I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but my new
Lawrence came today, and in my eye it is beautiful.
It's like new. There may have been one gun in it once.
Photos left to right:
Front view of holster
Back view of holster
Front view holding my snub nosed model 10.
Back view holding my snub nosed model 10.
New Lawrence, on my Lawrence cartridge belt, holding my
snub nosed model 10, and my Bear knife with sheath.

Attached Images

	SAM_0491.jpg (66.7 KB, 246 views)
	SAM_0490.jpg (56.8 KB, 199 views)
	SAM_0489.jpg (60.7 KB, 235 views)
	SAM_0488.jpg (58.7 KB, 212 views)
	SAM_0487.jpg (96.5 KB, 233 views)

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In Omnia Paratus

Sweet leather there. Congrats


Charlie

I only have three words:

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Possum—The other white meat!

Man That's Just Beautiful!
I am so new to this vintage holster thing...I'm afraid I'm doomed.

Handsome workmanship. Is it decided that it's meant for a smallish K frame -- looks a bit big on the M10?

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

My Lawrence size chart says 542 is for 2" M&P.

Red, I think it may be the angle of the photo shot.
It doesn't look too small in person.
The photographer is an amatuer.

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In Omnia Paratus

Great looking holster. However, any holster which allows trigger access to the holstered handgun used to be one of the main reasons that officers sometimes shot themselves in the leg, thigh, hip or butt.

Just remember to stay out of the trigger guard until you are pointing down range.

If the "beholder" doesn't think THOSE are beautiful, the beholder must be blind.

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Stay protected my friends.

Federali that is a concern that has fostered debate for a long
time. Personally, I believe the covered trigger guard was an
ingenious solution to a problem that doesn't exist. If someone
can't remember rule 2 (keep your finger off the trigger until
ready to shoot) they probably should not be carrying a gun
in the first place. I have many holsters such as Bianchi's
5B, Myres Threepersons, Hume's Jordan Border Patrol, and
others that were, and still are, excellent designs.

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In Omnia Paratus

That is a super nice piece! It is beautiful in my eyes too! Looks very well made.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

Wow, that is some purty find my friend.

Of course Phil is historically accurate. For a hundred years an exposed cover guard was demanded by the marketplace. The covered guard came to the fore with the single action auto late 1960s and 'bled over' into the revolver in the '90s.

In point of fact its (covered guard) function is to keep a BG from firing your pistol whilst he struggles to take it off you.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

I never thought of that Red. It makes sense. The bad guy isn't
going to worry about rule #2.

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In Omnia Paratus

Here's an example.

I've been worrying about what Red said in post #5 above: "looks a bit
big on the M10"

Lawrence's fit chart clearly says the size 542 is made for the S&W M&P
with the 2" barrel. But knowing that Red is right 99.9% of the time I
did a little test.

I put my Model 10 with 4" barrel in the holster. The front of the trigger
guard comes within about 1/4" of resting on the welt, and the security
strap comes within about 3/4" of snapping.

It would probably be a perfect fit for a 3" or even 3 &1/2" barrel
Model 10. Maybe it was a special order and the just used size 542
because there is no size number for M&P with 3 or 3.5 inch barrels???

I know this is knit picking but I'm a serious student.

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In Omnia Paratus

So I reckon a 3-1/2" N frame. It was the holster's width vs the K frame that made me say 'looks big' .

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

I don't have a 3.5" N frame but I have a 4". I'll try that.

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In Omnia Paratus

Nope! I tried the 4" N Frame but it's just a little bit too big to slip
in behind the welt.

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In Omnia Paratus

Phil got to agree with Red , given that is beautiful holster just can not be for a 2 inch barrel.

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LEX ET ORDO

Fixed sights? 'Smallest' of the N frames, holster wise, including the shorter & narrower hammer. And when done properly, a Threepersons is very tight there at the frame in front of the trigger guard and when the holster's new one needs to force the pistol in.

We used to get holster returns at Bianchi, with a note saying 'doesn't fit'; and a real pistol would fit into it beautifully but the thumbsnap was too tight -- reminding that 'fit' means different things to folks.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

I believe it would go in tight if not for the 4" barrel. The distance
between front of trigger guard and welt, and the security strap both
tell me 1/2" wouldn't do it. 1" probably. But no such thing as a 3"
N-Frame with fixed sight?

The 2" M&P is still the best fit, as marked, for standard issue
revolvers, but enough length to accomodate 3". Maybe a special
order? Maybe extra length to make room for the carver? Maybe
just a mistake?

Hey! Holding it under a much better light, for the first time, I just
noticed a 3" (very faint) stamped right below the 542. You can
almost see it in my 2nd from left photo above. Special order!

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In Omnia Paratus

A little more research and I find that S&W did make Models 64, 65, and
66 with 3" barrels. Also a model 681 Lew Horton Special with 3" barrel.
The holster was probably special ordered for something like one of
those.

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In Omnia Paratus

There you go, it's for a 3" K-frame.

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SWHF #448

LIKE, LIKE, LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Larry