Going through one of the Boxes of Shame.

[jar]

Jar: #2 strongly resembles one of the Berns Martin retention rigs, least in profile...........is it a break front?

Far as the BP rig, still have my Tex Shoemaker version....owned an SD Myers when first starting out.....good leather but the TS variant was superior in that it provided a sight protecting extension..........My old '59 vintage M/19's front and rear sights are both rounded via carry wear and if not for that chunk of leather the rear blade would've likely been badly damaged.

Yup, a break front, Berns Martin design but this one from Don Hume. I didn't realize that Hume had made a classic Berns Martin design break front so contacted the current Hume to see if I could get more information. Unfortunately it seems no one still working there even knew what a break front was.

 

[usaral63]

Neat, New one to me too.........wish I'd picked up a BM in the bygone......doubt you'll find many today that even know BM existed much less one of the best holster designs ever!

 

[jar]

Neat, New one to me too.........wish I'd picked up a BM in the bygone......doubt you'll find many today that even know BM existed much less one of the best holster designs ever!

Certainly better than the widow makers where you stuck your finger through the trigger guard to press the release.

 

[gobsauce]

Weirdly enough,this became one of my favorite threads. I liked seeing all the incredibly unique holsters. Thank y'all for sharing.

 

[jar]

Weirdly enough,this became one of my favorite threads. I liked seeing all the incredibly unique holsters. Thank y'all for sharing.

Thanks. I have an old pancake style open top holster from Classic Old West, a maker there in El Paso. Not sure they are even still in business. I'll see if I can find or take a picture of it.

 

[gobsauce]

Thanks. I have an old pancake style open top holster from Classic Old West, a maker there in El Paso. Not sure they are even still in business. I'll see if I can find or take a picture of it.

If I remember correctly, they used to be on Texas Ave. Think I saw them once or twice at the Provost GunShow, way back when.

 

[jar]

Neat, New one to me too.........wish I'd picked up a BM in the bygone......doubt you'll find many today that even know BM existed much less one of the best holster designs ever!

I just found out that Strong is still making and selling a Over the hammer thumb break breakfront holster and even offering it for revolvers. The model numbers are far different than the older Strong model numbers but it's still a Berns Martin style with the addition of a retention strap.

 

[jar]

Another old Roy's Leather pancake today; holding my S&W Model 10.

 

[jar]

Back to the 59 today and in another oldie, a Brauer Bros of ST. Louis.

 

[gobsauce]

Back to the 59 today and in another oldie, a Brauer Bros of ST. Louis.

View attachment 1163458

I like that design. Maybe I'll try and make one for.. hmm, I just realized that the only "full size" handgun I got is a tokarev.

Does it have a toe plug?

 

[jar]

I like that design. Maybe I'll try and make one for.. hmm, I just realized that the only "full size" handgun I got is a tokarev.

Does it have a toe plug?

Nope, open bottom.

 

[gobsauce]

Nope, open bottom.

That makes a ton of sense, the barrel need somewhere to go. Sorry , I guess I've been spending too much time in the lab and not enough with my guns.

 

[jar]

Last few days I've been carrying one of my Government sized 1911s in an old Roy's Original holster and honestly still amazed by how high and tight it carries as well as how comfortable it has been. For a holster designed and built over a half century ago it's amazing. Stitching still intact, leather still supple, still looks good and conceals as well or better than any of my newer OWB holster. Granted it has spent decades hiding in one of the Boxes of Shame but that was because the 1911s I owned at the time weren't anything I'd trust as a carry option.

 

[Old Dog]

Guessin' it's time to go through my boxes'o'shame...


Love me some basketweave...

 

[jar]

Went smaller the last few days; carrying my East German Makarov in another old Strong pancake holster.

 

[jar]

Today it's my old S&W Model 10 in another Bucheimer Concealer; this one too purty to conceal.



Used it yesterday as well and had contact with three folk while wearing it. The first was the President of my Home Owners Association. Someone had called him to say there were dangerous limbs about to fall from the oaks in my front yard so he drove over to take a look and asses the danger. Parked under the limbs in question (they were broken by the Big Cat in my front yard that was digging the trench for the new storm sewers). The biggest was perhaps two thumbs thick but I said I'd get the guy that trims it to come out and get them down.

The other two folk were the tree guy and his helper.

All three commented on the shirt I was openly wearing.

 

[Speedo66]

This old S&W brand holster came out of the box the other day to try out with an Iver Johnson I’d recently bought. Happened to fit perfectly.

Originally a duty holster for a 3” Chief, I had modified it back then by cutting the belt loops and adding snaps so I could slip it on and off a belt without removing my belt for going in and out of lockups. They preferred you not remove the gun from the holster for safety reasons.

