Holster patterns for Lugers and C96 Broomhandle Mausers?

[DeaconKC]

Hi folks, I am starting to learn to make holsters and need to find patterns for a Luger and a Mauser c96 Bolo. I Zoot Shoot, so I am looking for stuff from the 1920s and 30s. Anybody got an idea on this?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Here's a Broomhandle holster I found on Amazon, of all places.

There are a lot of other manufacturers offering them. Here's my search.

Luger holsters are pretty much flap holsters. You may be able to adapt a 1911 pattern to fit your Luger. Frazier made very nice holsters and one of them may look good with the pattern adjusted to fit. Here's a picture of a Frazier holster from Packing Iron.

[DeaconKC]

Thanks for posting that. I am trying to find something that would be more akin to the second style. The flap holsters for both are great for military re-enactors but lousy to draw from!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

When you finally settle on one, a photo or two would be most welcome.

[Baltimore Ed]

I bought this flap holster for a Colt New Service from a holster maker on line, don?t recall who. Got it and it didn?t fit my big Colt DA but didn?t want to return it, figured I could do something with it. Some time later I bought the .45 Chinese mauser and it needed a holster. I pulled the stitching out, reformed it to wrap around the magazine well and restitched it. Added the extra line to tighten it up at the bbl. Turned out nice. I?m still working the bugs out of my Shansei .45. A hard gun to shoot. I want to redo the grips to a more functional shape. Thinking that will make the pistol less whippy and help it feed better. Maybe this will help you out. Of course the .30 and 9mm Mausers are ?somewhat? smaller.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That's a nice way to modify that holster, Ed. Looks great!

[DeaconKC]

Yessir Ed! That turned out really well! How long is the barrel on the .45? I like that because you can get a decent grip on the gun!

[Baltimore Ed]

I?m thinking that the bbl is 5.5 inches.

[DeaconKC]

Thank you Ed, here is a pic of what I hope to get a pattern for.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

How about making a pattern yourself? Here's our thread on how to make your own pattern. There's even a video link in that thread.

[DeaconKC]

Whoa! That was great. If I wanted to go with a flat back on the holster style for the C96, you obviously would have to modify the front and back patterns because of the "box" shape of the gun. Gonna pick up some file folders to sacrifice tomorrow!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

To test one new pattern, I made a trial holster out of belly leather, assembled with a few speedy rivets instead of stitching. The pattern was good and that trial holster now holds my pruning shears.

[DeaconKC]

I like that idea! Thanks

[Marshal Will Wingam]

It's the best use for belly leather I've found. Well almost, the saddle maker I worked for years ago used belly leather to cover the gullet when he made a saddle.

[DeaconKC]

Interesting picture I came across. Taken during Prohibition, these bootleggers are showing off some Western Styled holsters.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I searched images and eventually found this; 

http://www.steampunkedout.com/guns_order.asp?item=mauser

I used to drop in at El Paso saddlery a few years ago. They can do almost anything, but here you can find a couple of ideas. I find it quite easy to make patterns according to the links posted above;

https://www.google.com/search?q=el+paso+saddlery+holsters+for+c96+broomhandle+mauser&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=firefox-b-d&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDjo6BsLfiAhUtKDQIHV9wAMcQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1106&bih=736

[DeaconKC]

Thank you Sir! I had only seen a picture, but did not know where it came from. With seeing the way that they are made on both sides, as well as more pics on the other holster for the Broom as well.

[Trailrider]

FWIW, during the Phillipine Insurrectuion, a number of U.S. Army officers acquired (bought, begged or ) Broomhandled Mausers, in .30 Mauser, which had considerably more power than the .38 Long Colt revolvers that was proving ineffective in stopping the fanatical native warriors. (I know of at least one that belonged to the father (a colonel) of a WWII buddy of my father. Last time I saw it, it had been reblued by my Dad's buddy. It needed it! Even polishing for the rebluing, didn't cover the pits, most likely caused by tropical corrosion!) Meadows' book shows a flap holster for such a piece, although, if the colonel had one, his son never saw it.) The holsters were manufactured by the Maestranza de Manila (Manila Arsenal). When I talked with my Dad's comrade-in-arms, before both of them passed on, I was told that the colonel's Mauser was marked "Von Lengerke and Detmold", and had a large hammer ring, manufactured c. 1902. The .30 Mauser round is somewhat close to the M-1 Carbine cartridge...perhaps slightly less powerful, but certainly much more effective than the .38 LC.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Sir Charles, your second link shows a shoulder holster for sale on Etsy for $230. It's a nice example and probably the pattern I'd look to copy if I were to make one. It would lend nicely to being a belt holster, too.

[DeaconKC]

Yup, that shoulder holster is elegant and would be delightful! Also, Sir Chas, thank you for the tales from the Phillipines' battles. I wonder how the Mauser performed.