Milsurp 1911 holster.

The Bianchi M12/UM84 military holster will fit either the 1911 or the Beretta M9. This is ambidextrous and can be used with or without the flap. It uses the unique Bianchi fastening clip.

Mcmurry

I have a Bianchi M12 holster and as AlexanderA posted it will hold a 1911 just fine in it. I also have older G.I. issue holsters for the 1911 made of black leather.

1911, yes. 1911A1, maybe but likely. No revolver will fit a 1911/A1 holster. A Berretta and a 1911A1 are close to being the same size, so one holster will do. Don't think the M9 will fit well in an issue holster though. Larger sights stops a 1911A1 fitting in one.
"Black leather" was Meat Heads issue, as I recall.

Now here's a funny. Folks are posting that the Bianchi M12 will fit the 1911A1. Just a bit of history for the young.

John Bianchi designed and built the UM84 entirely on his own dime. His idea was to develop a modular system that would take a basic holster and allow it to be carried in various ways. Thinking back that was somewhere around 7 or 8, doubled if you count left handed use. It was designed for the 1911A1. Guess what, the military adopted the UM84 as the M12 without any changes other than adding logos and serial numbers.

So, it is more correct to ask will the M12 "also" fit the M9 pistol.

I liked the M12 holster when I was on AD, and think it's far more serviceable than the trendy replacements that came out in the post 9/11 world of mandatory tacticool.

The "classic" leather flap holster for the 1911 was the M-1936.
This was originally in russet leather.
It was not moulded to the 1911.
It was provided with a M-1910 wire hook, and 2-2.5" slots on the back for looping through belts without 1910 eyelets. The flap was held down on a blunt stud made of brass, bronze, and iron through the years, when went through a cut hole in the flap.
There was a sewn hole at the closed tend of the holster for a tie-down thong. Original issue thongs were square cut rawhide, these often shrank up to non-usability. They were seen with shoe or bootlace replacement for the thong.

In the mid 60s, the color was changed to black leather. The leather thickness got a little thinner, too. Thongs are much less seen, since doctrine had pistol-armed troops constantly donning and doffing belt, holster and weapon.

A large number of things will "fit" a 1936 holster; some better, some worse.

In the mid 30s a shoulder holster was ginned up, first for the Armored Corps, later for aviators, and certain engineers.
Those holsters are also not moulded to a specific arm. They have a relief cut for the trigger guard. The thumb strap was specifically cut to fit around a 1911. Fitting other arms, like Victory revolvers was possible; other revolvers fit poorly.

Those were in russet leather, until all leather was ordered black.

Note: USN holsters were supposed to be black from Day One; this varied in actual application.

For Shore Patrol use, the holster was dropped into a white cotton duck sheath which was hung from the broad white duty belt.
MPs were issued a shiny black leather version (and a patent leather version weas used as well) to macth the black leather bat belt MPs wore through the 60s and into the 90s (and probably further).

Later, the UM84 (and the UM10 and M-12) Bianchi holsters show up. They are not moulded, either, but are a generic fit. SOme things fit better than others (same way some magazines fit the magazine pouches, too, particularly the double-stac mag pouches ).

Some of the "MOLLE" pistol magazines appear to just be cordura or similar nylon rectangular pouches of extremely indifferent fit. I never had to wear MOLLE, so, I never had to sort out what was supposed to be versus what was in TO&E.

Hopefully that's not clear as mud.

The UM84 was snug when a pistol was first put into it. But if it was left in for a day or so it sort molded itself. You could leave it empty for a week and it would still be semi molded. I think it had to do with the material sandwiched between the nylon.

I gladly took my old M-12 when I deployed in 2010. I have used it for a variety of M-9s, 1911s, and 2011s and many others. It isn't MOLLE, but I never put it on my vest, I put it on my belt BELOW the vest. I used the thumb break instead of the flap most of the time. When my unit shut down in 1993, I stole several, and gave them to my friends, they use them for everything too.

I also have a black leather shoulder holster I use when I ride my ATV or horses.

"...USGI holsters will also fit a Browning Hi-Power..." No they won't. Grip frame is too wide.
"...a shoulder holster was..." More of a shoulder area pouch. Worn in front vs under one's arm.

Sunray said:

"...USGI holsters will also fit a Browning Hi-Power..." No they won't. Grip frame is too wide.
"...a shoulder holster was..." More of a shoulder area pouch. Worn in front vs under one's arm.

Click to expand...

Darn, here I was putting a Hi-Power into a leather 1911A1 holster and was too stupid to know it didn't fit. Or maybe the Hi-Power was like the bumble bee. No one ever told the bee it couldn't fly and no one told my Hi-Power it wouldn't fit.

I have a 1936 style holster that I molded to fit a Sig P226 Elite with some warm water and a couple of plastic bags over the gun.

