Strange 1911 Holster

[spooderman]

I got this from a friend, he is looking to have it identified and possibly sold.

It is marked with an illegible number, maybe 43 or 33, US, RIA, 8. It is made with a flexible rubber and it appears to be unfinished, as it is missing the LTD snap. There is a lanyard/drain hole at the bottom and it does not have an M1910 hanger. 

I know the US experimented with a strange brown vinyl rubber during WW2 for use in the PTO, however this one is obviously rather different. Not sure what the deal with this is. Any information would be incredibly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Rhscott]

Where is the hole for the LTD stud?  Interesting to say the least.

[spooderman]

36 minutes ago, Rhscott said:

Where is the hole for the LTD stud?  Interesting to say the least.

 

No clue. It looks to me that it never finished being manufactured. 

[QED4]

Could be a rare experimental piece or a complete fantasy. You might try contacting the Rock Island Arsenal museum if anybody would know it will be them. 

[Charlie Flick]

Your friend's holster appears to be one of the prototypes created by the Rock Island Arsenal in 1969.  An example is seen in Scott Meadows' book U.S. Military Holsters at page 438.  He states that it was "...[i]ntended as a substitute for the standard Model 1916 holster in tropical climates, it never went beyond the development stage."  The example illustrated by Meadows has the standard finial closure rather than a LTD closure, but is otherwise identical in outward appearance to the one shown above.   Meadows did not show or mention any markings.

 

Hope this helps you .

 

Regards,

Charlie

[thorin6]

The eight appears to be the Ordnance Bomb.

[mikie]

31 minutes ago, thorin6 said:

The eight appears to be the Ordnance Bomb.

Good catch! 

[spooderman]

Excellent, thank you all very much!!

[GWS]

This is a great holster to see here!  Experimental holsters are a real rarity. I would guess only the very advanced holster collectors would have an interest in this, no guess at what it might be worth though! Thanks for posting this.

 

 

Steve