What holster would a lawman have used in 1951?

[LOBO]

I have a 1951 pre-model 10 2" that is one of my favorites. It ain't pretty finish wise, but it is a joy to shoot & is plenty accurate to boot.

I was wondering if anyone knows what kind of holster a lawman might have used to carry this jewel back in its heyday of the 1950's?

Pictures are appreciated

 

[crazyphil]

Lewis Police Equipment was in business in the 40s, 50s, and into the 60s.
A lot of plain cloths cops carried their 2" S&W in one of Lewis' clip on
or snap on crossdraw holsters. (Sergeant Friday for one)

Shown below with my Model 10 2" barrel.

 

[rednichols]

I have a 1951 pre-model 10 2" that is one of my favorites. It ain't pretty finish wise, but it is a joy to shoot & is plenty accurate to boot.

I was wondering if anyone knows what kind of holster a lawman might have used to carry this jewel back in its heyday of the 1950's?

Pictures are appreciated

An FBI agent would have had his 4" in either a Myres or Heiser in the Threepersons style.







A Heiser of the Threepersons Style in carved is VERY rare; the plain ones abound.

If you're feeling wealthy, a Brill would also be period correct (barely because Brills were made only until 1955).



The Brills for the short barrels were constructed very differently (included the cuff but encircled the trigger guard and always had a safety strap).

 

[usmc2427765]

A.W. Brill or S.D. Myres rig would be my choice. They were probably expensive then for a LEO making $ 200.00 a month, however if you want to " live the legend" this would have been my choice. Just my opinion.

 

[crazyphil]

Here is one of Heiser's RARE carved Threeperson's style that Red
mentioned, however I believe it was referred to as their FBI style.
It is a deep oxblood, so it doesn't photograph too well. Sorry.
It is shown with my 4" S&W Model 10, a Simply Rugged belt, and
an S&W knife.

 

[crazyphil]

In the 1950s and 1960s Chic Gaylord made a lot of holsters for law
enforcement people all over the world. I had one of his holsters that
I believe was called a Combat Speed Scabbard. Not knowing the
future I let it get away from me.

Price Western made a good replica shown below left, with my S&W
Model 642, on a Sparks belt.

Several years later, when the Ruger LCR came out, Thad Rybka
made the replica, 2nd from left, for me.

3rd from left is the Combat Speed Scabbard, with "dog ear",
made by Chic's friend Lefty Lewis of Bell-Charter-Oak. It is
shown with my S&W Model 67

4th from left, I can imagine a few law enforcement folks carried
their heater in a Eubanks Pioneer like the one show here with my
Colt's Agent. (At least in this part of the country)

 

[jimmyj]

In that era Buchimer (sic) spring type cross draw. wore strong side or weak side.

 

[BAM-BAM]

In that era Buchimer (sic) spring type cross draw. wore strong side or weak side.

ditto...... my Dad carried his 2" Colt Detective Special in one from the time I can remember (mid-50s) to and into his retirement in the late 80s ...... In about 1988/89 he got a Smith 640 to replace his Colt as his EDC

 

[crazyphil]

Here is one of the Bucheimer-Clark cross draw holsters that you refer
to. This one is the Sheriff Model. With a vintage Charter Arms Under
Cover.

 

[LOBO]

I found a holster on Ebay that looks exactly like the second one from the right as posted by crazyphil a few posts above.

It is a N.O.S. Tex Shoemaker basketweave stamp in black. I think I did ok as I got it for $8 shipped

I'll post pics when it arrives.

 

[LOBO]

The Tex Shoemaker holster arrived today. It fits and looks great!! I think it fits the bill nicely. What say you?

 

[crazyphil]

I say you did good. Hope you enjoy the model 10 and the Tex
Shoemaker holster. They look good together.

 

[LOBO]

Thanks! I appreciate everyones help.

 

[AZretired]

Many uniformed cops would have carried theirs in an S.D. Meyers Border Patrol holster.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

NM LE in the boonies looked like this.

 

[rednichols]

NM LE in the boonies looked like this.

Have you a date for your pic? When one looks closely (as I did) at the holster it is a true Threepersons in the style of the pic I've attached (notice the full support for the trigger guard and the long stitchline at the welt seam paralleling the barrel).



Note the price paid, ten years ago!

 

[crazyphil]

The vehicle in the photo looks to be maybe from the mid 1930s.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Have you a date for your pic? When one looks closely (as I did) at the holster it is a true Threepersons in the style of the pic I've attached (notice the full support for the trigger guard and the long stitchline at the welt seam paralleling the barrel).

That's a Mogollon, NM Deputy Sheriff taken June, 1940 by Russell Lee.
Russell Lee was a well known photographer who took depression era pictures all over, especially in the SW.

Russell Lee (photographer - Wikipedia)

 

[boykinlp]

Have you a date for your pic? When one looks closely (as I did) at the holster it is a true Threepersons in the style of the pic I've attached (notice the full support for the trigger guard and the long stitchline at the welt seam paralleling the barrel.

Good eye, Red!

 

[rednichols]

I dragged this thread back into the present, because of stumbling across an image in "Ed McGivern's Book" (that's actually its name; the 'fast and fancy' portion is a subtitle).



From it I would expect that the holster on the NM deputy is an A.H. Hardy. Dates even work; the book is (c) 1938, the deputy pic is 1940. The styling and construction around the stitched welt is unmistakeably identical in my view.

Hardy, best known for being a trick shooter as was Ed, and for a shoulder holster that Cooper had Milt Sparks copy (which was just like every other maker's "C" clip spring holster)(Cooper added a slit near the muzzle for the waistbelt which actually was a good idea) was from NE but made holsters after a shift to Denver (can't be a coincidence that Heiser was in Denver) by 1920, then on to Beverly Hills by 1930 which is where Cooper encountered him immediately after the War. Hardy holsters with each of the two cities, and with no city, have been recorded. Hardy died the year I was born, 1950.

I got McGivern's book recently, because I had not ever looked through it and when locating an image from it on the Web, realised that he wasn't just a tricker shooter using a handheld pistol; he was a trick shooter from the holster. Course y'all knew that but I didn't. Heavy on the Myres products with a nod to Berns-Martin.

His notion, that a real gunman will have a holstermaker fit him up special, matches up with very similar language in the Sykes-Fairbairn book of the same era; which also mentions B-M in general and Jack Martin in particular. Several references including Fleming's man Boothroyd associate Martin 'the man' without mentioning John Berns (it is clear that he was the inventor and it was Martin who 'reduced the invention to practice' as the USPTO calls the process; and made all the unmarked, and the Calhoun City holsters; the Elberton holsters were made by another).

Today I don't think it would be good advice to advise a 'serious gunman' that he had to visit a holster maker to have his holster designed and made just for him; unless he wanted to carry it someplace out of the ordinary (Paris' crotch holster comes to mind) or had a disability. Likely his tailor, instead, to perfectly accommodate the new bulges 'wherever'.