I'm not a holster guy.

I'm not an LEO and I seldom have the need to carry a weapon with my hands free. The times I have, I had always gotten by with some manner of Nylon holster. They got the job done but didn't strike me as being very durable or high in quality. That came as no surprise to me because I was the one that chose to pay the low price for these inexpensive holsters.
I have seen high quality holsters but their high prices (justifiably so) and my lack of need cooled my interest.
When I first saw this holster offered at Numrich, I didn't give it much thought until a thread started by Nakanokalronin got my attention:

Inexpensive Davis duty holster that fits both round/square trigger guard 5906/5904

If you read or recall the thread, everyone who posted was pleased with their purchase of this holster and Dave Nash spoke very highly of the design and its creator, Gordon Davis and the company he founded. Which is still in business and continues to offer this holster (the Model 4500 Basketweave) for $165.00. Mr. Nash also spoke of his experience with this model holster (they were used at the famed S&W Academy) and had high praise for its durability and ease of use.
I love a bargain and could afford to gamble twelve bucks on what looked like a sure thing.
And it was!
The holster I received had been worn a lot and it was well worn. It had not, however, worn loose nor had anything worn out. It was as solid as the day it left the leather shop. All of the mechanical connections were solid without a speck of rust. All of the stitches were tight, none were cut or raveling. The thumb break snap latches securely yet yields with the flick of my thumb and allows a very easy presentation as well as one-hand re-holstering. And the leather is one tough piece of hide! (Could it be Rhinoceros?) It doesn't just hold the pistol, it protects the pistol.
On the back it is marked "S&W 5906" and those are the pistols it fits like a glove. It fit my square guard 659 as well as it fit my round guard 5906's. I was pleased to discover it also fit the 4006 with a little adjustment to the retention screw. What was even more surprising was that it fit all my .45's from my CS45 to my railed 4566TSW by removing the retention screw and nut.
I cleaned up the hardware, hit it with some black shoe polish, and rubbed in a little oil.
It's a duty holster and therefore works best with a wide, stiff belt. I strapped it on with a two inch web belt and wore it comfortably with a variety of pistols for several hours.
I got a tough as a tank holster and a bit of S&W Academy history for twelve bucks. I'd buy a bunch more, but I or my descendants will probably never wear this one out.
If you have a S&W Metal Framed, Center-Fire, Semi-Automatic Pistol especially one of 5906 proportions, you should seriously consider picking up one of these. It's a real bargain.

John

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Just bought one and I'm hoping it will fit my 908. Looks like a great holster for the range. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the heads up I might get one for that deal.

It says 45 and 59 series...

Do you know if a 4506-1 will fit with it's 5 inch barrel?

Thanks!

That is a great deal. Davis is top line.

Just ordered one, for $12 how can you go wrong. Thanks John

Anyone have a DAO model handy that they can check for fit(5946/4046)? The extended slide usually causes problems with thumb break holsters. If the DAO fits well I'll order a dozen of them.

How about a 39-2?

Hi, Brandon!

The listing at Numrich says "45 and 59 Series" but the back of the holster says "S&W 5906".
So I don't know that it was originally designed with the 4506 in mind, however this holster is open at the muzzle and will accommodate the 5" barrel.
It did fit my railed 4566TSW but I had to remove the retention screw and nut.
I also tried a Beretta 92FS and it also fit.
Based on those experiences, yes, I believe it will fit.

John

I thought about that, kaveman.

While it seems that S&W round trigger guard TDA pistols are fairly dimensionally consistent from the front of the trigger guard to the rear of the slide, when you throw in the extra length of the slide/frame on the DOA pistols and compound that with the possible addition of that hideously deformed "oval" gloved-hand, finger-hook extended trigger guard (the elimination of which made these pistols desirable again) it would be difficult for me to predict (as I don't own any) if it will fit. I share your concern as this is, as you pointed out, a thumb-break holster.
Regarding your question re: 39-2
The 39-2 shares the same trigger guard to hammer dimensions of the 5906 but is narrower in section in the grip frame. As the holster is apparently boned to fit the slide (which is the same as the 5906) there should be no problem with fitment.
Unfortunately, I also own none of the "Capacity-Challenged" single-stack 9mm pistols. So I haven't tried.

