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Questions about M3 and M7 1911 shoulder holster


mdk0911
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All,

 

I have some questions about WW2 M3 and M7 shoulder holster for the 1911 pistol -

 

I know the M3 was made during WW2 - should there be a date on the holster along with the makers stamp?

 

Was the M7 made during WW2 and should there be a date on the holster along with the makers stamp?

 

thanks in advance for your help and if anyone knows of good website about these holsters?

 

mike

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Charlie Flick

Hi Mike:

 

I am not aware of a site on the 'net that has more or better info on USGI holsters than this one.

 

WW2 era M3 holsters will be found both with dates and without dates.

 

The M7 was indeed made in the latter part of WW2 and can be found marked 1945. (The M7 continued to be made for decades after WW2 as well.) I don't have my research materials handy here at work, but I don't recall off the top of my head whether I have seen any M7s dated 1944. Fellow member and holster nut Artu could probably answer that question off of the top of his head without checking his research materials. Maybe he will jump in here soon. If not I'll check my materials later this evening.

 

Hope that info helps you.

 

Regards,

Charlie

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I have an M-7 that belonged to a LT in the 20th Armored Div. It is dated 1945.

 

The M-7 was created to rectify problems with the M-3. The M-3 was made to hang on the body just one way: vertical, under the left arm, from the arm pit to the waist. The pistol fell on the rib cage. Many users disliked this, as it was bulky and hampered arm movement -- and, if wearing it under a flight jacket or field jacket, hard to reach. The M-7 can be worn various ways, though most commonly hanging further forward, on the left chest. Its position up or down could be adjusted "to taste". And it could be worn around the waist, and did not get anchored to the trouser belt.

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Hello! Just some notes to add to what has been said by Charlie and J-Andrews... In 40 years of collecting I had only seen 1945 dated M7 holster, but some time ago, to my big surprise, I got some pictures of a Boyt USMC 1944 dated M7. Here you have these pictures. Another thing which is worth of note, is about the belt strap on M7 holsters. The Boyt made ones have all the short strap which can't be fitted to the pistol belt, while the Enger Kress ones (which had the short strap on M3 holsters) turned to the long strap with the M7. A good feature which was retained in the decades after the WWII, until the end of the production...

Hope this can help.

Fausto

post-8381-0-40552900-1358495989_thumb.jpg

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I just noticed that the last picture is about a holster which was posted years ago by Artu44... Arturo, please forgive me...

Being serious I was just wondering about the 1944 date on the Enger Kress M7 holster and I was asking myself if this date has just to do with the fiscal year. As far as I know the M7 holster was put into production the last months of 1944 if I remember well...

Fausto

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great info from all and thanks for the time with your anwsers!!

 

I just purchased a remington 1911(new 2012 version with a 7 round mag :) for mr obama) and would like a WW2 holster for it.

 

In the future I want to buy a WW2 1911 colt but have to save up a bunch of money for that one.

 

Well thanks again for all the help!!

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  • 8 years later...

Interesting. Charlie and Fausto, 

from my research I got the following: 

for WWII shoulder holsters:

 

M3 was made by only 3 companies 

Boyt, Enger-Kress and Sears Saddlery company - they were all Russet colored, US on front or USMC, and company name with or with out USMC/Navy on back. Some have dates, some no date,  some the date is 4 digits and some 2 digits, and some with dashes before and after like -44-

dates could range from 1942 - 1945

and after 1945 some were dyed black (which sucks)

 

M7 was made by the first 2 - Enger-Kress and Boyt only - they were all Russet colored, US on front or USMC, and company name with or with out USMC/Navy on back. Some have dates, some no date,  some the date is 4 digits and some 2 digits, and some with dashes before and after like -44-


dates could range from 1944 - 1945

 

and after 1945 some were dyed black (which again sucks)

 
please fact check me guys? I’m using Joe Poyt’s book as reference and what I’ve see online.

 

I have the following:

M3 - Sears undated, (looking for a 1944 if they exist)

Boyt undated, 1944 and 1945,

Enger-Kress undated and 1944

 

M7 - Boyt undated and 1944

Enger-Kress undated (looking for a 1944 if they exist)

 

Thanks,

Ron

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Browninggunner688

Hi Ron.

 

Great information on these holsters, thank you.

 

The ones I have in my collection are as follows......

 

Enger-Kress  undated    M3

 

Enger-Kress 1944     M3            (Information I have is that 44 dated ones are scarce)

 

Enger-Kress 1944      M7          (Again 44 dated ones are scarce)

 

U.S.M.C.  BOYT 45     M7

 

BOYT 43      M3

 

Sears Saddlery Co 1943    M3   (From what I understand these were made only in early 1943)

 

All these holsters are russet colored.

 

The information I found on these holsters, I am  sure was found on this forum years ago, I cant remember now.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Nick.

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

Hi!

 

I was wondering what is the difference in scarcity between 1943 dated Enger-Kress and an undated Enger-Kress M3 shoulder holster. 

 

Any information is great!

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  • 2 months later...

US Army changed colors of leather boots & pistol accessories from Russet Brown to Black around 1956 new production in black and in stock items dyed

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