Hi Joefan 1968:

Welcome to the Forum. Thanks for the photo of your father's Model 10 and holster. The holster is interesting - is it an American made holster that has been modified with the shell loops, or is a locally made one? I just missed out on Viet Nam - I was 18 yrs. old when I joined the Army in 1975, but I knew guys that were there, and they told me that you could have locals make holsters and other gear for you very cheaply. The Western-style, or "gunfighter" holsters were very popular, and a lot cooler looking than anything Uncle Sam ever issued.

To add to Taroman's comments, I knew a chopper pilot that was seconded to the CIA to fly "special missions". He wasn't supposed to be armed for some odd reason, so he had to go to the "black market arms room" to acquire his sidearm. He ended up buying an old Webley top-break revolver because he thought it "looked cool", and it didn't look even remotely like anything an American GI would carry.

Regards,

Dave