Bucheimer's "Hank Sloan" holster

crazyphil · Feb 28, 2016

Hank Sloan was in charge of firearms training at the FBI Academy.
In 1966 Hank obtained a patent on his holster design. It was a
Threepersons style holster with a hammer shield. But the unique
feature that got Hank his patent was the adjustable welt.
J. M. Bucheimer Co. based in Frederick, Maryland was a long time
holster maker with heavy focus on law enforcement equipment.
Bucheimer obtained the rights to manufacture and market Hank
Sloan's design.
Lou Alessi, in a thread on the internet, said: "Bucheimer butchered it
with their mass production. Milt Sparks made it
work, which is why Elmer (Keith) liked it."
Milt, with input from Elmer, tipped the butt foreward and opened
the bottom.
Ross Seyfried wrote an article explaining in detail how Milt
Sparks made the adjustable welt work.
Both the thread by Alessi and the article by Seyfried are too
long to quote here, but if interested, you can find them both
on the internet. (I did several years ago)
The Hank Sloan holster still comes along fairly frequently on the
auction sites and the prices haven't gone through the roof yet.
My specimen is show here with my S&W Model 67 Combat
Masterpiece.

ispcapt · Feb 28, 2016

2 more Hank Sloans. 1 J frame and 1 K frame.

turnerriver · Feb 28, 2016

Here's one with a safety strap.
Regards,
turnerriver

rednichols · Feb 28, 2016

crazyphil said:
Lou Alessi, in a thread on the internet, said: "Bucheimer butchered it with their mass production. Milt Sparks made it
work, which is why Elmer (Keith) liked it."
Milt, with input from Elmer, tipped the butt foreward and opened
the bottom.
Ross Seyfried wrote an article explaining in detail how Milt
Sparks made the adjustable welt work.
Both the thread by Alessi and the article by Seyfried are too
long to quote here, but if interested, you can find them both
on the internet. (I did several years ago)
The Hank Sloan holster still comes along fairly frequently on the
auction sites and the prices haven't gone through the roof yet.
My specimen is show her with my S&W Model 67 Combat
Masterpiece.

As we've touched on with the Sparks 200 thread running alongside this one, this info is really not quite right. And with all due respect to Seyfried, whom I knew on the pistol circuit, though one hell of a shooter his knowledge of the intricacies of holster design was zero. And having been a contributing editor for various gun mags myself during that era, we writers learn quickly that we are to write what the subject wants us to, and make them sound good, so that perhaps they'll become an advertiser. No reality checks in these articles, or they're edited out by the mag.

It's the way that Elmer himself told the story, that obscured what really happened. That is, what he said was partially true but not the whole truth; close enough to the truth for the hunter and writer that he was, but not accurate enough for the rest of us. And Lou; well, he wasn't there like the rest of us, either.

Here's Bucheimer's Sloan, with patent number. There's no evidence that it didn't work or "was butchered" -- it was the original embodiment of the invention! -- or that Milt did it better (though his methodology added layers of difficulty to the holster's construction, in a Brill double-welt sort of way). And sworn evidence from Tony Kanaley is that neither Milt nor his company had any sort of permission from Sloan to use his invention; who died just a few years after the Sparks version was introduced, while the patent expired ten years later.

As for Elmer liking the Sparks over the Bucheimer; well, he had several of the latter in his auctioned collection of last year, and the one Sparks appears to have been sold prior. An important distinction is that both the Sloan, and the Gaylord, were concealment holsters; and the known Sparks from his collection was a heavy-weight field holster.

SG-688 · Feb 28, 2016

I've had what I've taken to be a later version of the Hank Sloan without the "banner" marking - simply marked HS8 in this case - exhibiting what I've considered to be the usual Bucheimer so-so quality of leather and workmanship. [Not nearly as nice as Turnerriver's looks to be.]

I recently picked up what I think must be an early version with the banner. It was a revelation. It's a nice holster with good leather. I'd carry it.

Here's the fit chart.

