Bill Jordan

Who was Bill Jordan?

William Henry "Bill" Jordan was an American lawman, United States Marine and author.

Born in 1911 in Louisiana, he served for over 30 years with the U.S. Border Patrol, while also serving as a US Marine during World War II and the Korean War. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Colonel.

Jordan is credited with developing the 'Jordan' or 'Border Patrol' style of holster. The Jordan rig is rigid and unmoving, always holding the gunbutt in precisely the same relationship to the gun hand. The revolver’s trigger guard is completely exposed, and the gun is held away from the back portion of the holster by a plug of leather, allowing the trigger finger to enter the guard as the draw is commenced. He also collaborated with Walter Roper in the design of wooden grips intended for heavy-calibre double action revolvers, which are now made by Herrett's Stocks as the "Jordan Trooper". Jordan always favored a double action revolver for law enforcement duties. He was largely responsible for convincing Smith & Wesson to adapt its medium K-frame series revolver to accommodate the .357 Magnum cartridge, resulting in the "Combat Magnum".

After retiring from the Border Patrol, Jordan served as a Southwestern Field Representative for the National Rifle Association. He was a contemporary of Charles Askins, Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton and to a lesser degree, Jack O'Connor. He wrote numerous articles on all aspects of firearms, as well as books such as No Second Place Winner, Mostly Huntin' and Tales of the Rio Grande. Jordan was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan.