Concealed carry fashion in the 1920s

GatorFarmer · Jan 13, 2012

People would actually wear capes back in the 1920s. Kept the wind and rain off sometimes, other times was just a fashion accessory.

Small .25 autos used to turn up in various rigs involving garters, stocking, and "knickers" (as the British would say) in ye olden days. They also fit well in various accessories designed to carry cigarettes, small purses, etc. There's one in the Hoover Museum (in Iowa, the president, not the sweeper) that I think Eleanor Roosevelt carried. I think she carried it in her purse, though I suppose she might have put it in her knickers being how she was.

cwo4uscgret · Jan 13, 2012

Something Old, Something New:

The Model 1908 .25 acp was made in 1914 and is original

tops · Jan 13, 2012

NE450No2 said:
I have carried a lot of handguns, concealed in many different ways.

And, I will admit I have never worn a dress, but I would think that a gun carried under a dress would be better concealed if worn on the inside of the leg/thigh...

Depends on how bowlegged you are.

Larry

chief38 · Jan 13, 2012

I've got one of those little Colt 1908's too, but I was always under the impression that most of the people that carried them did so either in a vest pocket, a handbag, or front pocket of their trousers without a holster at all.

Chief38

turnerriver · Jan 13, 2012

Concealed carry fashion in the 1920's

I think it's an Audley holster for a Colt pocket auto. I've seen
that photo before & honestly never noticed it was a .25- I just
registered the holster.

Regards,
turnerriver

cwo4uscgret · Jan 13, 2012

What? There's a gun and holster there?

Here are two holsters for my 1903 .32 acp/1908M .380:

Made by J. Costanza

Made by my friend Sandy Morrissey

I sent the "US" holster to my friend Sandy so he could make me a belt and double magazine pouch for it; Sandy has complete poetic license to cut and sew as he wishes - I actually like the new holster and magazine pouches better then I would of liked the belt/mag pouches. Both my 1903 .32 and 1908M .380 Colt fit it like they should.

Onomea · Jan 13, 2012

tops said:
Depends on how bowlegged you are. Larry

Right. And recall that women, at least back in the day, sat differently from men, keeping their knees together. On the inside would likely be uncomfy.

This fact-- different ways of sitting -- led to Tom Sawyer's unmasking when he was travelling incognito as a girl and the old lady chucks a spool of thread at his lap and he slaps his knees together to catch it. If he'd been a girl, wearing a dress like he was, per Twain, he would have spread his knes apart to catch the spool in the folds of the dress fabric.

Funny, the things one remembers...

Texas Star · Jan 13, 2012

Onomea said:
Right. And recall that women, at least back in the day, sat differently from men, keeping their knees together. On the inside would likely be uncomfy.

This fact-- different ways of sitting -- led to Tom Sawyer's unmasking when he was travelling incognito as a girl and the old lady chucks a spool of thread at his lap and he slaps his knees together to catch it. If he'd been a girl, wearing a dress like he was, per Twain, he would have spread his knes apart to catch the spool in the folds of the dress fabric.

Funny, the things one remembers...

Yeah, I recall that! It always seemed like a good way to catch a crook posing as a girl.

I also recall a comic strip where a foreign spy was caught because he didn't hold his silverware like a US diner would.

Enframe · Jan 13, 2012

cwo4uscgret said:
Something Old, Something New:

The Model 1908 .25 acp was made in 1914 and is original

Nice Junior. They are very small, and not bad guns. You just can't carry cocked & locked. Nice backup to the backup, though.

woodsltc · Jan 13, 2012

My mom carried an Astra Firecat....a Spainish copy of the Colt .25 in your pic..........she carried it in her purse back in the 50's & 6o's. I have it now, and it is a treasured heirloom.

Don

PALADIN85020 said:
I was going through some period pictures taken in the 1920s, and did a double-take when I saw this one. Although it's obviously a posed picture, this gun moll is packing a Colt Model 1908 .25 automatic, one of the many guns invented by John Browning. The reason I did the double take is that I have one of those little Colts, made in the same era.

Here's a shot of mine, made in 1919. As near as I can tell, the style of grips is identical to the the one shown in the early picture.

I like to collect pictures of guns that I own showing their period use. This one was perfect. And how times have changed!

John

goldenlight · Jan 15, 2012

Maximumbob54 said:
While it's going to sound like I'm bashing the pic (I'm not) her gun doesn't seem to go with her holster. Curious. I wonder what the holster was made to fit?

I noticed that too. My bet is a Colt 'hammerless; in 32ACP, of course.

imjin138 · Jan 15, 2012

That is a risque picture for it's time but I like it. There is a women on You Tube who does gun videos that are pretty good too.

Concealed carry fashion in the 1920s

GatorFarmer

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cwo4uscgret

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tops

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chief38

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turnerriver

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cwo4uscgret

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Onomea

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Texas Star

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Enframe

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woodsltc

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goldenlight

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imjin138

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