Works good as a hiking/backpacking holster.

There were three leather hip holsters made for the 1911 and 1911-A1.

The Model 1912 Mounted or Cavalry holster had a long drop loop with a swivel that allowed the holster to pivot when mounting and dismounting.
On the back was a strap and buckle so it could be secured to the leg.
These were made in Russet colored leather, and were issued up until early WWII to cavalry and early armored forces.
The 1912 Mounted was intended to be used only by the cavalry, but was often used by other services including the Navy and Marines.

The Model 1912 Dismounted or Infantry holster was to be used by everyone other then the cavalry.
It resembled the Model 1912 Mounted except the long drop loop doesn't have a swivel.
Instead it has a second brass stud up on the flap so the flap could be rolled over and pinned up out of the way for a faster draw. It also has a strap to strap it to the leg.
This was supposed to be the standard issue 1911 pistol holster for everyone but the Cavalry.

The Model 1912 was not at all popular with users, especially the Infantry and Navy, so the Model 1916 Dismounted holster was developed.
The Model 1916 did away with the long drop loops and leg strap and was the standard issue for all users until 1984.
There was a Model 1916 Dismounted made for a short time for use with the new M9 Beretta as a parade holster.
The Model 1916 Dismounted is sometimes called the 1936 but the official designation was the Model 1916 Dismounted holster.
The Model 1916 was made in standard Russet color, and during war time it was also made in plain tan leather to speed production.

The Model 1916 was often oiled with Neatsfoot oil or with shoe dubbing. This gave it a darker brown color, with a very dark brown common during WWII.
After the Korean War, about the mid-1950's the military went to black leather for the Model 1916.
Often, left over WWII production Model 1916 holsters were dyed black. Many of these were dyed only on the front side to prevent the black dye from rubbing off on expensive dress khaki pants.

For a look at the three US issue 1911 hip holsters, Pacific Canvas & Leather make decent replicas in China:

http://pacificcanvasandleather.com/

For the very best replicas of them all, El Paso Saddlery made exact replicas of the Model 1912 Mounted and Model 1916 Dismounted:

http://epsaddlery.com/

There was a non-official 1911-A1 holster that was bought by some units in the 70's especially MP units.
This was also a John Bianchi design and was the M-66 Ambidextrous leather holster.
This featured a flap that could be unsnapped and removed, or pivoted up and forward to clear the gun for a fast draw.
It was set up with snaps on both sides so it could be worn right or left handed and cross draw.

The military didn't officially adopt the M-66, so in the 80's Bianchi developed the UM-84, or Universal Military Model 1984.
This can be worn on either side, as a cross draw, as a drop loop thigh holster, as a shoulder holster, and by folding the flap plastic loop under, it can be used as a no-snag holster by paratroopers.
It has a emergency cleaning rod in a slot in the front, but the rod is not intended for use other then emergency.
The official US issue version is the M12 sized specifically for the M9 Beretta. While it will also fit the 1911-A1 and others, it's a best fit to the M9.
The M12 comes with a plastic tube that fits in the bottom of the holster to keep the holster sized to fit the M9 during storage of the holster.

In the Bianchi series is a newer UM-92 that features a polymer trigger guard shield that offers more stability.
There's also a UM-84R for revolvers, and a UM-84III for compact autos.

Last, Bianchi offers versions of their "Accumold" formed nylon holsters for the 1911 series pistols.

Sunray said:

"...USGI holsters will also fit a Browning Hi-Power..." No they won't. Grip frame is too wide.

Click to expand...

You may be referring to a specific holster, but back in the day when places like Bianchi and Galco listed specific part numbers for their holsters on their websites, both listed the same part number for both Hi-Power's and 1911's.

Dr.Rob

You are correct sir: the Browning Hi-Power will fit in the M7 shoulder holster, the Model 1916 belt holster, and the M12 belt holster. The M7 (stamped Bolen Leather Products), and the Model 1916 (no markings), were purchased new in the early '70s from a large military surplus distributor. The Bianchi M12 was purchased new in the late '80s.

Dfariswheel; excellent post!
They sent the UM84 holsters and accoutrements to us before the M9's got there, so we used them for the 1911's as well as the 38's, though they kind of got lost in them. I found the M9's fit in the M3 and M7 shoulder holsters, so I kept them, but turned all the M1916's and revolver shoulder holsters in to PDO. Of course the Bianchi holsters had shoulder holster kits with them, but the M3's and 7's were so much simpler....

Sunray said:

"...USGI holsters will also fit a Browning Hi-Power..." No they won't. Grip frame is too wide.
"...a shoulder holster was..." More of a shoulder area pouch. Worn in front vs under one's arm.

Click to expand...

Maybe for you Canucks......