That IS nice. I think that is what is meant when they say that the first level of force is "Officer Presence". That would command respect, even if the badge didn't.
Bob

Absolutely beautiful. Thanks for the pics. No extra weight in that holster, just what was needed! It sure would be nice to find one of those. There must be some around, laying in some drawer.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

The SD Myers thing is still developing. David Carroll won a display last month with one. And Frank Hodges has located another Myers holster he's had for years. It has the Covington, KY stamp on it. Myers started here where I live prior to moving to Texas. David's gun was displayed for years by Frank. It also has the dubious distinction of having the only set of S&W Tuskoid grips I've seen. The holster with that gun was also a SD Myers, again made when they were up here.

Finding vintage leather isn't easy, but it does turn up. Never pass a pile of old holsters without looking. That goes double at antique malls!

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Dick Burg

I have to say that is the coolest picture & story I have seen thus far on the forum.

That is so awesome to have a photo of the agent with the actual firearm on his side.

That is a real treasure.

SA 50

Is there a retaining thong that is not visible? It appears from the photos that there is not a retaining system. I guess those guys were ready!!

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

Fantastic photography, great thread.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Thanks for the comments guys.

Dick - I can understand the attraction of these. The quality is just remarkable. I'll be looking for them at future gun shows.

In the post today, via Ebay, came a 1940 S.D. Myres catalog, complete with original order form and return envelope. It's just pristine!!

So I turn to page 12 and there's Holster No. 666 "Tom Threepersons style, full hand carved, trigger set high for easy draw, quick draw effect, hand stitched for wide belt. Price $5.50"

I'd like a dozen please and I'm sending off the order form, in the envelope, tonight!!

Interestingly (to me anyway) they offered the same holsters with safety straps even in 1940.

It's one of the greatest catalogs I've ever seen. The range and number of products is truly remarkable - including carved briefcases, saddle rugs, cowboy chaps, handcuff cases, loading magazine pouches, rifle slings, belts etc. etc.

I will try to scan and post but it's soooo big I'm not sure it will work. Anyone got any ideas how I can post a 36 Page catalog? Or put it up somewhere and post a link to it?

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Dave Ballantyne

What I see is that the quality of the guns is complemented by the quality of the leather. I'm fairly certain that the quality is a function of the great depression and the availability of skilled labor at very reasonable prices. The same factors would have been in play with leather workers as at the gun manufacturers. It seems that a lot more pride existed then, and the drive that created the wonderful guns and leather was replaced after WWII with a drive toward volume.

That deterioration continued for a lot of years after the war, too. Both the guns and their holsters are worth seeking. Until recently, they weren't really sought after. While we've been accused of driving up the prices (correctly), many of them are only rising to a more reasonable level.

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Dick Burg

Dave:

If anyone should have that gentleman's gun and holster, it is you.

I lack the words... Wow!

Best,

-Michael

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N-Frame-itis THERE IS NO CURE!

Rick Nahas has recently told me that Walter Walsh is till alive but very old and feeble and does not clearly remember much of his interesting escapades with the FBI or the S&Ws he used. Ed.

Ed - his son occasionally posts here. I believe he has some of his fathers guns as well!

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Dave Ballantyne

OK. Help me out here. Some models are easy and others strain my resources. I recognize the Registered Magnums and the M-66. What's the snubbie? And is the gold one a .38/44 Heavy Duty?

Cimarron - the gold one is a 1930 3rd Model .44 Hand Ejector - sometimes called a Wolf & Klar model as they took delivery of almost all of those made. The snubbie is a rarely seen 1934 2" M&P.

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Dave Ballantyne

Thank you. Wolf and Klar I know about. Wasn't aware the the M&P was available in 2" that early. What a great collection! I can only dream until financially better days return.

I found this threat a little bit late but I found while searching for "HD".
Is there any literature in the US about those days of SA Cambell, Elliot Ness and the the guys of the other side of the law.
Besides the guns I always admire the clothing of those bygone days. It's very stylish.

merlindrb, where did you get all these informations, pictures and guns and gear?

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Regards from Germany
Stephan

Thank you Elmer. Many of the items came with the guns, piece by piece you might say - I bought 5 of them in all from 2 different sources. I got his original 1930 handcuffs, original holsters (all of them) and photos/files.

I've since done much more research and found references to him in numerous works on the 1930's gangster era. Books about Oklahoma and the Tri-State gangsters (like Bonny & Clyde, Dillinger, Nelson and so on) are readily available through Amazon.

