs chinks: chinks stop below the knee and are cooler for hot, open country. Shotguns cover you down to the boot.
- Shotgun vs woolies: woolies are built like shotguns but covered in hair or fleece. They're the warmest option for deep cold.
