Victory Model Holster
- Thread starter Mr. Collectr
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
El Biblioitecario
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Messages
- 471
- Reaction score
- 551
I paid $35 for my example--but that was twenty years ago. Today a quality reproduction from El Paso Saddlery costs $108. Given the relative fragility of leather to metal, I sense there are far fewer surviving holsters than weapons, so I doubt if they will be getting cheaper. And now you won't someday feel like I do about the two original M1912 cavalry holsters I passed up in 1979 because $20 apiece was too much money.
Scary Gary
Member
I always feel better with buyers remorse then I do with, I wish I'd bought that remorse .
OP
Mr. Collectr
Member
Thanks guys! Does it look like an authentic WWII holster to you guys?
opoefc
US Veteran
It's the same pattern as the WW2 Victory Model shoulder holsters, designed for Flight personnel, and made by Boyt, a longtime military holster contractor, however to a purist, it would not be a " WW2 Victory Model" holster as it was not made until August 1953. Korean War, yes - WW2, no. Yes, it does look like a WW2 holster, but it's not. The shoulder strap is slightly wider than the WW2 produced holsters. The MRT stamp stands for "Mildew Resistant Treatment" and the 8-53 means the holster was made in Aug. 1953. Please do not feel my comments are negative about your holster. It's a nice example and is what it is. Ed.
Bell Charter Oak Holsters
Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2005
- Messages
- 1,880
- Reaction score
- 1,571
Yup! What he said and...it is a really nice condition example. Use it, they work well and are very comfortable.
Cheers;
Lefty
DWalt
Member
I remember back in the mid-1960s, an army surplus store in Cleveland (where I lived at the time) had large bins full of those leather shoulder holsters (for both revolver and 1911) for, as I remember, about $5 each. I bought several of them, and I think I have one for a .45 still around somewhere. They were in pretty much unused condition. Could have been WWII or Korean War, I don't remember, but not later. I think tank crews used them also. During WWII, there were seven or eight holster manufacturers, and products from a couple of them are very desirable and pricey if in good condition. A good area for collectors, as there are so many holster types and makers from all the various wars the US has been involved in.
I also had a very good M1912 swivel cavalry holster once, bought it at an estate sale in the 1980s for maybe a dollar. I sold it 5 or 6 years later for $100 and thought I had made out like a bandit - until I found out what originals were really worth in that condition. That was why the buyer seemed so happy to get it. There was no internet for price checking back then. Mine had been used during WWI, as there was a lot of information about the soldier who used it, what outfit, and when written in ink inside the flap. I haven't seen an original one since, just replicas.
I also had a very good M1912 swivel cavalry holster once, bought it at an estate sale in the 1980s for maybe a dollar. I sold it 5 or 6 years later for $100 and thought I had made out like a bandit - until I found out what originals were really worth in that condition. That was why the buyer seemed so happy to get it. There was no internet for price checking back then. Mine had been used during WWI, as there was a lot of information about the soldier who used it, what outfit, and when written in ink inside the flap. I haven't seen an original one since, just replicas.
Last edited:
I was thinking about ordering one of these for a US Navy Victory I picked up.
Pacific Canvas & Leather Co. INC
Pacific Canvas & Leather Co. INC
Fessor
Member
This looks like a holster I saw on Ebay. It appears ln your first picture that the upper left corner of the holster was trimmed as part of the BOYT logo is missing. In the second pic, it appears that the retention strap has been resewn to the body of the holster and the lower snap for the belt strap is missing. These two apparent flaws scared me from making an offer. Also, since this is a Korean war holster, I lost interest for the money. This is not a WWII holster as advertised.
OP
Mr. Collectr
Member
That's where I got it! Unfortunantly when I got it I saw all those flaws. I have since contacted the seller and he will accept returns and I will get a full refund. Lesson learned.
Fessor
Member
Good for you. You're doing the right thing.
El Biblioitecario
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Messages
- 471
- Reaction score
- 551
I've bought a few of PC&L's offerings. They are not the high quality of El Paso Saddlery--but they certainly aren't poor quality. I found them good value for the money.
Texas Star
US Veteran
How does quality compare to the original military holsters?
BTW, I think this holster is a little late for much use in the Korean War, but it may well have served in Vietnam.
I saw many Naval aircrews wearing what looks like this style during the 1960's. (USAF flight personnel whom I saw usually had belt holsters, many in a sort of Western cowboy style that were widely sold in Vietnam. The rest had the issue swivel holster also issued to LE and Security forces. I provided my own, and I don't think our commanders cared about which holster we wore.)
For RVN service... did anyone use a shoulder (under the arm pit) holster? For either 1911, .38? Ive got a holster that's looks like for a larger. Victory model fits nicely but looks like being for a larger revolver.. ? It came with a dirty tan canvas .38 shell "belt" that slides onto the shoulder strap and rides at the shoulder. The holster is a dun-colored leather.
Last edited:
John Wyatt
Member
The 8-53 date is actually when the holster was treated, not when it was made. The MRT ( Mildew Resistant Treatment ) stamps are seen on many post WWII leather and web items, even WWII produced pieces that were treated post war.
opoefc
US Veteran
I respectfully disagree with John. I don't consider a Korean War vintage holster as "made" until it's completed, and completion doesn't happen until the MRT is done. Kind of like a S&W revolver. To me, it's not complete until the finish is applied. Others may disagree. Ed.
John Wyatt
Member
That's an interesting way of looking at the issue, but I have to disagree as well. The holster was completed by the manufacturer prior to the treatment and stamping, which I believe, in this case, was done by the U.S. government. That is why the MRT marking is ink stamped and different than the manufacturer's marking, which is impressed into the leather.
El Biblioitecario
Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Messages
- 471
- Reaction score
- 551
I've never purchased any PC&L US reproduction holsters, but I'd say the C96 holster and two slings I've purchased are about 75% as good as original GI leather. As a comparison, I'd say the quality of El Paso Saddlery US reproduction hostlers is superior to original WW2 items, and distinctly superior to postwar US holsters.
While PC&L items aren't top drawer, the price is so reasonable that if you are so inclined you can fool around aging them, adding bullet loops, etc, and just use them for a fill-in display item.
I sense it is a small mom 'n pop firm, but I've never had any customer service issues with my few orders.
ordnanceguy
Member
Hello John:
I have to weigh in here with Ed/opoefc on this one. He got it right.
While there may be instances where MRT markings were applied by the military long after an item was manufactured, in the case of holsters, including the Boyt M3 style holster at issue, the MRT marking was affixed by the manufacturer which applied the treatment as required by the specifications in its contract with the procuring agency. Here, Boyt chose to use an inkstamp to establish that the treatment was applied. It followed that practice up into the early 1960s for M3 style holsters. Other makers did the same. Indeed, Bloomberg actually used a white/silver ink to so mark its black M1916 holsters made for the USAF in the early 1950s.
However, other makers chose to use a single marking die that included not only the maker's name but also the MRT information. For example, see the attached photo of the backside of a USGI shoulder holster made by L.M.E. shortly after the Korean War. The MRT marking is clearly part of the same die used to identify the maker and could only have been applied at the time the holster was manufactured. Craighead did the same on some of its holsters made in the same era.
Similar threads
