Greetings:

I was watching "Silence of the Lambs" the other day and noticed the FBI agents were wearing their Model 13's on the strong side in an OWB holster at about the 3 o'clock position. Immediately in front of the holster, they carried a single speed loader in a pouch - it looked like a Safariland Split-six, but I can't be sure. They also had a 2x2x2 dump pouch on the weak side at around the 1 o'clock position. My question is: how accurate is their depiction of how FBI agents wore their pistol and spare ammo? The belt, holster, speed loader pouch and dump pouch were all a light brown color.

Many thanks,

Dave

They were very accurate in their depiction. The Model 13s were carried in a strong side brown leather holster - the most common was the Desantis. Most guys carried their spare ammo in the split speedloader carrier that put three rounds in front of the belt and three rounds behind.

Some guys also carried the 2 by 2 dump pouches.

The Quantico parts of Silence of the Lambs were filmed at the Academy with the full cooperation of the Bureau. I went through a few months after finished shooting. Everyone I met who had dealings with Jody Foster said she was extremely nice and very respectful. The bald headed guy who gets the drop on her from behind the door was one of my PT instructors.

My class was one of the first to get darker blue shirts - after that everyone with the lighter blue shirts seen in the movie started calling them "Jody Fosters".

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Rule of law, not a man.

Look carefully at the agent who hands Foster's character her credentials at the end of the movie. Is that John Douglas, the real one?

I've read a couple of his books.

Re the guns: I think the villain had a Python, just as he did in the book. The gunfight was one of the most plausible ever seen on film.

T-Star

I was wrong about the brand - the most common ones were these Bucheimers:





I dug out this old surplus Bureau holster that I use for my Speed Six.

__________________
Rule of law, not a man.

By God, I have that holster. My old friend Randy gave it to me. The quickest, most comfortable rigs I have.

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Field Researcher. IGC

SigP220:

Thanks for your response, for taking the time to dig up the holster, and for the photos. I knew the 2x2x2 dump pouches were made by Buchemeir, but I wasn't aware the holsters were also. I'm trying to understand the rationale behind placing the dump pouch on the weak side of the belt. I was always taught to hold the piece in the weak hand while loading and unloading with the strong hand. I can understand placement of the speed loader pouch on the strong side, and in front of the holster, but why the dump pouch in the weak side position? Was that in case the strong side hand was wounded and you now had to perform a one-handed (weak side only) reload?

Regards,

Dave

Here's a pic of the REAL Clarice Starling on the pistol range back in the 80's. Her name is actually Pat Kirby - the inspiration for Jodie Foster's character in Silence of the Lambs. The pic is a little small, but you get the idea.

Dave - the Bureau did teach switching the revolver to the weak hand and reloading with the strong hand. I think the placement of the 2X2 pouch on the weak side was a matter of room - most agents wear their badges directly in front of the holster and the speedloader in front of that. If they carried the dump pouch at all it would go on the other side to balance things out. Honestly, I don't recall specifically anyone carrying both.

__________________
Rule of law, not a man.

How times change. During the 60s agents wore the gun at about 4 o clock with the bottom of the holster in the right rear pocket.

Only thing I ever saw an agent pack back in the 60's was a 4" .38 in a very plain 3person style holster.

They also wore suits, white shirts with a tie. No matter the weather or circumstances. You could spot one a mile away.