Dirty Harry Shoulder Holster

I tried every possible configuration but, it looked strange in every attempt? Straps all looked to turn no matter how I strung it.
That's why I can't understand the comments about "very comfortable"? Even Elmer Keith made good comments about these holsters. Maybe money was tight?
I used mine for deer hunting for several seasons but, gave up on this holster after the discomfort became too much.
Your's appears to be what they called the Maurader model of the Dirty Harry holsters series and is definately made by someone other than the one I had but, looks to have the same problems with the straps. Is S&W the only marking on your holster?
 
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Update: I have been in contact with Shelley at Ted Blocker holsters. There seem to be some minor fitment problems with the holster. it just doesn't lay flat like other shoulder holsters. I agreed with Shelly that they should "try to improve the fit without changing it too much". The holster wouldn't be worth buying if it couldn't be worn comfortably and concealed well. I have full confidence that Shelly and Don can resolve the problems. Also....does anyone know if the original holster has a tensioning screw adjustment on it? The sample they have DOES have one on it. As far as I can remember, mine DIDN'T have that screw. But if it makes the holster work better, I think it would be a worthwhile addition. Feel free to give your input and suggestions.

Dep
 
I think there was a brass screw up near the cylinder cut out of the holster.I haven't had mine since the early 80's but I'm sure it had the brass screw.
 
NO, the original holsters that came from Lawman Leather Goods in Texas didn't have any retaining screws or safety straping.
 
I just found a pic with Clint Eastwood with his holster and it does show the brass screw.I don't know how to post pics but I could email the pics to who ever would like to see them.
 
Originally posted by 1076:
I just found a pic with Clint Eastwood with his holster and it does show the brass screw.I don't know how to post pics but I could email the pics to who ever would like to see them.
Click to expand...

Please send the pic to me. I will forward it to Shelley. My e-mail address is in my profile.
icon_smile.gif


dep
 
Deputy,I sent the pic that I found.I hope it is good enough as I am not good with computers.
 
FWIW... that pattern of holster was very popular from the 50's through the 70's in California law enforcement. They are very comfortable for all day wear, even with a large framed revolver. There were several SFPD Inspectors (the SFPD term for a detective) in the nieghborhood when I was a kid and most used this type of holster. The other favorite was the Berns Martin shoulder rig for those carrying snubs.

They also turn up quite often in movies... besides just in the Dirty Harry series. And in Magnum Force, the speedloaders he used were Dades. You can see the spring on them clearly before they get chucked out the car window.
 
Originally posted by BigDogatPlay:
And in Magnum Force, the speedloaders he used were Dades. You can see the spring on them clearly before they get chucked out the car window.
Click to expand...

Interesting...I found this on another website:

The Dade Loader was extremely popular among PPC shooters. The case rims were retained by an elastic O-ring along the outer diameter of the loader. You started the cartridges in the chamber, the loader would bottom out, and then you pressed the center knob which would force the rims past the O-ring. The downside to the Dade was its fat diameter interfered with the stocks and thumbpieces. Worse yet, it would easily lose the cartridges when dropped.

Also, in many scenes you see Harry TWISTING the knob. The Dade reloaded by PUSHING the knob.

No mention of any spring in it's description.
icon_smile.gif
 
Originally posted by BigDogatPlay:
FWIW... that pattern of holster was very popular from the 50's through the 70's in California law enforcement. They are very comfortable for all day wear, even with a large framed revolver. There were several SFPD Inspectors (the SFPD term for a detective) in the nieghborhood when I was a kid and most used this type of holster. The other favorite was the Berns Martin shoulder rig for those carrying snubs.

They also turn up quite often in movies... besides just in the Dirty Harry series. And in Magnum Force, the speedloaders he used were Dades. You can see the spring on them clearly before they get chucked out the car window.
Click to expand...


You posted they were very comfortable, did you ever wear one? Mine was not comfortable!

About the Dade speedloaders: That's what I said also but, another poster said he carried HKSs? I could of sworn he had at least two Dades in Dirty Harry but, what do I know?
 