Perhaps most interesting has been information from old newsapers (researched through archives), old magazines (buy them from Ebay) and from information provided by ex-FBI agents from their own archives. As an example - recently I've been informed that it's very likely Campbell was given the job of carrying Dillingers straw hat, .380 Colt semi-auto and cigar (all taken from his corpse) back to Hoover in Washington. They were displayed outside Hoovers office for many years, an obvious example to those who thumbed their nose at the FBI.

I'm still waiting for Campbells FBI record and scheming to get his police record from Oklahoma City PD. Once you start it never seems to end... And I'm currently researching 4 more characters from the FBI

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Dave Ballantyne

Thank you, Dave. Are these mentioned 4 more characters well known or are these the unknown policemen who are living in the shadow of an Elliot Ness?

Do you have access to the FBI archives in Washington DC?

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Regards from Germany
Stephan

After watching your pictures again especially of the holster I wonder if or why not there is a hammer thong or something like that to keep the gun in its holster while running or jumping. How did he fix his gun in the Myres holster. I think they didn't know anything about retention levels in those days.

When was the 44HE goldplated? After retirement or when the gun was still on duty?

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Regards from Germany
Stephan

In those days why run and chase? Just shoot!

The fit and finish of any of these holsters is designed for just one revolver. There is no play or movement of the firearm. Each holster is moulded in a wet state to the frame/cylinder of the revolver. Gordon Liddy has a good description of the process in his book, WILL.I hope to follow-up with some pictures of this fit shortly.

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... fortunate son...

ELMER - I'm afraid I don't have direct access to the FBI achives. Only the the FOI Act like everyone else. The problem is that the FBI went through a dramatic paper reduction exercise some years ago and many of the personel records have been much abbreviated.

The other FBI SA's guns that I own include
- F.C.McGeary, another of the original untouchables based out of NYC
- Birch O'Neal who went from the FBI into the CIA and finally retired as Deputy Director Counter-Intelligence having carried his RM on duty for over 30 years
- Daniel O'Cornor from Chatanooga TN - nothing else known
- George Fitch of New Haven CT, who I'm told was a well known local figure, but I haven't chased his info down yet.

I also have SA Mahan's gun, purchased from his son. Unfortunately he only served 4 years before retiring into legal practice in 1945, so it's unlikely this one will take much research.

Re the holster, SD Myres made them with and without the safety straps - I've got the pre-war catalogs showing his 'Tom Threepersons' holsters with both options. Campbell preferred the 'without' style, as did his fellow ex-OK City PD colleague Jelly Bryce - the deadliest FBI man on record.

Campbells SD Myres holster fits his two pre-war magnum guns just like a glove, holding the guns very firmly in place. I have several other SD Myres holsters and they all do the same job without straps.

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Dave Ballantyne

For everyone's information, there is a brief feature article about Walter Walsh in the September 2007 issue of the American Rifleman, page 22. He just celebrated his 100th birthday.

Bob

I know I am late to this party, but the pictures and history here are great! I am going to replicate the holster for my new Model 22!

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Mike 'Doc' Barranti

Cool picture, Dave. I really like the historical stuff, and you've got the actual gun and holster. Imagine the stories they could tell if they could talk.

Thank you the comments guys.

Rich - if these items could talk we'd be doing the high $ lecture circuit.

An update to the research on Campbell for anyone who's interested. It appears Jerry Campbell and a rookie FBI agent arrested Dock Barker in Chicago. Campbell was credited with the arrest. Dock was the leader of the Barker-Karpis kidnapping and bank robbery gang, and son of Ma Barker - made infamous by J.Edgar Hoover. When they searched Dock back in the FBI offices they found a map of northern Florida with a circle drawn around an area south of Ocala. The next day Campbell and other "designated shooters" flew down to Florida and checked out rental properties in the area. They quickly found the hideout of Fred and Ma Barker. At dawn the next day they attempted to arrest the pair but both were killed in the shoot-out that followed. At the arrest of Doc and the death of Ma and Fred Campbell was carrying his Wolf & Klar S&W .44 Special - pictured earlier in this post - although it wasn't gold washed at that time.

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Dave Ballantyne

Dave, you're back from the dead!!
Great info, I love the history that goes with old guns.

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John

Thanks for these great lessons in history! Keep them coming!

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Mike 'Doc' Barranti

Someone emailed me and asked if this post was still on the system. Here it is again...

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Dave Ballantyne

Worth bringing back.
DW

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"NUTS"

Thanks for bringing it back Dave. When I looked at it again I was a little saddened as I thought of times gone by. Not the times represented by SA Campbell...but the group we had here in 2005. I miss the guys who were here then but don't/can't post here anymore.

Time marches on.

Bob

I agree Bob, we seem to have lost some good people. However, as my tag line says "though much is taken, much abides"!

