Heiser 3 1/2" .357 Magnum holster with Franz-Loc clip- LEO holster ?

turnerriver · Aug 23, 2015

Here's a Heiser model 457 FBI holster made for a 3 1/2" .357 Magnum revolver. Special ordered with a Franz-Loc belt clip and a safety strap, it is a good candidate for a 1950's Law man's holster. It's built like a tank with very stiff, heavy leather and the 1 1/2" nickel belt clip. I couldn't get a photo that showed it but MAG 3 1/2 is faintly written under the model number.
Enjoy.
Regards,
turnerriver

DocB · Aug 23, 2015

Got to be a rare holster. Heiser was pretty much done by 1955.

ImprovedModel56Fan · Aug 23, 2015

Kind of like those Franz-Locs, too. With the right belt, they work very well, and are certainly handy for easy on and off without looking like you're threatening to drop trou.

pmosley · Aug 23, 2015

I have this one for a 2" J-frame. The retention strap renders it unusable for the 640 and other concealed hammers varieties.

rednichols · Aug 24, 2015

John, your holsters are always in such handsome condition. Forum members may not appreciate just how special they are, for that reason, quite aside from the model or maker these holsters represent. Usually holsters have been 'tumbled' from storage by their original owners and can be intact but ordinary.

nyeti · Aug 24, 2015

Dear Lord.....my 3.5" Registered Magnum #40 LAPD gun would look perfect in that holster. If you ever want to part with it or see another one, please let me know. I hate when this happens....I am now on a quest. That clip arrangement is really nice.

rednichols · Aug 24, 2015

DocB said:
Got to be a rare holster. Heiser was pretty much done by 1955.

The patent, to Rudolph Meine of IL, was filed in 1936. Heiser's terminal history is: sold by the family 1945, sold 1950 to Keyston, who after attempting the Sportsman line let Heiser fade away in the late 1960s. Their holsters continued to bear that particular Heiser logo until the very end. I'm not aware of Keyston ever using their logo on the holsters or belts, though it was used on their rifle scabbards as Heiser-Keyston-Lichtenberger.

Keyston still thrives as a fabrics supplier to the outdoor and automotive trades. Ironically, Keyston is a shining example of how accurate Ted Levitt's Marketing Myopia article (1960) was about whip makers being in the transportation business; as indeed they began as whip making brothers and quickly transitioned into automotive (as Heiser attempted to do) and are a part of it to this day.

Heiser 3 1/2" .357 Magnum holster with Franz-Loc clip- LEO holster ?

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