Originally posted by Deputy:
Interesting...I found this on another website:

The Dade Loader was extremely popular among PPC shooters. The case rims were retained by an elastic O-ring along the outer diameter of the loader. You started the cartridges in the chamber, the loader would bottom out, and then you pressed the center knob which would force the rims past the O-ring. The downside to the Dade was its fat diameter interfered with the stocks and thumbpieces. Worse yet, it would easily lose the cartridges when dropped.

Also, in many scenes you see Harry TWISTING the knob. The Dade reloaded by PUSHING the knob.

No mention of any spring in it's description.
icon_smile.gif
Click to expand...

I still have several Dade loaders purchased back in the 1970's for my Colt Python and for K frames. They are exceptionally fast and operate as you describe. The "o-ring" on the models I have is actually a very fine brass spring. The cartridge rims fit above the spring to hold the rounds in the loader.

I used them on the street very briefly until I dropped one on the range one day and it only had three rounds in it when I picked it up. I switched immediately to HKS, and later to Comp 1's for duty. The Dades remain in the box, I used them in competition for a long time.

I'll toss the DVD in the player and see what I see. The shots where Harry actually reloads with his speedloaders my take on the twisting was that he was trying to peel the loader off. There is one shot in Magnum Force when David Soul reloads his four inch Python and he clearly is using Dade loaders and the excellent (and utterly silent) pouch that was sold with them. I still have one of those pouches someplace.

As to the holster, I've tried one on a couple of times. With a heavy revolver they are pretty comfortable... for me anyway.
 
Actually, Safariland loaders load the exact same way as the Dade loaders. I have two of them. I believe David Soul and later on in the third movie Tyne Daly both use Safariland loaders. Maybe Safariland is what is being seen in the push-to-load scenes? Or maybe Safariland bought the Dade patent rights and improved them? Much of the Dirty Harry movies are not what they seem. For instance, Model 29 magnums were relatively difficult to obtain back then. So there is a good deal of speculation that they actually used Model 57 .41 magnums in the movie. It would be relatively impossible to tell the difference.
Also, in the early movies they used a 6 inch magnum, but in later movies they used an 8 3/8 inch version.
 
There has been threads here on what Harry really had. Probably more than one. Many sources agree that there were at least three 6.5 M29's that were used in the various films, as well as at least one M57. Some sources say they used M-25's but one look says that can't be right. I don't believe an 8 3/8 was used in any of the films, other than perhaps for publicity, but I've not watched any of the films in a while although I have all of them.

One of the 29's used on the first two films was given to John Milius, who wrote screenplays and dialog for the first two films. Milius habitually collects the arms used in films he writes or directs when ever he can. He has since donated that piece to the NRA Museum. I have a photo of it someplace and it is most definitely a 29.

As to the popularity of M29's... many shops couldn't give them away, right up until the release of Dirty Harry in 1971. That is what drove a huge demand, made the guns so scarce that Smith couldn't make them fast enough and drove prices through the roof.

The Dade speedloader pre-dates the Safariland Comp 1 by many years. They were extremely popular with LEOs for a while in the 60's and 70's until one realized how fragile they really were and how quickly they'd dump your ammo on the ground if you dropped one. The loaders that the motorcycle cops use in Magnum Force are most definitely Dade loaders in Dade pouches, and Harry's are as well in my opinion based on my viewing of the film.
 
The Dade patent rights are currently owned by a man in Florida and he sells them on Ebay.
I still own two for a model 29 that I bought from Dade Machine Co., in the sixties. Camera is on the blink so I can't post pics. The two Dades that I own are kind of a purple colored plastic, marked Dade Machine Company.
 
Well I own both the Safariland and HKS loaders, and while the Safariland is quicker to load the gun with, it's a royal PITA to load the cartridges in the loader. I definitely prefer the HKS over any of them.
 
Originally posted by Arisin Wind:
It seems this "project" is moving right along. Thanks to all for making it happen.
Click to expand...

Thanks for steering us back on topic. Yep...the good folks at Ted Blocker holsters seem to be 100% behind this holster. That's GOOD news!!
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