 

[American_Fusilier]

Notice how in almost all the old revolver holsters the triggers were uncovered.

I see a lot of these holsters have a exposed trigger. Personally, that would bother me to the point of not using a holster that has an open trigger design. I understand that many of them have a retention strap that goes over the hammer that would prevent them from firing, but still...

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

I don't keep old holsters as you described. If they're honestly a "bad" holster, I get rid of them. If they're just "not up to par" with my expectations for some reason, or simply replaced by another I like better, I re-home it to someone else.

Holsters can be expensive...expensive in price and expensive in lessons. If they will help someone else, then that's what I do.

 

[jar]

I see a lot of these holsters have a exposed trigger. Personally, that would bother me to the point of not using a holster that has an open trigger design. I understand that many of them have a retention strap that goes over the hammer that would prevent them from firing, but still...

I understand but these are from a different age. Yes the triggers were exposed on many of them and yes, with the strap over the hammer it is not just prevented from firing, it is nearly impossible to even pull the trigger until the retention strap is fully released. It's a well thought out safe system.

 

[Speedo66]

@jar Your “box of shame” holsters look beautiful, certainly put mine to “shame”. You said “boxes”, as in more than one?

As far as keeping old holsters, most of mine were for guns I no longer have, but you never know what the future brings.
Or what else they may fit.

 

[jar]

@jar Your “box of shame” holsters look beautiful, certainly put mine to “shame”. You said “boxes”, as in more than one?

As far as keeping old holsters, most of mine were for guns I no longer have, but you never know what the future brings.
Or what else they may fit.

Yup, several boxes. Some like the Baker 1911 were for guns that went away, most though simply put away as I went to the latest greatest only to find that was not always the case. But then I've been 'cumulatin holsters now for well over a half century so just one holster a year means lots of boxes.

 

[Speedo66]

I won my first holster in a college poker game in 1965, it came with a cartridge belt and Ruger Single-Six on a $35 bet. If I hadn’t won I’d have been SOL, would have been eating ketchup and mustard packets from Mickey D’s for dinner for a week.

Bought my first holster in 1969 when I first got on the job, nothing fancy because our equipment allowance was pretty paltry.

Never really splurged on holsters except one time long ago had a custom holster made by a company on the west side of Manhattan, Seventrees. Did nice work, but didn’t stay in business long. Some of their designs were similar to Chic Gaylord‘s holsters, also in Manhattan. They both catered to Federal agents and NYPD detectives, and were literally above my pay grade at the time.

 

[Airedale1]

About a week ago I was sorting through one of the Box of Shame holding old holsters and came across an almost new looking Roy Original Pancake for a 1911. IIRC I bought it in the mid 80s for a Colt Series 80 that was a nightmare. When the Colt got sent to Foster Care and I hope a Forever Home the holster went into the box and has slept there quietly for almost four decades. The Roy Baker was one of the first "Concealed Carry" designed holsters.

View attachment 1154052

It had been under a bunch of old Brauer Bros and Bucheimer and Hunter holsters that were all still in pretty good shape and also deserved to go WalkAbout.

There were three other Bucheimer 1911 holsters.

View attachment 1154053

The one on the far right has two snaps set for either a Government model or Commander size. There is also a hole and ghost of yet another snap way up near the hammer that I imagine at one time held a snap positioned for a sons toy pistol.

The one in the middle is for a full size Government model and works for either Condition 1 or 3. The strap goes over the grip safety but does not depress it and the thumb safety and trigger are totally enclosed. Here it is holding my Dan Wesson Pointman/Patriot so that places it around mid 1990s. The DW was also a nightmare and it too went to Foster Care and I hope a Forever Home.

View attachment 1154059

View attachment 1154058

The holster on the far left is for a Commander size and will not work with a Government full size 1911.

There were also about seven more really old holsters and I'll cover them in subsequent posts.

But come on now, are there any of you who don't have at least one Box of Shame with similar really neat period holsters?

Very nice!

 

[Old Dog]

@jar Your “box of shame” holsters look beautiful, certainly put mine to “shame”. You said “boxes”, as in more than one?

As far as keeping old holsters, most of mine were for guns I no longer have, but you never know what the future brings.
Or what else they may fit.

So, I posted a pic of a couple of my boxes in post #39; I actually have a couple more of those plastic totes with even more old holsters -- many lightly or never used. I went through some the other day (wife wants me to make a run to the dump and clear out clutter) and realized that I have several custom-made and otherwise quite expensive holsters that I haven't used in the last ten years or more.

Looks as though I'm gonna advertise a bunch of these holsters on my local gunboards and try to make some money off of them -- several are basically totally unused. Including some Kramers, Milt Sparks, Bianchis, Safariland, many Galcos, some DeSantis...