A friend who served in the Corps in VN is looking for a vintage 1911 holster preferably with USMC logo. This buddy of mine appeared in the LIFE magasine front page showing Marines on patrol by the DMZ in 66, picture taken by Larry Burrows. He is the guy behind the point.

If you run across one and reasonably priced let me know.

 

The majority of .45 M1916 holsters used in Vietnam were manufactured by Bucheimer. A brand new one still sealed in the original plastic bag sold on eBay a couple days ago for $28.50. That is an exceptionally reasonable price. Holsters manufactured by Cathey, Bolen, and Nordac are, for the most part, post-Vietnam manufacture.

The only holsters marked USMC, instead of US, were made during WWI and prior to WWII. Some very nice reproduction .45 holsters marked USMC are available from Pacific Canvas and Leather. They are made in China but they are quite good quality.

 

If you want one thats made to last. These guys have a great reputation.

http://www.epsaddlery.com/

 

New ones are going to get harder to find.

One of the major gov't contractors for the leather holsters and slings was Cathey Enterprises/Hill Country Leather. In the past when you could walk into any Army/Navy store and find new leather flap and shoulder holsters they were milspec production from Cathey. I just found out they recently shut down and that retail supply stream of milspec leather items is gone.

There always seems to be a good supply of original leather stuff on ebay, just be sure to get something that isn't already dry rotted and cracked if you plan to actually use it.

 

Well, I don't know what you have in mind as to what defines "reasonable" but I do have the rig that came with my Colt 1911A1 left after I traded it.

I was hanging onto them in case I get another WWII 1911A1, but I might let them go if the price was right.

 

If your hunting for an original. Heres some reference material that maybe helpful.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=17086&hl=1916+holster

 

Found another option. Can’t speak to the specific products.

http://www.atlantacutlery.com/c-134-holsters-accessories.aspx?pagenum=2&

 

as always, you guys are a wealth of information.

The more i look at that M7 rig, the more i like it, and i can use it for more than one type of pistol (m9)

 

We kept a loaded Remington Rand 1911A-1 in the safe in radio central, which is where we kept the keys to the crypto room and the crypto punch cards for the KWR-37 on my ship. The GI flap holster, canvass mag pouch w/2 loaded 7 round mags, and the web belt were intended for use in securing the radio room in case of an attack.

We also wore the web belt and 1911-A1 pistol any time we left the ship on a communications run over to the main base, with classified messages or to pick up our messages at Naval Weapons Station Concord. This was when we secured (shut down) our radio room on the ship back here at our home port of Port Chicago. The Naval Weapons Station would have our guard and we'd have to make message runs over to the main base twice a day or when ever a high priority message came in for us. I had to transport a prisoner down to the brig at the naval base at Treasure Island and I wore the 1911-A1 on that prisoner transport detail.

7th

 

If your pistol is stone stock it should fit the GI leather holsters no problem.

I put an ambidextrous safety and beavertail grip safety on my Colt Series 80 and the flap won't close now. Almost, but I just can't bring myself to pull that hard on the flap to stretch it enough to (maybe) make it.

Don't forget to get yourself a GI double mag pouch (or two). I carry two of them on my belt. The holster (for my SA 1911A1 Government Model - yes, I'm 1911 challenged), two double mag. pouches (also GI web material) and one of those big old Marine knives in its scabbard. I do cheat (just a little) and use Chip McCormick shooting star 8 round magazines though.

 

I have a left hand M1912 for my Springfeild Mil-Spec from these guys. Good holster but when it arrived the leather was pretty dry so have some oil handy. You can get almost any US holster ever made from them and in lefty configuration for us southpaws.
http://pacificcanvasandleather.com/

 

I carried a 1911 in a Vietnamese copy of the M7 which was available for a couple bucks back then. It worked as good as the GI issue but was in black leather. Looking back on that time in my life I'm amazed at how much confidence having that big pistol under my arm gave me, only saved my life once which is all it takes. I ordered a M7 reproduction from Adirondack Leather, Cooperstown, N.Y., its a faithful copy and fits any of the 1911 variants as well as my Hi-Power. It has US stamped on the outer surface, if you check with them you might be able to get it with USMC for all I know.

 

rgr that lewis- good copy on all except USMC- Im an Army grunt

 

I carried one of these M66 holsters for six years as an infantry officer with the US ARMY back in the early 70's. Bought it from a Bianchi advertisement in Guns & Ammo magazine, as I liked the looks of it. The ad stated that it was approved by the Army for wear and, as I was about to be commissioned a 2nd lieutenant, I thought the holster would provide a little panache to my combat gear. I loved it, and still have mine! Best damned holster ever made for the M1911, in my opinion! It hugs the body, rides high on the hip and doesn't bounce when running, provided your web gear is properly adjusted. They were never really rare, since quite a few MP's in the RVN carried them, as stated above. It was what once might have been called "substitute standard", I suppose, or a private purchase piece. I've seen baskets of them at gunshows here and there, all in well-worn condition, as well as near-new ones on eBay. I had two new spares myself, which I never used, but sold them last year online. I now have mine attached to a custom-stitched black leather belt from El Paso Saddlery, along with a military-issue black leather magazine pouch and first-aid pouch; a rig handsome enough to have turned General Patton green with envy.

 

If you want one thats made to last. These guys have a great reputation.

http://www.epsaddlery.com/

+1 on these guys. i bought a couple of holsters from them for my Colt 1860 Army revolvers, as well as a few belts.

 

El Paso Saddlery is the S--t!!! imho

 

get a holster from El Paso Saddlery. the leather will be bran new and very stiff with the light brown new leather color. i would then drench the holster with Pecards leather dressing and sit it out in the sun. do this multiple times and the holster will get a very nice natural sunkissed russet color as well as making the leather more supple. i do this with all my leather slings.

 

WOW. some gorgeous stuff at el paso saddlery. too far above my price range at the moment. Gonna try and find a cheap older get-up for 30 or 40 bucks. A lot of great suggestions, and I appreciate the input from you all!

My next dilemma is trying to find the right grips to put on this gal too. Im liking the older USGI plain brown ones but at the same time im stuck between rosewood and walnut! im going for classic here.

the ones ive got in the mail from midway are these here-

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=119852

They might be a little too red for my liking though. if so im sending them back and buying something else. I want this thing to look like it should and anything "new" just kills the look for me. Kinda liking the old brown plastic grips, but theres a few of the older wooden grips i like too. decisions decisions!

 

WWII 1911 holsters are cheap in my area. You can pick them up at the shows for about $40. With the belt, mag pouch, and first aid kit, about a $100. Add the canteen on there, and about $140-150. I get them all the time and usually have a few on my table at the shows.

The one thing to watch for, original WWII holsters were brown, but if they remained in service till Vietnam, they were died black. So a black holster even WWII dated, is not correct. They should be a nice pretty brown color like the one below for an early one and darker brown for a late war one. I just snapped a quick pic of a holster set I got with a 1942 dated Colt I picked up.

By the way if you want just USGI 1911 grips, pm me. I have about every style except the WWI type.

 

or you could go the "military meets civilian" route. i put these stag grips on my GI Springer and love em. adds a personal touch.......and they looks nice yet rugged.

they are already starting to yellow which i like. i agree that GI 1911s should look old.

 

AM Surplus in Hastings, Nebraska has a large quantity of GI 1911A1 replacement grips. They are brand new and the last time I purchased a set they were $7.50 plus postage.

 

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