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Old 09-13-2012, 01:37 PM
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Default Interesting Police Holster

This was made by Bianchi and that's all I know about it. Anyone ever seen one like this? It appears to hold a revolver, a set of cuffs and the attached pouch is either for a speedloaders(s) or a dump style (hard to tell from the photo), all of this in a single rig.

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Old 09-13-2012, 09:49 PM
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Mr. John Bianchi started out making holsters on his kitchen table while working as a city cop. By the time he retired and sold Bianchi International over 40,000,000 products went out the door! During the same time he bacame a Brigadier General in the reserves.

Quite a bit of history surrounding Mr. Bianchi, and I'm sure there are lots of interesting artifacts out there with his name on them.
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Old 09-13-2012, 10:07 PM
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Yes, I know he'd been in the business for quite awhile. I have his book, Blue Steel & Gun Leather, on my list of those to pick up soon. I'll get some better photos of this particular holster once I get it delivered here.
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Old 09-20-2012, 05:19 PM
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This is one neat rig. I got the holster today and found out it fits a 3" J-frame. I assume this was some kind of detective or off-duty/plainclothes setup.





I don't know what the loop below the dump pouch is for and it looks like I'm going to have to try to find a double female strap for up top to secure the gun (the loop at bottom doesn't work) although the fit is fairly snug without it.
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Old 09-20-2012, 06:21 PM
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Oooh...very nice. I've never seen anything quite like it.
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Old 09-20-2012, 06:33 PM
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Very cool. Looks like you shined it up quite a bit--what did you use?
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Old 09-20-2012, 06:36 PM
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Regular ol' Kiwi shoe polish.
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Old 09-20-2012, 06:41 PM
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The loop looks like a an ordinary belt keeper; is it sewn below the dump pouch or just looped through the opening? Asking because if it's not sewn it may have just been put there by someone who didn't know what it's for.
On a related note I have a 3" Md 36 and would love to have this rig if you ever decide to sell it. You cleaned it up great.
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Old 09-20-2012, 06:47 PM
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Gray Rider, the keeper is just looped through, but I believe it might belong there for some reason as the lower slot for the dump pouch is cut larger than the upper slot with a sort of triangular shape, as if allowance was made for something else, narrow like the keeper, to hang there below the pouch. If it doesn't belong in that particular spot, it does belong with the holster in some capacity as it's the same leather, same snaps and same border marking. Everything matches perfectly, in other words.
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Old 09-20-2012, 06:59 PM
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I been to 13 windmill pulls, a few goat ropin's and a hangin' and I ain't never seen nuthin' like that..

There's half a cow in that rig!!
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Old 09-20-2012, 07:06 PM
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Iggy, I've been looking everywhere on the internet for the past week or so and haven't been able to find anything like it anywhere. I would imagine it might be a custom one-off job Bianchi did.
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Old 09-20-2012, 07:36 PM
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Could be used for an extra set of cuffs.
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Old 09-20-2012, 07:59 PM
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Way, way back when many departments still called their female officers "matrons" or "policewomen" and made them wear skirts instead of uniform trousers, Bianchi and other equipment companies produced leather purses with built-in or removable holsters, cuff cases, and in some cases makeup pouches. NYPD authorized the 3" M36 for females instead of the 4" M10 or Official Police that the males toted. If I had to guess, the slots and snap loop are to secure your insert inside the purse. I imagine it'd work equally as well inside a briefcase.
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Old 09-20-2012, 08:07 PM
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TxShooter, you may be onto something. The seller I got it from is located in upstate New York.

Look what I found:

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Old 09-20-2012, 08:12 PM
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Did you look inside the belt keeper for a cuff key?

It doesn't look like it was made for the outfit, it wouldn't be unusual for it to be made out of the same leather and snaps they had laying around. They did make concealed cuff keys in belt keepers in case an officer was handcuffed with his own cuffs and it would have been an easy addition to that outfit to always have a key on hand.
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Old 09-20-2012, 08:47 PM
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No cuff key. I think TxShooter is right. This was likely made for female NYPD officers. I'd bet RM Vivas would be able to verify this if he were to see this thread. Info here: Model 36-1 NYC?? S&W guy claimed it may be NYC PD
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Old 09-20-2012, 09:31 PM
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TxShooter knows his holsters -- this is the insert for the Bianchi line of leather purses from the mid 1970's.

Hey, James!
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Old 09-20-2012, 09:34 PM
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My brother went to high school with John, but didn't hang out with him.........

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Old 09-20-2012, 09:53 PM
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I assume it was made to be worn on a belt, too, if wanted? I can't see any use for a dump pouch buried at the bottom of a purse.
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Old 09-20-2012, 10:05 PM
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TxShooter, James you are the man! All my best,Joe.
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Old 09-20-2012, 10:08 PM
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Very cool old time rig...
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Old 09-22-2012, 11:29 AM
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Default 1976/77 Bianchi catalog

Model 44 Handbag $34.95

Model 110 Holster $14.95

Model 44PW Handbag w/ holster $44.95

Attached Images
File Type: jpg Bianchi cat 1977 44 purse sm.jpg (168.3 KB, 288 views)

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Old 09-22-2012, 12:03 PM
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Great find, SG-688. Now I suppose I've got to try to find one of those purses.
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Old 09-22-2012, 12:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by -db- View Post
Great find, SG-688. Now I suppose I've got to try to find one of those purses.
Don't forget to buy some matching shoes.
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Old 09-23-2012, 09:05 AM
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Quote:
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Don't forget to buy some matching shoes.
I think it is called "accessorizing".
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Old 05-10-2016, 01:28 PM
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Thumbs up Rescued Another One

Like the first, this one is sized for a 3" J-frame.

As found:



Cleaned up:



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Old 05-11-2016, 07:57 PM
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That loop looks like it is for a key ring....maybe.
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Old 05-12-2016, 11:08 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DevilDog72 View Post
That loop looks like it is for a key ring....maybe.
Looking at it for awhile, and it is quite unique in my experience, I think you are on to something.
Maybe a good sized ring snapped in to the loop, then a ring of keys with a scissor snap snapped on to that, so he didn't have to snap and unsnap all the time.
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Old 05-12-2016, 12:12 PM
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I was thinking the "keeper" at the bottom was for keys. I hook all my keys onto a keeper, and would be even more handy for the jailer as well.
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Old 05-12-2016, 07:37 PM
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The loop at the bottom is for a 2x2x2 ammo pouch. As seen in the advertisement.

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Old 01-09-2018, 06:29 PM
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Agree the belt keeper was for keys, added by the individual officer or department but didn't require any modification by the looks of it. You couldn't do a thing without multiple keys on a ring.
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Old 01-09-2018, 07:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by -db- View Post
I assume it was made to be worn on a belt, too, if wanted? I can't see any use for a dump pouch buried at the bottom of a purse.
Beats loose rounds in the bottom of a purse.
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Old 01-13-2018, 02:25 AM
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Nice, now that I see it's purpose.
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Old 01-13-2018, 01:16 PM
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practical and stylish. Love it !
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