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OSS Shoulder holster


Ronald
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Has anyone seen or purchased the type of shoulder holster feature on the book by Mr. Brunner, OSS Special Weapons, Vol2.

Is it a ridged leather or soft leather? I have seen one and it is a very soft leather and quite flexible for a holster. The one I have seen has a white strap instead of the green.

Are the ones being sold now legit? Thanks

post-9148-0-66750900-1451500313.jpg

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Charlie Flick

Has anyone seen or purchased the type of shoulder holster feature on the book by Mr. Brunner, OSS Special Weapons, Vol2.....Are the ones being sold now legit? Thanks

 

Yes, the example below has been in my collection for 20+ years. I also owned an identical holster but with the white strap. I sold the white strap example a number of years ago.

 

Colt 32 US Property.jpg

 

The example in your post has a different type of green strap. It appears to me to be a herringbone style of fabric. I have not encountered that type of strap on the holsters that I have observed.

 

I am not familiar with any such holsters being sold now. I will say that if holsters of this type are coming out of the woodwork in quantity now (70 years after the OSS went out of business) it would raise some red flags for me. In my experience genuine OSS Colt Pocket Automatic holsters are extremely scarce.

 

Regards,

Charlie

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Colt is re-issuing the 1903. Maybe those folks who have the holsters want to make some money now by selling them to guys buying the new guns. I would like to have one.

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  • 2 months later...

 

Yes, the example below has been in my collection for 20+ years. I also owned an identical holster but with the white strap. I sold the white strap example a number of years ago.

 

attachicon.gifColt 32 US Property.jpg

 

The example in your post has a different type of green strap. It appears to me to be a herringbone style of fabric. I have not encountered that type of strap on the holsters that I have observed.

 

I am not familiar with any such holsters being sold now. I will say that if holsters of this type are coming out of the woodwork in quantity now (70 years after the OSS went out of business) it would raise some red flags for me. In my experience genuine OSS Colt Pocket Automatic holsters are extremely scarce.

 

Regards,

Charlie

Charlie, are there any markings on your OSS holster?

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Charlie Flick

Charlie, are there any markings on your OSS holster?

 

Nope, completely unmarked.

 

Charlie

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Not at the moment. I'll try to dig out the holsters and camera when time allows. You seem to have a specific end in mind....

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Are you only referring to the one type I posted in the beginning? From what I researched, the only difference I found was one had a green strap and the other a white strap. The one I posted in the beginning is a reproduction type that has been around and is being passed off as originals purchased from a past US Naval surplus auction. One just sold on ebay for 249.00 and he even listed it as a repro. Someone has more money than sense. Ron

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Ron, I am referring to the OSS shoulder holster pictured on the cover of Brunner's book. Specifically, I would like to know whether we can trace the history of these OSS holsters for the Colt M1903/1908. Charlie and Kevin reported that their examples have no markings. Can we confirm a military contract existed or could it be an agency made or private purchased holster? Are there known variations other than the use of both white and green straps? Were these rigs widely used in the field during the war? Did they primarily come into use during the postwar occupation? Maybe we can piece together some of the history. Period photos could prove useful.

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Meadows reports three basic types of shoulder holsters for the Colt Model M, with variations on what he refers to as Types 1 and 3. I think that the holsters in this thread were bought by/for the OSS from the Texas Tanning Company (TEXTAN) in two batches: 1,200 on March 259, 1944 and 504 on Jan 31, 1945. The only variation is the cloth strap--white or olive drab.

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Charlie Flick

I don't have my copy handy right now but Brunner's book on the Colt Pocket Hammerless Automatic Pistols II has some information on these holsters. As Kevin pointed out earlier these holsters were apparently made by TEXTAN of Yoakum, Texas, which supplied other USGI holsters in WW2.

 

Regards,

Charlie

 

Brunner Colt Poket Hammerless Auto Pistols II book.jpg

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  • 1 year later...

What was the significance of the metal hardware (snaps & buckle) on these holsters? I see some of the white straps have blackened hardware and the others have plated(?) hardware. Was it that they used what was available at the time?

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  • 8 months later...

A friend recently gave me this original OSS shoulder holster for my collection. I was also able to obtain a correct cloth chest

strap

post-9148-0-77186400-1533672805_thumb.jpg

post-9148-0-42257300-1533672826_thumb.jpg

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Will have to take better pic of the previous shoulder.

Here is my other OSS Shoulder Holster. I doubt very seriously if very many of these 2 types of shoulder hoslters exist.

post-9148-0-45268100-1533752029_thumb.jpg

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Let me clarify this. The first holster in post 19 was issued to OSS. As with any holsters in WW2,G.O.'s could request one. As with all OSS items, not many G.O.'s knew about the holster and did not use it.

The second holster in post #20 was procured as an upgrade to the first holster. It is more commonly known as a G.O. holster even though it was not

specifically made for them. It was a much sturdier and better quality holster, and probably why G.O's used them! The first holster was a flimsy thin holster and very few even survived, making then rare. Both were made by TEXTAN but neither had any markings.

That said, both were made for the intelligence community.

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  • 2 years later...

I remembered reading this thread a few years back and recently saw these photos of "supposedly" an original OSS left hand draw shoulder holster with leather straps in the original box.  Notice the large ink stamp L, OSS and contract number on lid.  Again, not my holster....just food for thought.  

186USSO1-1.jpg

186USSO1-2.jpg

186USSO1-3.jpg

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??????

Ronald, 

If you have something to say about the holster I posted photos of, say it here in public so all of the members can benefit from your knowledge, instead of sending me numerous PM's trying to find out where the holster is, so you can purchase.

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