I found this leather holster on a pile of cast off holsters at a local Pawn Shop. Originally, it was a shoulder holster. One strap was broken, and the other was gone. I paid $5.00 for it and headed home to my bench.

I cut away the old strap, and gave it a good rubbing down with Neatsfoot Oil. Then, I made a leather loop and riveted it on the back for a belt.

Finally, A coat of dark brown leather dye and neutral shoe polish.

It has a name on the back.....PPR BLN...MAX STELZER 77. As you can see, "BIG THUNDER", my C&H Victory fits like a glove. I love the exposed bullet holders on the front.

It might have been a German Military holster, but I don't know of any revolvers they used. It's made for a 4 inch revolver. The 38 specials fit great in the shell holder.

Any thoughts are welcome.

I found this leather holster on a pile of cast off holsters at a local Pawn Shop. Originally, it was a shoulder holster. One strap was broken, and the other was gone. I paid $5.00 for it and headed home to my bench.

I cut away the old strap, and gave it a good rubbing down with Neatsfoot Oil. Then, I made a leather loop and riveted it on the back for a belt.

Finally, A coat of dark brown leather dye and neutral shoe polish.

It has a name on the back.....PPR BLN...MAX STELZER 77. As you can see, "BIG THUNDER", my C&H Victory fits like a glove. I love the exposed bullet holders on the front.

It might have been a German Military holster, but I don't know of any revolvers they used. It's made for a 4 inch revolver. The 38 specials fit great in the shell holder.

Any thoughts are welcome.

Love it! Put that on and you will look like you have been walking the woods forever...Its "rustic" and matches the gun very well....an old time rig! The cartridge loops are a nice touch to, and serve a good purpose. Just goes to show what can be done with a couple of bucks, and a lot of ingenuity. Well, I am off to the pawn shop!!!!

After WW II, German and Austrian police used many Victory Models, furnished by the Allied occupation forces.

Germany issued some captured revolvers, mainly to rear echelon troops, and some German soldiers carried captured arms, just as our people did. I've seen posts on the Net by two, one of whom had a Norwegian .45 auto, their M-1914, and another's father carried a 9mm Browning, captured when they overran Belgium.

Interestingly, the latter man left the Browning with his family in Germany after he was commissioned and was issued a P-38. He still had it after the war, probably kept hidden from Allied troops. He later carried it as a forest warden.

Some of the older revolvers from the pre-1900 period were used in the last stages, but they wouldn't fit this holster.

My guess is that it was made for an American soldier stationed in Germany, or for a German detective, before they were again allowed to equip with German arms.

Of course, Hermann Goering carried an M&P, so other Germans might have worn one during the war. S&W revolvers have been sold in Germany for very many years. A pilot may have worn one.
They would be the primary wearers of shoulder holsters, I guess.

T-Star

Star.......Thanks for the History lesson. Thats what I like about this forum. I do remember watching a World At War program where a Nazi officer was surrendering to an American officer, and handing him a revolver that looked like an S&W with a 6 inch barrel.