Iraqi Bring-Back Holster

[bryang]

Going through more of the junk we've had packed in storage I came across another item I brought back from the First Gulf War. I collected this out of a bunker in western Kuwait - west of Ali Al Salem Airfield.

 

Unfortunately, the pistol wasn't in/with this holster, however there is an empty pistol magazine in the pouch.

 

 

 

At first glance I took this for a Beretta magazine, however realized that it's somewhat smaller. I'm posting photos of the magazine along side a Beretta magazine (it's the one on the right side of each photo).

 

 

I'd appreciate input as to what type of firearm this may have held. From cursory online search it seems that this holster might be either French or Italian, but not for certain.

 

 

 

Bryan

 

 

 

[doyler]

Bryan

 

Browning/Inglis Hi Power Holster and Mag.

 

The Canadians had one called the P51(Pattern 51 for the Hi Power pistols.)This one of yours is either Canadian Surplus or a exact copy.

 

I think the Iraqis like the HPs or a clone made in another country.

 

Pretty cool to see it with marking.Thanks for posting

[ScottG]

There is a good chance that Doyler is correct on the i.d.as the Iraqis used the Hi Power. That said, they also used a pistol that was a copy of the Beretta called the Tariq and those came in 9mm and .380. They are quite nice and very collectible. So, you may have a Tariq mag too. Either way, a cool find! Scott.

[11thcavsniper]

The early Tariq also came in a .32 ACP.

[ugafx4]

I actually found a Tariq at a pawn shop not too long ago. I will post photos in another thread.

 

I did a bunch of research on the Tariq, and everyone I saw, in both calibers, had finger rests on the magazines.

 

I think that this is an Iraqi High Power magazine.

[militariaone]

Greetings,

 

As Ron and others have stated. It is a Hi-Power's Holster. Here's a comparative shot of an M9's Beretta Magazine (top) and a 9mm Tariq's magazine (bottom). Note the finger rest (as ugafx4 mentioned) on the Tariq's magazine and (more importantly) how much thinner the magazine is; as it would bounce around in your holster's wider magazine storage pocket.

 

V/r Lance