SD Myres Threepersons w/ Snap Strap

[Onomea]

At least I think Threepersons is correct. Corrections, and any further info you may have, are appreciated:











Shown above with my mid '60s M10. I believe they are approximately contemporaneous. A good match of holster and gun, I think, both being excellent examples, in their utilitarian simplicity and quality workmanship, of everything you need and nothing you don't.

'Cept maybe that snap strap...

I do notice that the gun will fall, when the holster is turned upside down, without the snap strap engaged. Could be the age of the holster, its past use or maintenance. I don't know.

When did snap straps come into use? Were guns falling out of holsters willy nilly or was it the nervous nellies of the time imposing unnecessary rules?

 

[crazyphil]

You are right. It is a Tom Threeperson's design. You do need the strap
if the gun will fall out due to gravity. That was Chic Gaylord's test. If
you hold it over a bed or some other easy landing place and shake it a
little bit, and it falls out then it fails Chic's test. When did straps come
into use? That is a very good question. I don't know the answer, but
one of our holster Gurus probably will.

 

[SS336]

Looks like a Threeperson too me also.
I have this one by ElPaso saddlery and, yes, it will fall out without the strap. They offer a leather throng as well as a snap strap.
I like your holster a lot. Anybody know how old it is?

 

[Onomea]

Re age, I speculate between early 1950s and early 1970s. I read, I think here, that the "Texas" was dropped from the SD Myres maker's mark in the early 1950s, and that they stopped making holsters/went out of business in the early 1970s.

Correction, or further narrowing down of the age, appreciated.

Re need for the snap strap or thong, I'm considering that since the design leaves the trigger guard fully exposed, perhaps it would not be possible to pass the Gaylord test without some form of extra retention. (One of my SD with a handgun instructors called that "the Disney Land" test, referring to riding a rollercoaster loop upside down and having one's gun stay in its holster. Or not..)

 

[Kansasgunner]

I have a couple tightly fitted holsters that fit a Model 10 very well and will not accept a Model 15. On that line of thought possibly your holster was made for a Model 15/19?
Very nice Myres you have there!

 

[crazyphil]

Good point Tim. That adjustable rear sight makes all the difference in the
fit. All K frames are not the same.

 

[Onomea]

Hmm... Maybe I need to buy a 15 or a 19 and find out....

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Good point Tim. That adjustable rear sight makes all the difference in the
fit. All K frames are not the same.

This is true. Also, at the time of this holster's manufacture the most common practice was to offer "one size fits several"; holsters made to accept a grouping of several different handguns. Usually indicated by "small revolver", "medium revolver", "large revolver", "small automatic", "large automatic", etc, usually with a barrel length indicated.

A holster for "medium revolver, 4 inch" could be expected to provide a functional fit for S&W Model 10/15/19, Colt Official Police/Trooper/Python, Ruger Security Six. The catalog and product packaging usually provided a comprehensive listing of handguns that would fit into each holster size. Obviously, the forming of the holster in production must accommodate the largest of all dimensions within that range.

Holsters individually hand-fitted to a specific handgun were the province of a few custom makers. Most of the larger makers followed the more general sizing plan, although some broke things down further by handgun manufacturer.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

You are right. It is a Tom Threeperson's design. You do need the strap
if the gun will fall out due to gravity. That was Chic Gaylord's test. If
you hold it over a bed or some other easy landing place and shake it a
little bit, and it falls out then it fails Chic's test. When did straps come
into use? That is a very good question. I don't know the answer, but
one of our holster Gurus probably will.

Retention straps have been around since the mid-19th Century or so. The earlier examples used different fastening methods such as a hole in the strap engaging a brass stud on the holster, or a buckle, or other mechanical means. The familiar "Dot" style snaps did not make an appearance until the early 20th Century, probably after WW1, and have been commonly seen in holsters since about the 1920s.

Simple hammer thongs have been around even longer, provided by the holster maker or added by the users to provide better retention. As I recall, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol was still issuing holster with hammer thongs as recently as the 1970s.

The thumb-break entered the marketplace during the 1960s and largely displaced snap-straps by the end of the 1970s (although many traditional designs have remained in production). I remember doing lots of retrofit work on snap-strap holsters to add thumb-breaks back in the 1970s (I think I charged about $5 each, back then).

Snap-straps remain a useful retention device for many sportsmen, although the law enforcement market seems to have left them behind 40 years ago.

 

[Onomea]

Thanks for the insights and history lesson, Lobo. My experience until very recently has been with modern holsters, so much of this is new to me.

I was curious about whether the Myers would accommodate my Colt Three Fifty-Seven, and found that it would not. While one could stretch the strap a little to snap it closed, the frame in front of the trigger guard will not slip in, so the barrel can't advance. Full insertion is not possible.



