M3 style shoulder holster?

[mohawkALSE]

I recently randomly came across this holster for sale and it looked pretty good so I decided to buy it out of impulse.   Im sure its something post WW2 and I have some later black Vietnam and later holsters, especially a few designed for the usual .38 revolvers that were issued at the time like the Smith&Wesson Model 10-5.  This holster looks like the black M3 style shoulder holster I have from Bucheimer but this one has and inline bandoleer on the shoulder strap similar to the shoulder rigs USN aircrews wore during WW2.  Also notably it is natural tan color vs dyed black.  On the back it is stamped in ink the part number of the usual .38 shoulder rigs and also the maker Nordac who I know made Vietnam or later era M7 shoulder holsters for the M1911 and possibly the M1916 holsters.   Has anyone seen these before?  Is this an authentic holster or some reproduction?  Its very good quality if it is a repro, nice leather and good hardware in my opinion.  Would love to hear thoughts, and comments on this holster.

[Charlie Flick]

Neat looking M-3 style holster for the 4 inch revolver.   My guess is that it is a reproduction rather than USGI.   

 

Nordac was in operation from 1977 to about 1985 in Fredericksburg, VA.    Thus, anything it made post-dated the Vietnam War.   Nordac was, in fact ,a supplier of certain military equipment (including M1916 .45 holsters) to the US military, but also used its expertise to make many items that were not USGI for sale on the surplus market.  Nordac went out of business when the owner ran into legal problems.  This is well documented elsewhere here on our Forum.

 

Another factor to makes me think your holster is a well made reproduction is the incorporation of the ammo holder on the shoulder strap.   The original drawings and specs for the M3 style holster for the 4 inch revolver do not include that feature, nor do any later drawings that I have seen.

 

Regards,

Charlie

[mohawkALSE]

2 hours ago, Charlie Flick said:

Neat looking M-3 style holster for the 4 inch revolver.   My guess is that it is a reproduction rather than USGI.   

 

Nordac was in operation from 1977 to about 1985 in Fredericksburg, VA.    Thus, anything it made post-dated the Vietnam War.   Nordac was, in fact ,a supplier of certain military equipment (including M1916 .45 holsters) to the US military, but also used its expertise to make many items that were not USGI for sale on the surplus market.  Nordac went out of business when the owner ran into legal problems.  This is well documented elsewhere here on our Forum.

 

Another factor to makes me think your holster is a well made reproduction is the incorporation of the ammo holder on the shoulder strap.   The original drawings and specs for the M3 style holster for the 4 inch revolver do not include that feature, nor do any later drawings that I have seen.

 

Regards,

Charlie

Pretty much what I was thinking but didn't seem too odd to me since Ive seen Adirondack who recently made contract M-7 shoulder holsters made them both natural leather and dyed black.  I was also thinking maybe it was for FMS to South America or somewhere but then it probably wouldnt have the US stamp on it if it was actually being produced for someone else and not just surplus from the US being sold to FMS.  This M3 style is very nice and pretty mil spec quality to me other than as you noted not really following the original drawings of the spec for that part number listed.  The black Bucheimer holster I have has that same part number stamped on to it, yet of course has no bandoleer.  I actually think this tan holster is of better quality than 1 of the Cathey made M-7s I have.

 

I'm surprised they never did change the specs to include such a bandoleer.  That is the exact reason my father hated the issue holsters he had in Vietnam and ditched them for a local made cowboy style rig.   He was a helicopter pilot and was initially issued a 1911A1 and M16A1 in country, then when he transferred to a different unit 4 months in he had to turn the 1911 in for a S&W M&P 10-5.  At that time he was able to use both the M3 style and the quick draw shoulder rig or as he called it the detective style holster and he didn't like either for the lack of extra ammo storage.  He was able to find a local Vietnamese vendor on base who sold furniture and what not also had some cowboy style gun belts with holster.  Not only did the belt have ammo loops but the holster had 6 loops on it.  When he DEROS'd he sold it and some of the other stuff he bought there to his replacement.

 

These are the other two .38 holsters I have like he was issued.  Also a cropped shot of the holster my father and others he flew with had.  This pilot didnt keep any ammo in his belt for some reason.  My father had every loop filled.