A vintage Berns-Martin, exploded

[rednichols]

Learned a bit more about Berns-Martin's Speed holster recently, by disassembling one. First thing: the spring itself is handsomely, professionally made. And still very strong after all these years. Little spots of rust but otherwise as if it was new; made of what's called 'blue-tempered clockspring' 3/4" wide x .040" thick. Perfection.

"All these years" could be since 1950 because this one is a K frame fitment (with a McGivern front sight, very tall) marked Evaluators; and 1950 is that company's founding year and also the year that Jack Martin reopened Berns-Martin after WWII, and roughly when both patents expired (so no royalties to pay).

Confirmed: the belt loop and the latigo sleeves for the spring are machine stitched and the two ends (guard and muzzle) are by hand. One tells with a destructive test in this case: cutting the seam open. If each stitch has short legged 'U' threads on both sides, it's hand stitched. If only one side does, and the other side's 'U' threads are caught on a long bobbin thread (strips out of the seam like unzipping a zipper) then machine sewn.

Thread is very fine; I'd have thought too fine and indeed I simply ripped the belt loop free, with my aged and arthritic hands.

The muzzle plugs were carefully tailored to order. This one was for a McGivern sight about .700" tall! Prior owner(s) had tried to use a conventionally sighted revolver in it, which causes the muzzle to sit on top of the special 'well' stapled onto the interior surface of the plug; and that forced the stitching at the guard to fail (revolver sat up too high by 6mm).

Holster body is made from 10 ounce bridle leather, the latigo (confirmed) is 7 ounce, that 'well' is 15 ounce. Sewing is 8 to the inch, which required a fine thread (or the converse). I may rebuild it in horsehide someday, for fun.

The spring is in its actual, original position: centered exactly on the cylinder



Make your own: have a local copy center print this so that the 1" dimension of the sleeves' stitchlines are actually 1"

I cut back the 'well' that's cupping the front sight, to accommodate an M19, to show how the plug functions. Turns out that plug is angled vs the forward lips of the holster, to trap the sight; because otherwise most front sights are behind the muzzle and the plug wouldn't function. Esp. on an SAA!

 

[turnerriver]

So how many of those would one worker be able to turn out in an average day ? I’ve noticed that some of my examples have pencilled information inside-belt loop size or gun it is going to fit. I think I have a letter at home with the name of the spring manufacturer; I’m on my way to the annual
SWCA symposium so I’ll dig it out when I get back. Thanks for posting this, Red.
Regards,
turnerriver

 

[rednichols]

So how many of those would one worker be able to turn out in an average day ? I’ve noticed that some of my examples have pencilled information inside-belt loop size or gun it is going to fit. I think I have a letter at home with the name of the spring manufacturer; I’m on my way to the annual
SWCA symposium so I’ll dig it out when I get back. Thanks for posting this, Red.
Regards,
turnerriver

Surprisingly I have a bit of data on that query, John:

Custom-Made Specialists Located in Calhoun City". The Winston County Journal, 23 May 1963. J.H. Martin and F.M. Criswell make 1200 to 1500 sets/yr (concurrent with GA.)

That newspaper article is from the year after the Elberton operation started up, commemorated in a later article:

The Work of Walter McNeeley (sic, McNeely)". Asheville Citizen-Times, 19 Mar 1967. McNeely buys Berns-Martin from founders 5 years earlier (so '62)(concurrent with MS)

From which I've deduced the two operations were running concurrently. And because the Elberton version was incorporated as JAF Corp (the first registered owner of the trademark; I own it now as of last month) and that is believed to be the Jack and Frank Corp; then the two were inextricably entwined. Further evidence that he Elberton operation seems to have ceased in the years after Jack Martin died ('68): it was in Blackie Collins' hands by '71 when he incorporated under the name in Atlanta.

He sold on to Bianchi Holsters in '74. JB told me at the time that there was nothing left of Berns-Martin then but the trademark and some unfilled orders.

Elberton holsters are not nearly as well executed as the Calhoun City versions. For such a short time period ('62 to '68-ish) there are a lot of them. Boom times for James Bond's holster maker as announced in '62's "Dr. No" film .