If it is, Myres Threepersons must be one of the most flattered
holtsters in history. I was comparing a few Threepersons styles
with retention straps: Left to Right: Myres Threepersons with
retention strap and hammer protector, Bianchi's #1 Lawman,
Lawrence's #120 Keith, and El Paso Saddlery's Threepersons.

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__________________
In Omnia Paratus

Sure is! So many different takes on it that there is something for everyone.

Or a lack of creativity....

It is the "sincerest form of flattery."
Steve W

I certainly agree. If all of us holster designers copied, buyers would be stuffing their Glocks into Myres jockstrap styles on Sam's buscadero belts. Instead I have a hundred holsters strung onto belts and hanging on my wall that are not only different brands, but entirely different designs (styling, construction, features, quality, etc.).

Threepersons: I'd argue though that an accurate threepersons design always has a closed muzzle that also would be fully rounded into what we used to call a "smile" on the Model 27. Tom's original holsters, and Myres first Threepersons, had the 'smile' muzzles.

Typically, too, a threepersons has a straight welt line below the trigger guard as in the originals and on the Myres (and surprisingly, at least some examples of Heiser's 457). At least John whacked an open muzzle and heavily contoured welt line into his Model 1 and made his readily picked from the rest.

Threepersons also always have a full welt to 'smile', and often have a double welt at the trigger guard, because -- the pressure from the welt was meant to provide friction retention.

Elmer Keith claims in his "Hell I Was There" book that he 'designed' the Lawrence Keith holster; but the evidence is that it's a straight knock-off of the Myres' Threepersons (capital T) that preceded Lawrence's.

It's a misnomer to call a holster with a fully exposed trigger guard a 'threepersons'. There's more to it than even I've mentioned above, not least are there must be at least some negative caster -- muzzle to the rear of the grip -- and full grip of the revolver just above the belt line; etc. Threepersons angle varied from a few degrees to 40 degrees negative caster.

Surprisingly, again, Myres called holsters will all of the above features, but with the rear of the trigger guard enclosed, "threeperson" when made for autos.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Can anyone proove absolutely that the Threepersons style, on the left,
came out of S. D. Myres shop and that the Heiser from about the same
time period, on the right, was an immitation, copy, or knock off?
Red's post above indicates that the credit for the Threepersons design
probably belongs to a Mexican foreman in Myres shop. I submit that it
could have been by someone in Heiser's shop. I'll keep believing the
Threepersons design is a legend until someone can proove otherwise
to me.

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__________________
In Omnia Paratus

I'm surprised turnerriver hasn't jumped in yet. He'll add B.T Crump's version of the 457 and what he tells me were Heiser's efforts to get FBI contracts from Crump. The pics I've seen of the two shows they're very hard to tell apart.

Yes there are many variants of the Heiser 457 and when we consider that people like Ohlemeyer worked for Myres, and Colorado Saddlery shared designer/makers with Heiser, we are left with some speculation. All we can prove today is that Myres and Heiser introduced their versions at virtually the same time: 1938.

That the Crump, the Heiser, the Colorado, and the Bianchi are all of the one design and not clones of the Myres tells us something but I'm not sure what. Lawrence chose to copy the Myres, likely because Keith handed them one and said "I'll put my name on it".

As a designer I'll take the view that the rear of the holster tells us a lot, too. The loop shape is a maker's trademark, including the stitch pattern. Heiser, Colorado and Bucheimer used the same in both and all shared the same designer. Bianchi and Shoemaker followed Wolfram instead. Myres was most like Tom's personal holster at the loop, very different as to how the welt was constructed.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Webster tells us "a legend is a story from the past, regarded as historical,
but not verifiable". Napoleon said "History is the version of past events
that people decide to agree upon".
I have come to believe that the Tom Threepersons story, although a good
story, is pure legend. If I understand Red's post (above) I think we agree
that Heiser might have copied Myres, or Myres might have copied
Heiser, or perhaps they both got the same ideas at the same time from
a designer. Still a mystery.

__________________
In Omnia Paratus