When I make pickled eggs I use straight vinegar and boil it and poor it, while still boiling, into the jars with the eggs still hot from the boiling water.  I don't put the finished product  through the hot water bath method.  However I don't store them long term, usually they are all eaten within a month.   I have a friend that does his the same way but has stored jars up to a year and says  they are still good.   I personally would feel better boiling the finished product if I was going to store them that long.      

What do you guys think about the way we do it without refrigeration using straight vinegar?  

also could you do pickled sausage the same way if you heated it really hot and cut it really thin so the vinegar soaks the meat?  

I do my pickled eggs the same way, and keep them in the fridge for up to a month
if I was going to put them on the shelf I would definitely run them thru my pressure cooker
then let the jars seal