Military Holsters & Gunbelts

[Mulee Pete]

I have seen quite a few sites for CAS leather.  Anyone have suggestions for 1884 Military gunbelt and holsters?

[Deadeye Don]

Not sure what an 1884 would look like or if it would be different from an 1881, but here you go.  This company makes great stuff for a reasonable price.   http://www.pacificcanvasandleather.com/

[Mulee Pete]

Thanks Deadeye, I checked the site out.  They make some great looking holsters, the Japanese examples were really different.  Only reason I was asking about the 1884 is Quartermasters has the canvas fatigue blouse and trousers for that year.  But thinking about it now, it would make sense the 1881 leather should still have been in issue 3 years later.  I also stumbled on
Cabela's calvary style made by Triple K Leather.

Mulee

[Sagebrush Burns]

Get a hold of Trailrider in Denver.  He is a GAF member and peruses these pages and has a web site at;

www.gunfighter.com/trailrider/tr_holster.html

Jim does really excellent work at a fair price.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Get a hold of Trailrider in Denver.  He is a GAF member and peruses these pages and has a web site at;

www.gunfighter.com/trailrider/tr_holster.html

Jim does really excellent work at a fair price.

I'll second that.  He is an Historian ... who happens to make exact reproductions.  And he doesn't hoard his knowledge to himself.  I asked a couple questions one day on the phone and within a couple days, he had Xeroxed excerpts from Army books dealing with my questions AND related items! 

[Steel Horse Bailey]

I'll add this: His catalog has perhaps 3-4 TIMES the products that show on his website!  He can take any of his belts, pouches or holsters and customize them to various SPECIFIC versions of the basic items by changing snaps, loops or other details and/or markings.

[Trailrider]

Gentlemen:

My ears are burning! Appreciate the kind words, and hope to live up to them.  I commend to your reading Edward Scott Meadows' excellent book, "U.S. Military Holsters and Pistol Cartridge Boxes".  There are others, but I don't have them immediately to hand at the moment.

The most widely issued holster in the 1880-1890 period (and even later) were variants of the Pattern 1881 half-flap holster.  The main variations in this pattern had to do with the size of the belt loop, which was originally made only to fit the 1-7/8 wide leather saber or waist belts.  Headquarters insisted this was the way to wear the sidearm, with the canvas prairie belts and the later woven canvs Mills belts worn above it.  The troops complained, many commanders listened and began having their saddlers modify the belt loops so they'd fit over the Mills belts.  Ordnance finally got the "word" from the field and then began issuing the 1881 with wider and wider belt loops.  Most of these were worn well into the 1890's, dispite the adoption of the .38 LC Double Action Colt's revolver, which didn't get issued to all units for awhile.  Also, when the Phillipine Insurrection broke out and the .38 proved less than effective, and the .45's were issued mostly with 5-1/2" barrels, holsters were cut down to fit.

But the 1881 wasn't the only holster in use by the Army in the field in the 1880's.  The Forsythe with a skirt and strap forming the belt loop, was issued in limited quantities.  In addition, several officers submitted designs to Ordnance, including Capt. Edward Fechet, who designed an open-top, butt-rear holster with a skirt and belly strap, which he apparently issued to his own troopers.  He had his saddler Sgt. William Miller fabricate them. And there are even photos of a trooper wearing a civilian cartridge belt with Mexican loop holster!  So, you have a lot of leeway if you are portraying a troop in the field.

I hope this is of some interest.

I remain,

[Captain Lee Bishop]

Not that I'm trying to divert folks away from trail rider's stuff (which is very good from what I've seen in person), but Coon Creek does make 1881 holsters in left and right handed versions. They're not listed on the website, but they do sell them. Here's my set on my gun belt. They were very reasonable for cost and fit very good for fast draws once I wet the leather and molded them to my pistols.

[Deadeye Don]

Captain, 

Those look really great.  I like the way you wet molded the holsters.  I think we should all give thanks to all the quality leather makers out there we have to choose from including Trail Rider and Coon Creek.  Without them we, who are shall I say less than handy, would be walking around with guns stuck in our belts.   Regards.  Deadeye.