The Stake Out Unit (SOU) was involved in 252 shootouts during a
5 year period 1968-1973. Jim Cirillo was involved in many of them
where he killed up to 19 armed thugs, using his S&W Model
10 with a 4" "bull barrel".
Being a holster collector, I was curious as to the holster Jim
used. The most common holster used by NYPD officers at that
time was the Jay-Pee.
I asked Mas Ayoob. He responded: "The Stakeouts had some
leeway. I never saw one of them wearing a Jay-Pee, at least
when I visited the SOU. Cirillo, as I recall, carried his 4" heavy
barrel in a low-riding swivel holster snapped into one position,
with the strap undone. His 4" tapered barrel backup Model 10
in a cross draw with a thumb break..."
I found a photo of Jim on page XIV of his book "Guns, Bullets,
and Gunfights, showing him wearing a low-riding swivel holster,
with the strap undone. Carefully examining the photo I found
that the holster had about a dozen cartridge loops at the top of
the holster, slightly above the belt. It also shows a 12 cartridge
speed slide, that Jim invented, just in front of the holster, on
the garrison belt.
Based on three "witnesses", my educated guess is that,
in the photo, and probably on SOU duty, Jim was wearing a
Bucheimer-Clark Patrolman. It was made during that time
period. It was made for the S&W M&P (Model 10), and it has
the swivel and 12 cartridge loops at the top of the holster.
Shown here is my Bucheimer-Clark Patrolman rig carrying my
S&W Model 10 with 4" "bull barrel". Two officers who had shot
with Jim at the range said this is the rig, or one very much
like it. What do you think?

Attached Images

SAM_0038.jpg (157.3 KB, 697 views)

Your pic rang a bell for me.
Have a plastic tub of some old leather.
This is a S&W marked rig.
Only pics I ever saw were military folks
wearing them. MP's/guards on base and such..

I wore one of those holsters as a rookie police office on Pontiac City PD, in Michigan, back in 1969. It was plain black with the 12 cartridge loops, originally we were issued a 5" Model 10 M&P's, later we went to a
4" taper barrel M&P. We were issued Super Vel 158 grain soft point ammunition for duty. No hollow points were allowed on the department at the time. If you got caught in roll call with them it was a two week suspension without pay..........in other words you worked for two weeks and they didn't pay you!
For a second gun, I carried a 2" nickel plated Chief 36 in a cross draw paddle holster with a conventional safety strap. Carried 158 grain semi-wads in that. One of the officers fathers made the holsters up for us. Real nice rig, wish I would have kept it!
The swivel holster was to make getting in and out of the patrol car easier, as you could just pick the muzzle of the holster up upon entry. The problem was after use the swivel would wear at the pivot and you'd be chasing some bad guy through the streets and the holster would separate, which could cause difficulties!
They didn't have speed loaders at that time, at least I never saw them until '73, so the loops worked great for reloading. Dump pouches were worthless as the rounds always hung up in the pouch and you had to struggle with the thing to get them to drop free.

I used a swivel holster for our issued Model 15 for awhile and did not care for it. While comfortable it was a problem during a foot chase. If you didn't hold onto the holster (which slowed me down) when running either the gun would come out, or the holster would leave a painful bruise on your leg.

__________________
Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Want a "holstery" (holster history) expert's opinion? Show me the pic.

I'd forgotten about Jim Cirillo.

__________________
Red Nichols The Holstorian

Would love to have a holster that is depicted by OP without the swivel and attendant leather. In other words a Threepersons rig with the wings to protect the sights and the two piece leather retention strap. Carried a 4" 29 in a Tex Shoemaker Threepersons type rig with the two piece retention strap. It went away some decades ago,but one would be nice to carry a 4" 629 in now!

Just did a trip down memory lane by going to the Tex Shoemaker site and found the holster I wore with a 4" 29 back in the late 70s when I was a Deputy Sheriff in Idaho. Ordered another Black Basketweave, 4" N Frame Left hand with outside thumb break retention strap, on a 1.5" belt. I'll carry my 629 4" and I have an old Bianchi 6 round cartridge slide, black basketweave, left over from the 70s and a Black Basketweave belt from Lobo. No handcuffs this time or a single speedloader pouch or a key fob or a radio holster. This will be my woods bummin leather setup. Photos when holster arrives!

I stood next to and sat next to Jimmy Cirillo on many stake outs during the 5 years in the Stake Out Unit and stood shoulder to shoulder on the competition firing line but cannot recall the holster he carried his trusty revolvers in.

On the firing line of Police Combat Matches I recall K-38s in smooth black leather and smooth black leather speed loader pouches along with some that were basket weave,maybe Safariland or Bianchi?

I remember S&W gunsmith Archie Dubia hand delivering a revolver to Jimmy in the late 60s.

I got my Model 52s through Archie.

Below is the NYPD issued gear for the Model 10 heavy barrel.

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	s-l225#2.jpg (5.0 KB, 109 views)

I believe facts and stories are embellished for the sake of sales.

Having read print material of events I was involved in I almost always shook my head in amazement and had to ask myself if the article and my recollection of events was of the same occurrence.

The photo below to the best of my recollection is probably what I and possible Jimmy and other Police Combat Course shooters used to holster the K-38

Bucheimer-Clark Patrolman

Attached Images

Bucheimer-Clark Patrolman.jpg (1.4 KB, 836 views)

Thanks StakeOut. What few incidents got my name in the newspaper
made me think I was much better than I was. It's called puffery?
Thats nicer than calling it B.S.

I have also read newspaper accounts of incidents that I had responded to. Many times the true story bore zero resemblance to the printed version!

CQB27 recently asked me to pull up any threads about old school cop's
rigs. This one kinda fits that criteria. Hope you like it CQB27, and any
other's who missed it the first time around.

__________________
In Omnia Paratus

Oh.....I don't like it......I Love it!