Vintage Concealed Weapons

[Falcon576]

Great Stuff!

I'm a L.E.O. in Ca. Just stumbled into the Lounge. Happy Hallelujah, what a great place!

So much great info, great pics of vintage leather and guns, and intelligent polite discussion!

I spent 6 years as a felony dick, and we were pretty much suit and tie every day. Got so much s&*t from the other guys for wearing real suits, with shoes that lace up, shirts with cuff links, hat and coat in the rain, etc. Can't tell you how many Elliot Ness comments I got. One of my best fights ever was in a Jones New York grey pin-stripe. (A few punches, a tackle, a slide down a few stairs, some wrestling, a suspect with a couple of frac'd vertebrae, a lawsuit... Good times.) The suit held up perfectly. Still wear it.

My 24/7, go everywhere, even mowing the lawn load-out is a G23 in a High Noon Sky High leather pancake, G22 mag offside in a leather clip pouch, and an M3 illuminator. I'm carrying the M3 in kydex, since I haven't found a leather pouch that works for it. (Any ideas?) Cuffs in the back waistband.

I love the vintage leather, (Have an old shoulder rig from one of the actual S.F. Inspectors who worked with McQueen on Bullitt.), but for the reality of today, the most "vintage" I'll go is leather instead of kydex or other synthetics.

Oh, and check out lawmanleathergoods.com. They make the original Dirty Harry Shoulder rig, and will for just about any handgun.

Wonderful, wonderful site. Wife not so happy with it though...

 

[carebear]

On the M3, for anything remotely leather/vintage I'd go custom. Most of the smaller manufacturers are willing to do a one off (that they might be able to turn into a catalog item). Not going to be cheap but beats one solution I've seen, a belt clip with a rail to clip the light to until you need to put it on the gun.

 

[anon`]

On the M3, for anything remotely leather/vintage I'd go custom. Most of the smaller manufacturers are willing to do a one off (that they might be able to turn into a catalog item). Not going to be cheap but beats one solution I've seen, a belt clip with a rail to clip the light to until you need to put it on the gun.

+1 to this.

I'm fortunate enough to live about 25 minutes away from Ted Blocker Holsters, who've a nice selection of options. Not sure if they did they original, but they also offer a "Dirty Harry" if you ask nice, and they did the rigs for Public Enemies, which are also for sale. That's secondary, however. Point is, they'll do a one-off for you, and probably for not much more than any of their other stuff, I'd guess--I suspect the same can be said of every little local holster maker out there.

 

[Story]

I suspect the same can be said of every little local holster maker out there.

... but not El Paso Saddlery. shakeshead

 

[anon`]

... but not El Paso Saddlery. shakeshead

Really? That's fail!

 

[Ghostsoldier]

...and they did the rigs for Public Enemies, which are also for sale.

I'm interested in Depp's double-Colt rig...is that one Blocker supplied?

Rob

 

[anon`]

I'm interested in Depp's double-Colt rig...is that one Blocker supplied?

Blocker did the shoulder rigs for Depp and either Jason Clark or Stephen Dorff--possibly both, but I can't recall now. They also did that weird buff-coloured belt holster that Bale wore.

I know for a fact that they sell a version of Depp's rig (for liability reasons, a strap, which I believe may be removable, has been added across the front of the clamshell) in both right- and left-side configurations. An elastic connection (and shoulder loop, if you only get one side) is included, and I was told that they'll add one of their standard off-side ammo carriers added for no cost upon request. Blocker doesn't list movie/TV rigs that they've made on their site, so you'd need to call them to order; some years ago someone else tried to claim the copyright to a rig they'd made for a western and, while the claim went nowhere, caused too much of a fuss for them to continue with it.

The only downside is that they're not cheap. But I do intend to get at least one by the end of the year!

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Thanks for the info, anon'...I'm not LE, but am trying to put together a vintage rig for a 30's period LE theatrical persona. I visited the Blocker site to look at the Lifeline series, and the Miami Vice TV show is the latest effort that they tout; nothing is said about any recent rig-work for Hollywood.

Like yourself, I'll be saving the coin to afford a nice one, like the Depp version...but, at the moment, a '27A Thompson SBR is my main focus!
Rob

 

[Geronimo]

Falcon, you could try this for your M3:
http://www.c-rusty.com/pages/holsters/tacticallite.html

 

[Diamondback]

The Depp holster looks like a decent dual, too bad we can't get a side-by-side comparison between it and FL'er Vintage68's "Last Man Standing" rig! I've been looking for something similar for a while... although the PE rig looks a little low for my taste, I want the butt almost right up in my armpit.

Guess that means I can forget about El Paso ever building me a full George S. Patton rig...

 

[anon`]

Thanks for the info, anon'...I'm not LE, but am trying to put together a vintage rig for a 30's period LE theatrical persona. I visited the Blocker site to look at the Lifeline series, and the Miami Vice TV show is the latest effort that they tout; nothing is said about any recent rig-work for Hollywood.

