I saw a Jovino 25-2 on Gunbroker and am thinking about bidding on it but I am worried about getting a good holster to fit it. Would anybody recommend a custom holster manufacturer that makes a good cross draw for revolvers?

Not being a cross draw person, I do not know who to point you to.

I looked at that auction. I am not sure that is a Jovino. It does not have any of Jovino's various markings. Yes there are unmarked Jovinos.

Other than the seller's word no supporting documentation appears to be included.

If this is truly an unfired Jovino, where is a factory historical letter? Where is the box?

I too looked at that listing. I'm a little put off by the seller's "used car salesman" approach.


Sgt Lumpy

I emailed the seller and asked what documentation he had that it is a Jovino gun but he hasn't responded. The muzzle doesn't look quite right for a Jovino, the barrel should be cut a bit shorter, not extend past the lug like it does. Also, the trigger looks pretty flat, the Jovino package including a smoothed and radiused trigger. Can't see the hammer spur well enough to see if it has been modified. I'd have to see some pretty strong proof before calling it a Jovino. Lots of 'smiths were doing those conversion back in the day and few were marked, except for the Jovino Effector guns, which had a longer barrel and full length ejector rod.

Here's a good pic of a Jovino snubbie borrowed from another thread. You can see the difference in the muzzle and trigger.

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Jimmy

They all look so close in internet pictures

This is a Austin Behlert.



Now I have no proof either. Mine is unmarked. However I know the gentleman that sent it off for the work so I am satisfied about it's heritage. The next owner probably won't be

I've made many holsters for cut down big bore sixguns, Colt New Service's mostly but also a few customized N frames. This is not cross draw but my personal holster is on the bottom here. The tooling on my lefty crossdraw was purposely more primitive. The top one is much more detailed. That is a fine gun in that ad.

I emailed him and got the response that he has zero documentation and that he was told it was a Jovino when he bought it years ago. Stay away. Is my opinion

Srigs from Side Guard Holsters can probably make you one.
He's on the Forum Vendors board.

I have one he made for the Charter Arms Pathfinder and like it.

+1 for Wyatt Burps holsters. His holsters are top notch, and he is a great guy to do business with too.

I like Wyatt Burp's bottom photo-- it really shows off the contrasting sizes of a Colt NS vs a Detective Special (?). BTW Matt I've got photos of several of your holsters saved in my computer, and I use a photo of that holster (and it's matching belt) as wallpaper.

Is/was the 25-2 Jovino a modified gun, or a factory special edition? SCSW 3rd Edition doesn't mention it. Ditto for the Austin Behlert gun. They do identify a 3" RB 45acp model 25-3, 100 produced in 1977 for Lew Horton. I seem to recall some 45 Colt "Effectors" advertised in Shotgun news some years ago also.

Jovino and Behlert were both gunsmiths who modified S&W and colt pistols to suit the needs of their customers. S&W took their ideas and ran with them. Now you see factory guns made very close to what Jovino and Behlert (among others) who produced short barrel magnums.

Effector was a trademark of Jovino.

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On the Oak Savannah

Actually, from what I've read, John Jovino opened the store in 1911 and sold it in the '20s. The new owners left the name the same and that family still owns it. John Jovino was long gone by the time they started cutting N frames into snubbies. Those guns were built by 'smiths working at the shop.

Behlert guns, on the other hand, were built by Austin Behlert himself. I have a 25-2 snubby and a couple of 1911s he built.

__________________
Don't kiss smiling dogs!

go with El Paso Saddlery.
No regrets there.
Beruisis