I saw this old Crump holster on ebay, made a lowball offer, and got it. Why would I want it? First, I noticed the tab covering the trigger guard, that the seller called a "dog ear".
I remembered a previous thread where Pighunter quoted Jim Higinbotham referring to a Jelly Bryce holster as "a Threepersons variation with a covered trigger." I kinda poo-pood that idea at the time, not believing that Jelly would cover the trigger guard.
So I checked up on Jim Higinbotham a bit and found that he has passed on to the hereafter, but he was quite a credible guy. He was also a big advocate for the covered trigger.
This subject holster is marked O.P.4 which I take to mean made
for Colt's Official Police with 4" barrel. That revolver had been around for a while, but Colt started calling it the OP in 1927. It was one of the FBI's issue revolvers from the mid 1930s up into the 1950s.
The holster is also stamped Q 37. Could that mean Quantico
1937? Could this be the covered trigger Jim Higginbotham said Jelly designed?
In LEGENDARY LAWMAN Ron Owens says that Jelly created the first FBI firearms training program, and he designed their concealed holster. On page 100-101 he says Jelly was called back to Washington periodically.....to train new agents and give demonstrations There is a photo showing him training at Quantico in 1937 on page 99.
I am aware of the letter, posted by turnerriver, dated 3 March 1951, from General Van Orden of Evaluators to Heiser, regarding convincing FBI to switch from Crump to Heiser as their holster supplier. In one part of the letter he said: "None of the Crump holsters have been delivered yet." I believe he must have been referring to a particular batch or model of holsters because Crump had been supplying FBI holsters for years previous to that date. turnerriver has told us the Heiser 457 was in their 1938 catalog, and Red Nichols told us the 459 was in the 1951 (or 1950) catalog. Both have been mentioned as FBI issue holsters. During the 1930s, 1940s, and into the 1950s, Heiser, Evaluators, and Crump were all competing for more FBI business. I realize that
my evidence is totally circumstantial, but men have been hanged with less evidence. What do you think?
I don't believe Bucheimer got into the act until the 1960s with
Hank Sloan's design.
Photos below, left to right, Crump front, Crump back, Heiser 457, Heiser 459, and Bucheimer's Hank Sloan.
I remembered a previous thread where Pighunter quoted Jim Higinbotham referring to a Jelly Bryce holster as "a Threepersons variation with a covered trigger." I kinda poo-pood that idea at the time, not believing that Jelly would cover the trigger guard.
So I checked up on Jim Higinbotham a bit and found that he has passed on to the hereafter, but he was quite a credible guy. He was also a big advocate for the covered trigger.
This subject holster is marked O.P.4 which I take to mean made
for Colt's Official Police with 4" barrel. That revolver had been around for a while, but Colt started calling it the OP in 1927. It was one of the FBI's issue revolvers from the mid 1930s up into the 1950s.
The holster is also stamped Q 37. Could that mean Quantico
1937? Could this be the covered trigger Jim Higginbotham said Jelly designed?
In LEGENDARY LAWMAN Ron Owens says that Jelly created the first FBI firearms training program, and he designed their concealed holster. On page 100-101 he says Jelly was called back to Washington periodically.....to train new agents and give demonstrations There is a photo showing him training at Quantico in 1937 on page 99.
I am aware of the letter, posted by turnerriver, dated 3 March 1951, from General Van Orden of Evaluators to Heiser, regarding convincing FBI to switch from Crump to Heiser as their holster supplier. In one part of the letter he said: "None of the Crump holsters have been delivered yet." I believe he must have been referring to a particular batch or model of holsters because Crump had been supplying FBI holsters for years previous to that date. turnerriver has told us the Heiser 457 was in their 1938 catalog, and Red Nichols told us the 459 was in the 1951 (or 1950) catalog. Both have been mentioned as FBI issue holsters. During the 1930s, 1940s, and into the 1950s, Heiser, Evaluators, and Crump were all competing for more FBI business. I realize that
my evidence is totally circumstantial, but men have been hanged with less evidence. What do you think?
I don't believe Bucheimer got into the act until the 1960s with
Hank Sloan's design.
Photos below, left to right, Crump front, Crump back, Heiser 457, Heiser 459, and Bucheimer's Hank Sloan.
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