Like yourself, I'll be saving the coin to afford a nice one, like the Depp version...but, at the moment, a '27A Thompson SBR is my main focus!
Rob

Like I said, they don't make a big deal about advertising the movie/TV stuff they make after someone tried to sue them for "copyright infringement" on a rig that they (Blocker) did for a western about a decade ago. I promise that they'll sell you one if you ask nicely, though (Seriously--I've met the couple that owns it now and they're quite nice.) For my part, I use bits and pieces of their LFI Concealment Rig on a daily basis, and it's nice. The bets especially: they look like you might expect a period dress belt to look like!

DB~ IIRC, the PE rig is adjustable; you just have to un- and re-tie the holster and harness pieces to do so.

 

[warbird]

Like I said, they don't make a big deal about advertising the movie/TV stuff they make after someone tried to sue them for "copyright infringement" on a rig that they (Blocker) did for a western about a decade ago. I promise that they'll sell you one if you ask nicely, though (Seriously--I've met the couple that owns it now and they're quite nice.) For my part, I use bits and pieces of their LFI Concealment Rig on a daily basis, and it's nice. The bets especially: they look like you might expect a period dress belt to look like!

DB~ IIRC, the PE rig is adjustable; you just have to un- and re-tie the holster and harness pieces to do so.

What are you carrying in the holster?

 

[anon`]

What are you carrying in the holster?

Springfield GI, impossible sights and all.

 

[warbird]

Springfield GI, impossible sights and all.

So you just want to keep it stock? Or you just haven't gotten around to changing the sights yet?

 

[anon`]

So you just want to keep it stock? Or you just haven't gotten around to changing the sights yet?

Medium term plans call for a second pistol, no doubt another GI (I'm a sucker for vertical slide serrations), kitted with Springfield's three-dot combat sights unless I come across an NM Mil-Spec. At that point, I expect to have this one updated with more period parts and sent back for a refinish in blue, just to look the part as a fun weekend shooter.

But as a practical point, while the GI-style sights aren't going to win me any matches, they put enough lead on target for the gun (or rather, the bullets themselves) to do the job effectively. Hopefully, though, that'll remain a matter of academics only...

 

[warbird]

I like shoulder holsters OK. I consider them more comfortable than on the side. I have bought several shoulder rigs over the years but never end up using them and probably wouldn't. They are not always practical, making them useless for the most part to me.

I always wear my guns in the same basic place, sometimes IWB, sometimes OWB. I train for this carry. My muscle memory is for this carry. I carry only one type of basic trigger, single action. My 1911's, Glocks (compact and sub compact) and my main carry guns HK P7 M8 or M13 all have the same trigger pull. I know people who constantly change between autos and small revolver, and change holster locations. I have never understood this. I know if I carried in a shoulder rig it would be while I had it on that I would need the gun. Under pressure I would naturally reach for my side and my gun would not be there. It is a danger. You cannot train instinct for a gun to be in more than one place. If you have to think about it then it might be too late. Just my thoughts.

 

[Ghostsoldier]

Like I said, they don't make a big deal about advertising the movie/TV stuff they make after someone tried to sue them for "copyright infringement" on a rig that they (Blocker) did for a western about a decade ago. I promise that they'll sell you one if you ask nicely, though (Seriously--I've met the couple that owns it now and they're quite nice.) For my part, I use bits and pieces of their LFI Concealment Rig on a daily basis, and it's nice. The bets especially: they look like you might expect a period dress belt to look like!

DB~ IIRC, the PE rig is adjustable; you just have to un- and re-tie the holster and harness pieces to do so.

Some info on the Blocker PE rigs...
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=124649681744589800
Rob

 

[The Ringneck]

How about some more pictures of vintage holsters? Or original pictures of them in use from the time?

BradLaGrange

 

[carebear]

This is an inside-the-waistband holster designed to button to one's suspender buttons (I think it could work with both outside and inside mountings). The suspender would attach to the loop at the top. I believe the gun is a Colt Lightning?

Makes sense as a way to support a holster not in a pocket in an era when your pants may not have had belt loops. I think it is for front crossdraw but it's hard to tell. Definitely not "ride in a car or sit at a desk all day" friendly.

 

[The Ringneck]

Carebear:

Hey, I visited Anchorage a couple times when I was living in Juneau.

Anyhow, great holster. Never seen anything like that--you are right about it not being very functional. Honestly I doubt it's made for that handgun as holsters then tended to be pretty generic.

What I've noticed is that people had a different attitude about defensive firearms long ago. Say from the Civil War until around WWII it just seemed like as long as you had some kind of gun (even if it's a spur trigger .22 short revolver) you felt covered, and holsters weren't made for any kind of quick draw. I know my grandpa just carried his Iver Johnson .38 in a pocket and felt thats all he needed when dealing with hobos on the rail line he worked.

BradLaGrange