Top break holster

[waelkhntr]

I'm interested in getting a period correct holster for my 1896 .38 S&W Top Break. Not sure what style to look for.
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,
Terry

 

[ISCS Yoda]

El Paso Saddlery maybe.

Or

Mernickle Holsters

Or

Falco Holsters

or

Bullard Leather, and I'd ask him first and go from there. Whoever you find will probably need your gun. Lobo Gun Leather on this Forum is maybe your best choice before any of the others.

 

[turnerriver]

Here are some late 1800’s early 1900’s holsters that would be suitable for the smaller top breaks.

Closeup- the LePage rubberized canvas holster was widely used.

The middle holster is designed to affix to a suspender and trouser buttons.

Regards,

 

[waelkhntr]

Thank you for the pictures. That is/was the information I was hoping for. Now I know what to look for.

Terry

 

[rednichols]

I'm interested in getting a period correct holster for my 1896 .38 S&W Top Break. Not sure what style to look for.
Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You,
Terry

The answers so far are 'made in that era' and 'look like the could have been but weren't'. The choices in between are so broad that I expect your real challenge is deciding, if buying antique gunleather, is just how exacting you'll be about fit and about date of manufacture. This question gets asked a lot one way or another, and I usually say "no one who ever handles your gun and holster will know the difference" if you're within 50 years or so (in your case, 1900 to 1950).

YOU, however, will know the difference if you end up with a holster from a maker that wasn't established by 1900. Virtually no makers of gunleather are from that period because gunleather was popularised at that very moment and built up until 1930. So the makers you've heard of weren't makers when your pistol was new.

My favorite choice, of which at least one of turnerriver's is an example, are the 'catalogue' holsters of Wyeth in MO. But Wyeths are only sometimes marked with their name so difficult to identify on auction sites. I see several new listings for them on eBay every single day. Now the trick is knowing the size and the company did publish some guidance in hardware store ads:

Notice most of them are dated in their file names:

 

[waelkhntr]

@Rednichols,
Thank you for your reply. Yes, that is a question that I haven't given much thought to. Now that I have an idea of what style to look for, I will start researching makers of that period and see what I might find. I'm not opposed to a newer holster but don't think I want a brand spanking new one either.

Terry

 

[Books]

When you collect small framed pistols you end up collecting holsters for them.

Books

 

[waelkhntr]

Nice collection Books. I only have two Top Breaks, an Iver Johnson Safety Automatic and a S&W .38 double action. Both are nice little revolvers but nowhere near collector grade. I'm now in the hunt for a couple holsters. Let the fun begin.

Terry