Vintage Concealed Weapons

[TPD166]

Herrett-stocked, Tyler trigger-shoed (shod?), S&W M-60 in a vintage Bucheimer “Marshal” holster.

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

TPD, could we see those beauties outside their holsters?

 

[MikeKardec]

Here's a question: A coupe of times my father mentioned a deep concealment holster from the 1930s that somehow attached mid way up the inside of a man's thigh with the butt forward. The gun could be drawn through the right trouser pocket which was cut away inside. The wide legs of the trousers of the period allowed this to hide a medium sized automatic. Obviously, there are a LOT of funny comments that can be made about this rig, I've amused myself with them nearly every time I've thought about it ... however, it does seem that it would be fairly effective. It must have been custom made and in order to keep it from sliding down the leg there must have been a fairly complicated waist or suspender harness. Hot (or cold!) and uncomfortable yet pretty well hidden and quick on the draw; it's an interesting concept. Anyone ever seen anything like that?

 

[BlueTrain]

I haven't seen one but Chic Gaylord describes it, along with some other unusual hideaway holsters in his book "Handgunner's Guide," first published I think in 1960. But he describes it as accessible through the fly of the trousers. Obviously, it called for full-cut pants. Another unusual location was inside the arm of the coat, accessed from the inside, not from the cuff end. The pants leg holster, which had a name I don't remember, was probably held in place by attaching to suspender buttons, possibly specially sewn for that very purpose. Ed McGivern described a similar holster attached to suspender buttons but it was basically an inside-waistband holster.

It's an excellent book, although somewhat dated. Revolvers chiefly are featured and since it was published at the height of the fast draw/quick draw craze, it includes single action revolvers, and treats them as serious weapons. It's also the only book I've seen that was actually illustrated with photos of bullet wounds. He was a holster maker by trade. Although he described various handguns and holsters and generally mentions most of what was popular at the time (like trigger shoes), he does not come off as particularly dogmatic about anything, nor did Elmer Keith, writing about the same time period. While Elmer Keith was never in a gunfight, Gaylord had actually killed a person. Gaylord was not reluctant about discussing smaller revolvers but Keith recommended the .357 magnum (S&W Model 19) for people with weak hands.

 

[MikeKardec]

I haven't seen one but Chic Gaylord describes it, along with some other unusual hideaway holsters in his book "Handgunner's Guide," first published I think in 1960.

I'll have to find a copy, thanks for the info. I have to say I like the idea of reaching into my pants pocket for my Colt 1903 rather than unbuttoning my fly (or even unzipping it!). I think Dad mentioned that, at the time, people were loath to search a man's upper thighs for concealed weapons and it had that advantage too. My favorite weapon story that he related from his travels through the world's underworld during the '20s and '30s was about a guy in the Far East who tended to wear Chinese robes, the kind where the end of the sleeve also functions as a pocket. Someone he knew had a lead ball made, a bit bigger than a golf ball, and with a screw eye it was attached to a strip of elastic and then to a band around his bicep. He could fling the ball about two feet beyond his reach and then catch it as it came back and cause it to vanish up his sleeve. Used at it's best I imagine it caused a great scattering of teeth, at it worst ... well, you'd want to stay out of the damn thing's way if you didn't know how to catch it!