HS1 = S&W J Chief Special, Charter Arms 2”
HS2 = Colt D Det. Special, Cobra 2”
HS3 = S&W M&P, Colt OP 2”
HS4 = S&W J Chief Special, Charter Arms 3”
HS5 = Colt Detective Special 3”
HS6 = S&W N .357, Colt Python 4”
HS7 = S&W M&P, Colt OP, Colt .357 4”
HS8 = S&W M&P, Colt OP 5”
HS9 = S&W M&P, Colt OP 6”
HS10 = Colt Python, S&W .357 2 ½”

crazyphil · Mar 2, 2016

turnerriver I have the Myres, shown in a previous thread, with a retention
strap, and I have a Brauer Brothers also. I will post a photo of it next.
I never quite saw the need for a retention strap on a concealment holster
if the fit is proper, but apparantly some of them were made that way.

ispcapt · Mar 2, 2016

Both of the Sloans I posted above are with the Sloan banner and patent date.
2 advantages of that style holster was they were fast to work from and the dog ear saved a lot of suit coat/sport jacket liners. However, they weren't that good of a concealment holster design particularly when compared to something like a pancake. They just didn't pull the butt in close enough. No matter what cut of a jacket the butt printed.
Also, no matter how tight you had your belt they would slide between belt loops. The usual trick to keep the holster from moving on your belt was to carry a Crump ammo pouch just in front of the holster between the same belt loops to fill the gap.
I wouldn't carry either of the above now and use the K frame size as a range holster only because it is fast , simple, and secure enough for the range.

153 · Mar 2, 2016

I like the Sloan holster, but the hammer protector should have been extended to cover the rear sight ...

rednichols · Mar 2, 2016

Sloan invented this in the early 60s when fixed sights were the norm. Adjustable sights were not considered holster guns then, and the changeover that started somewhat later caused inventions like Perkins' sight track of the late 60s. So that hammer guard is intended solely for the hammer, and had been around since the Thirties on Myres, etc.

DoubleAdobe · Mar 2, 2016

Good information, Red

crazyphil · Mar 5, 2016

Red I appreciate you "coming clean" in #4 above about the role of the
gun magazine writer.
In the past I have written articles, that those who should know told me
were very interesting.
They were never published because I was not trying to make any
advertiser look good.
I am letting most of my "gun rag" subscriptions expire except American
Rifleman. Tired of paying for a bundle of commercials.

crazyphil · Jan 1, 2021

CQB27 and perhaps a few others will appreciate a rerun of this old
(almost five years old) thread about Hank Sloan's holster invention.

turnerriver · Jan 1, 2021

In my opinion the Hank Sloan holster is the Rodney Dangerfield of holsters.
Here’s a photo of Hank shooting a .357 Magnum and a letter from him to General Van Orden of Evaluators Ltd.

Regards,

sodacan · Jan 1, 2021

I have one of the Hank Sloan designs from Bucheimer. It's been used but is tight and has a some "patina". It is marked "patent pending" so I think it's a fairly early one. Fits a "K" frame, 4" barrel. I was wondering if this is collectible and/or has any value to a collector. Any advice or information would be appreciated.

crazyphil · Jan 1, 2021

What was the new revolver Hank was asking about, do you know John?

SG-688 · Jan 1, 2021

As seen in the book.

Mine, front and back, with a model 18 wearing Farrant grips.

In this one, the adjustable S&W rear sight is trapped by the hammer guard. Fixed sight revolvers only - although the cut-out fits nicely.

This one is so tight in a K frame that it's difficult to conceive the holster being easily adaptable to to the Colt E/I frame as the bureau intended and the ads claimed. My sole M&P is a little rough, so not in the pictures.

Note the proper fit with the short .22/.38 cylinder. My longer cylinder .357 revolvers sit higher with the frame not meeting the welt.

turnerriver · Jan 2, 2021

sodacan said:
I have one of the Hank Sloan designs from Bucheimer. It's been used but is tight and has a some "patina". It is marked "patent pending" so I think it's a fairly early one. Fits a "K" frame, 4" barrel. I was wondering if this is collectible and/or has any value to a collector. Any advice or information would be appreciated.

Two recent sales I found were for $55 & $25. That’s what I meant about getting no respect- they don’t sell for much.

Phil, the revolver was the Combat Masterpiece.
Regards,
turnerriver

crazyphil · Jan 2, 2021

Thank you John. That is what I kinda suspected.

mlin · May 5, 2021

sodacan said:
I have one of the Hank Sloan designs from Bucheimer. It's been used but is tight and has a some "patina". It is marked "patent pending" so I think it's a fairly early one. Fits a "K" frame, 4" barrel. I was wondering if this is collectible and/or has any value to a collector. Any advice or information would be appreciated.

I got an early one that came with my Victory Model purchase. Marked "PAT. APPL. FOR" and "HS", but no model# like the later production that tells you which revolver would fit.

Bucheimer's "Hank Sloan" holster

US Veteran / Absent Comrade

Attachments

US Veteran

Moderator

Member

Member

Attachments

US Veteran / Absent Comrade

US Veteran

Member

Member

Member

US Veteran / Absent Comrade

US Veteran / Absent Comrade

Moderator

Member

US Veteran / Absent Comrade

Member

Attachments

Moderator

US Veteran / Absent Comrade

Member

Similar threads