John

JohnHL....thanks for the info. Looks to be a real bargain. Can't wait for mine to arrive. Got lots of guns that might like to go for a ride in it!

I've got enough non-DAO pistols to fill up at least five of them so they're on the way. Picked up a decent 5926 today and saw that Numrich had sideplates for under twelve bucks and that clinched the deal. Nothing quite like having spare parts I'll never need.

It's better to have and not need....

Than to have some other hobby not nearly so enjoyable!

John

Lookin' good!

After my original thread I bought a second one and it looked better than the first which was in excellent condition as well. It fits my 5904 with square trigger guard perfectly.

I even scrounged eBay for a Davis mag holder. It was kind of big for the 9mm mags, but I added some leather to the inside so it would work. Gotta have a matching set after all.

Found the same holsters on Amazon from Numrich for $19.75. That includes shipping.
Amazon.com : Smith & Wesson 4500 & 5900 Davis Leather Co. Holster : Gun Holsters : Sports & Outdoors@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41yN6spAj3L.@@AMEPARAM@@41yN6spAj3L

They've got them listed on ebay as well for $19.40 delivered. Best deal comes directly from their website,.......I purchased five at roughly $13.50 each with the shipping. Nice thing about ebay is that they list the quantity,.......currently 37 available with 31 sold. That might not be all inclusive and probably only refers to holsters dedicated to ebay sales, but it's interesting regardless.

Thanks!

It was your post that got my attention and Dave Nash's (and others) subsequent endorsement(s) that made me "pull the trigger" on ordering one.
I am also personally gratified to hear that you received two specimens in excellent condition.
I was certainly not so lucky.
I may not have made it clear from my post, but the holster I received was a beaten dog.
It had been used and abused. The edges and exterior had been scraped and abraded. The exterior leather surfaces had been subjected to varying levels of neglect and spray paint (It's still peeling all over the holster. I've got some flakes on my hand as I type this). What isn't languishing underneath a coat of whatever-comes-in-a-spray-can is dry, wrinkled, and cracked.
And on the inside, it's easy to see that there has been no shortage of weapons being yanked and shoved in and out of this piece. There's even a couple of ragged cuts along the top of the slide channel that penetrate nearly through the leather. Perhaps the misguided attempt by some home tandycrafter to modify this holster for his own carry piece? Who knows?

Numrich certainly did not "hand-select" this item for me.

So have I changed my mind?
No. Not at all.

In spite of what this holster may have been through (or seen) during its long, hard years of service, the inherent qualities of its materials and craftsmanship have never wavered or faltered.
This holster is a testament to Gordon Davis and his craftspeople who created a product professionals who place themselves in danger (often times to an unappreciative community) could bet their lives on, no matter what.

Glad to see the matching mag holder.
It's good when an LEO family can get back together.

John

Just checked both Numrich and eBay and all are sold.

They've still got them listed on ebay, but instead of a Buy Now for $13.50 with dozens available it's now listed as a pure auction with only a single example starting at $9.99 and running for a week,....

eBay item number: 400837774339

**EDIT** Looks like this listing is a private party and NOT Numrich.

They do show 'SOLD OUT' on the Numrich website,.....

Holster, Davis Leather Co., Black Leather Gun Parts | 957980 | Numrich Gun Parts

I had another item I needed to order on Monday so I tried to add five more holsters but it came up 'quantity not available'. Adjusted to four holsters and again,......'quantity not available'. When I dropped the quantity down to three it allowed me to place the order, so I may have gotten the last of them. Sorry.

If the holsters don't fit the DAO guns well I will probably post them up here and let them go. I've only got 5 S&W autos that aren't DAO and I don't see me buying any more. I'm firmly a DAO addict.

Got mine in the mail yesterday. After a little reconditioning it looks great. Fits my 908 perfectly. Down side: this is definitely not a concealment holster, but at $12.00 who's to complain. Will work great as a range holster or open carry holster. Very comfortable to wear on the belt. Also fit my 9mm Shield and my Remington 1911, just not as well as my 908.

