Got the cart before the horse yet again

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  • mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    -I'm a whore for a pistol rig. And just like a good rifle sling I like a matching holster. Sometimes the holster finds me before the pistol but you can't let a good thing go, gotta grab it while you can. So on occasion I'll pop for a holster and then look for the pistol to reside in it.
    -This time what caught my eye on GB was listing with title "Colt 1908 1903 Hammerless Holster". I've trained myself to look for certain "tells" in specific issue holsters and this one has all the hallmarks of a Japanese WW2 era issue: the odd orange color of the buttons, the leather and the strap rings. So I bid and got it for a song. Either I saw something that nobody else did or I bought a pig-in-a-poke but at $67 who cares.
    -In the pre-war years Colt shipped around 20k Pocket Hammerless pistols to Japanese distributors for sale to Japanese officers. And as many or more to the Philippines and Dutch East Indies, which would have been confiscated and re-issued to the invading Japanese forces. So there were more than a few floating about in Japanese hands. Yet they're not that common here in the US. Guess a T14 or Papa Nambu was a more exotic and interesting war trophy than a Colt that you could buy at the local hardware store.
    -So now I have the difficult task of finding a bring-back in the correct SN range (525,000 - 537,000). Last one I found that sold at auction was a mint example and featured Colt Archive paperwork recording the sale to a Japanese distributor. Hammered for $2,300. Here's to hoping I can find something nice for less, always my motto!
    -Auction pics for now. When she arrives I'll have the opportunity to see if a Colt PH does fit it properly. Perhaps it's a Mauser 1914 or Browning 1910 holster? Should be interesting!
     

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    KH195

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 10, 2013
    1,550
    Virginia
    Awesome score! Totally agree, to me that looks to be without a doubt a Japanese holster. Great condition and killer price!!
     

    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    Awesome score! Totally agree, to me that looks to be without a doubt a Japanese holster. Great condition and killer price!!

    I really appreciate your confirmation! Sometimes ID'ing this stuff is like the definition of porn/obscenity; I know it when I see it.
     

    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville

    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    I had looked through Derby and Brown for this holster in the Import Pistol section before bidding on this. Decided to take another gander and bingo! Found it. Yet it does look smaller. Somd_mustangs might be onto something...
     

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    mawkie

    C&R Whisperer
    Sep 28, 2007
    4,338
    Catonsville
    Hoster arrived today and Somd_mustangs wins a prize for keen eyes. A Colt 1903 PH doesn't fit but a FN 1910 and Mauser 1910 both do. FN sold a fair number of Model 1910s to the Japanese in the '20s and '30s which makes it my first choice. Willing to bet a Japanese issue standard style Ruby would fit as well.
     

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