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Dave Ballantyne

Back to top by request.

Hope it helps.

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Dave Ballantyne

Dave,
I really enjoyed reading thru this again and looking at the cool guns he owned. thanks again,
Bill

Dave,

Thanks for bringing this thread back up. It's one of my favorites.

As I was reviewing it, I couldn't help but relate the photos on page 6 to some that I recently posted of a Threepersons I just acquired with a Dallas PD RM. Looks like those old time lawmen were all thinking alike. Pretty good taste in guns and leather, I'd say.

Bob

Bob

I just love those Threepersons holsters. That one's a beauty. Nice gun and rig!

Since getting into the Campbell stuff I started collecting Myres leather and paper - like I needed another thing to collect!! I picked up a lot of them. Later I acquired Myres own .357 Pre-war Magnum, which is 8 3/4". Can I find an 8 3/4" Myres holster? I cannot!! TANJ! :-)

Regards.

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Dave Ballantyne

Dave,

Great thread! Thanks for all the work you put into it and for bringing it back up!

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

Wonderful thread. I enjoyed the History lesson, thanks for sharing!
P.S. Excellent pictures!

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

This is a great thread. Very informative.

Truly delightful thread. The rookie FBI Agent mentioned that was involved in the capture of Doc Barker with Jerry Campbell was in fact Walter Walsh. I also believe that mention of Col. Walsh's registered magnums was made. I recall that he sold one of those guns to a fellow agent that had retired, but still had the remaining gun in his possession several years ago.

merlindrb,

I know you are a very knowlegable source here. So you may know of El Paso Saddlery [www.epsaddlery.com]. They make the same Tom Threepersons holster as S.D. Myres and the quality is excellent.

Regards.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

merlindrb,
Thanks, this was a great thread.

Rule 303

Dave thanks for all you do here and doc and all the other oldtimers here!!! learned more then I ever expected too!!!! what a great forum
james

Thanks for your time and trouble posting this. That's a great photo and story.

I love this thread, my Dad retired from the Bureau in 1984....I love the pics. I am going to make sure he sees this....

Because there are several references to S. D. Myres and his work in this thread I think it might be appropriate to include this link to his biography over in the Expert Commentary section.

Many of you have already seen it but if you haven't, you will probably enjoy reading it. There are several references to the old time lawmen such as Campbell, Bryce, Jordan, etc.

Bob

http://smith-wessonforum.com/blogs/t...ynn-myres.html

This has been a terrific read. To date I've only held one RM... Then again, being in Sweden that is to be expected...
Also, now I'm thinking about getting a Threepersons from El Paso Saddlery...

Gotta Love It.

A tip on scanning pictures that will save some memory space on your hard drive. That is to set the scanner to Gray, or Grayscale, when scanning black and white photographs. By doing this you are avoiding storing color information that is not present and it will reduce the file size by 70% or a bit more. For Color images I like to scan at 600 dpi and then use a quality image editor to resize the image to 10.5 inches wide (fits a standard 8.5 x 11 paper) with whatever height corresponds to the perspective and a 240 DPI resolution. Then I save that to a JPG format file with the compression set to 8:1. End result is a file that can range between 300 to 800 Kb depending on detail and is small enough to attach to an email without hitting size restrictions. BTW, if you are ever scanning documents set the scanner for "lineart" (black and white), 600 DPI, and save the file as a TIF Lineart file. Because TIF will actually use a 2 bit compression scheme and you'll be shocked at how small a really detailed lineart image will compress down to.

BTW, memory is cheap today so I always keep multiple copies of all my pictures stored on portable Hard Drives. A one terrabyte drive can now be found for as little is 50 dollars on sale and that is enough memory to keep a LOT of full resolution images in their "original" size.

Final tip because hard drives are cheap now. That is don't bother with doing backups of your data. Instead purchase disk cloning software (I like Acronis True Image) and Clone your hard drive. It's actually faster to Clone a drive than doing a backup and what you get is an EXACT plug and play copy of your primary hard drive. In the event you get hit with a Ransomware virus all you have to do is remove the primary drive from your computer and install that Clone and you are back up and running. If it's been a while since you created that clone you will have to wait for your software to update (meaning installing the missing Windows updates) and your anitvirus to update but do a clone once a month and that wait isn't too long at all. I currently keep 2 drives in a cloning rotation and have a IDE/SATA to USB adapter that allows me to clone an internal hard drive using the USB connection. BTW that adapter is a Vantec CB-ISA225-U3 and includes the critical wall wart needed to supply 12V power to an internal desktop hard drive.

Great thread, thanks for sharing.
Steve

Holy Necropost, Batman.

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NHI, 10-8.