The Galco Difference

Humble Beginnings

It started humbly with a small family leathergoods shop in Chicago, Illinois. One can argue that Chicago doesn’t exactly top the list for a great gun culture anymore, but things were a little different back in 1969. Richard Gallagher was born and raised in Chicago, and that’s where he founded The Famous Jackass Leather Company, the predecessor to what’s now Galco.

In 1980, Mr. Gallagher decided to rebrand the company and chose the name Galco. It’s often assumed that Galco means “Gallagher Company, but it’s really an acronym for Great American Leather Company. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1983. The climate for holster makers in the desert southwest is better for a host of reasons, and of course Mr. Gallagher wanted to keep his holster making entirely in the United States, so he chose Phoenix.

Quality, American Legacy

Many holster makers today buy their hides overseas and outsource production to China, Vietnam or Mexico, and others are wholly owned by Turkish and Paraguayan interests. But Galco remains committed to manufacturing in the USA, and we’ve repeatedly doubled our manufacturing and distribution capabilities in Phoenix in order to meet demand.

Galco sources as much raw material in the USA as possible, with its leather coming from the comparatively few remaining American tanneries, competing with high-end saddle shops and European designer handbag makers for the top 2% of available premium steerhides. These hides go on to become the basis of our professional-grade lineup of instantly-recognizable designs like the Miami Classic, Ankle Glove, Concealable, FLETCH, Summer Comfort and more.