The holster is a very good, close fit for the M10. No wiggling going on when inserted. The leather is quite supple though, and I think it has probably softened due to neatsfoot oil usage or similar in the past.

(Note the contrast between the M10 and the 3-5-7 cylinder positions, with the latter protruding.)

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Thanks for the insights and history lesson, Lobo. My experience until very recently has been with modern holsters, so much of this is new to me.

I was curious about whether the Myers would accommodate my Colt Three Fifty-Seven, and found that it would not. While one could stretch the strap a little to snap it closed, the frame in front of the trigger guard will not slip in, so the barrel can't advance. Full insertion is not possible.



The holster is a very good, close fit for the M10. No wiggling going on when inserted. The leather is quite supple though, and I think it has probably softened due to neatsfoot oil usage or similar in the past.

(Note the contrast between the M10 and the 3-5-7 cylinder positions, with the latter protruding.)

Please note that my comments were broadly general in nature, nothing specifically aimed at any particular holster maker. Just the nature of the business during a period in history.

Try your Colt 3-5-7 in a S.D. Myres Saddlery holster for "large revolver 4" and you will probably be well served. Maybe just a little bit loose because they also wanted to sell holsters for the S&W .357 and .44 magnum crowd.

My central point is that there were no common or accepted rules for holster fitting, and most makers concentrated more effort on producing for the big market than on any individual order. Holsters were secondary in the market chain, and customer expectations were much different than we see today.

 

[Onomea]

I understand, Lobo. And thanks for the tip on the 3-5-7 holster. Been thinking about a vintage holster for that one for a while...

 

[rednichols]

At least I think Threepersons is correct. Corrections, and any further info you may have, are appreciated:











Shown above with my mid '60s M10. I believe they are approximately contemporaneous. A good match of holster and gun, I think, both being excellent examples, in their utilitarian simplicity and quality workmanship, of everything you need and nothing you don't.

'Cept maybe that snap strap...

I do notice that the gun will fall, when the holster is turned upside down, without the snap strap engaged. Could be the age of the holster, its past use or maintenance. I don't know.

When did snap straps come into use? Were guns falling out of holsters willy nilly or was it the nervous nellies of the time imposing unnecessary rules?

If you are young enough, perhaps you are wondering then safety straps fell out of favor, vs when were they introduced. In the way that the youngies wonder at uncovered triggers vs today. And they fell out of favor right at the turn of this century with the renewed focus on the New York School of Design that doesn't use welts at all.

The theory of the Sunday scabbard, from which the Threepersons was adapted, was that the tight welts obviated the safety strap; which then was called a 'retreating strap' according to Texas Ranger captain Sterling. So, not meant to be deployed unless on horseback etc.

When Sam Myres introduced the Threepersons he offered the earliest configuration of it with, and without the safety strap. It was the FBI agents of the late 1930s who chose the strapless version of what is the best known 'final' configuration of the Myres Threepersons. This image from 1930 is surely overly familiar to the forum by now:



This one was Texas Ranger Capt. Hickman's of about that time, and one of a pair he wore at once:



By 1936 or so even Sam Myres' catalog showed the 'new' version that I expect had evolved from adapting the design from the SA revolvers of the Texas Rangers to the DA revolvers of the FBI because they chose the new .357 caliber N frames; this is Jerry Campbell in 1939:



Yours with its marking appeared after Sam's death (we believe) in '53; the mark continued to be used by subsequent Myres owners and when there are additional marks on the backside near the stamping we think they were by owner Harlan Webb:



Which is why I often say, 'always show the backside'. There is more there than the maker's mark; even the belt loop's configuration and the sewing of the main seam give clues to age/era.

 

[crazyphil]

Here is a picture of S. D. Myres Model 614. Very popular with F.B.I. Agents
and many others. Shown with my Model 29 with 4" barrel.
2nd from left is an advertisement that ran in all of the gun magazines
for years, showing the Model 614.
3rd from left shows Myres 614 on the left, Heiser 457 center, and
Lawrence Model 34 at right.
4th from left basically the same holster with the snap strap was
called Model 624 by Myres. Shown with Model 67.
5th from left is another Myres 614 with my Model 67.

 

[turnerriver]

I’ll have to sneak a Colt in here to show another example of the Threepersons holster with both a hammer protector and safety strap. It was a big canvas for the leather carver.

Regards,

 

[boykinlp]

I’ll have to sneak a Colt in here to show another example of the Threepersons holster with both a hammer protector and safety strap. It was a big canvas for the leather carver.

Regards,

John, that holster is beautiful!! Thanks for sharing.
Larry

 

[mexicanjoe]

Ive got the twin to that holster of yours. I have the strap attached when I carry my Ruger Service Six. It carries we and is even faster on the draw . I like a black holster as it is easier to care for.