Well, it is a duty holster and duty holsters for the iron age S&W pistols are a dime a dozen. I've bought literally dozens of nos duty holsters(mostly Gould & Goodrich)from american*heritage*gunleather on ebay for under $10 each delivered. They're decent quality holsters but I'm sure they're nothing like these Davis holsters.

Most are level II retention designs which require some sort of twisting or levering to remove the gun from the holster(and a heavy duty belt to lever and twist against), but I've been able to defeat the retention with a utility knife to convert them to more convenient range use. They've got a huge selection of left and right holsters,.....especially for the DAO models.

If you want a left handed swivel duty holster for an S&W compact .... they're the folks to see!

Who in the HECK would use a compact S&W in a swivel duty holster?

They don't seem to show being sold out now. Get them while you can!!

Just ordered one this afternoon. Should be a good range/open carry holster.

Received mine yesterday and I'm very pleased with the quality and the condition. It does fit my 39-2 perfectly. I couldn't be happier for the price.

Received my first five yesterday as well and can confirm that the 39-2 is a perfect fit. Unfortunately I can also confirm that the DAO models don't fit(I tried 5946, 4046, and 4053TSW that were handy). Beretta 951 was another no-go. All five holsters looked very nice.

I'll go through the racks and see what else fits/doesn't fit and post results in case anyone's interested.

Thanks again for the heads-up on these in case I didn't mention it before!

Here's an update,.....

First and foremost, I need to be more careful in my inspection and reporting. I find that this often happens when ordering surplus. When opening the box, the top item or two look fantastic. The next layer down looks real good. The bottom layer was thrown in for packing. That's what happened here.

The first holster I grabbed off the top looks near new/unissued. The next two down looked to be very good, and they are. The bottom layer I didn't really look at until just now and they're heavily worn and marked up(still solid and usable though). I've noticed this packing sequence before(and not just with Numrich)and I'm unable to accept that it's random.

Anyway, not really a complaint as much as a full disclosure. I'm happy with the lot.

Now, what do they fit? Unfortunately, they're not nearly as universal as I had hoped. Again, not a complaint. They fit what they're claimed to fit. Here's what they fit 'like a glove',....

S&W 39-2
S&W 539
S&W 5906
S&W 5926

Browning Hi Power(and FEG clones), although the muzzle extends 1/4" from the open holster

They come very close to fitting the CZ75 and Tanfoglio clones. I could make them work by loosening the holster a bit. The thumb break must be forced to snap.

The list of what they don't fit is extensive. These are the guns I could access easily,....

S&W 3rd Gen DAO

4053
4053TSW
3953/54
6946/44
5946
4046
4586

S&W Sigma,....SW40F, SW9/40VE, SD9/40, SD9VE

Beretta

M92
M951
8040 Cougar
PX4

Taurus clone PT92

FN FNP9, FN49

Sig P226, P220

Mauser M2 .40/.45


I didn't try any Glocks but the Glocks won't fit,....trust me.

45xx doesn't fit...

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Marty 4513TSW 13-1 642 60-10

The one I received would fit my 4566TSW but I did need to remove the retention screw and nut.

John

CS45 fits...
Had to loosen the retaining screw way out...
I like John's idea about just removing the screw and nut.

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Duh well I tried loosening the retention screw and that didn't help a bit, but I didn't think to just remove it. That makes it very close now, the thumb snap is only a little off now. I think with some soaking and persuasion it might work. Thanks for that!!

BTW mine looks well used, but I think it has character. Soon as it dries I will try it.

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Marty 4513TSW 13-1 642 60-10

The 6906 were the authorized pistol in my department for a few years, the idea was one gun on and off duty; nearby Newark, NJ issued the 6946.

i have a blackhawk holster that holds a sig 228,sig 229,sig 220 and....................a smith 5906,6906,4566,and a 4513......one holster that holds,and releases all ....have tried them all and know for sure....

Recieved my holster Friday. CZ75B SA fits nicely, and the strap snaps closed with the hammer cocked, but it does push it further back from full cock. Drawing and firing is fine - ran some drills with it yesterday.

Did put some black shoe polish on it to touch up worn spots.