How did vintage plain clothes detectives carry their sidearms?

KansasTrapper77

KansasTrapper77

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How did plain clothed detective and LEOs carry their sidearms pre 1960? 1970? Pick a vintage but I’m thinking pre-automatics.

Backstory: I enjoy shooting and reloading for my .357 Magnum and I am starting to accumulate a decent supply of .38 special cases and have decided I don’t own a .38 snub-nose so I’m going to get one. I’m looking for a reasonably priced Colt Detective Special pre-shrouded ejector rod. Purely for fun. But I’d probably carry it around the farm and I figure if I have a period piece I should probably have a period holster.

I’m interested in picture examples and info on how a plain clothed LEO would carry his Colt Detective Special.

Thanks.
 
I can speak for the 70s.

Most detectives carried a 2" J frame or 2" D frame on an OWB holster strong side and felt adequately armed. A few wore the same revolver in a shoulder holster but they were in the minority. Rare was the detective that carried anything else.
 
Perhaps the most popular holsters in the late 50s through early 70s for concealed carry LE were the Roy Baker Original Pancake and the Bucheimer Concealer.

Chiefs-Special-in-930-1.jpg

Bucheimer-Basketweave-10.jpg

Both had broad support points and a smooth contour while carrying the grip high and tight for better access and greater concealment.
 
@jar that first pic is exactly what I was curious about. I figured it was a pancake style but wasn’t sure how it was configured. I didn’t recon IWB was “in” yet but what do I know. And all the googling I did just brought up the guns they wore and used not how they were carried. I love vintage police stories. Especially beat cop stories. It was a different time.
 
GRIZ22 said:
I can speak for the 70s.

Most detectives carried a 2" J frame or 2" D frame on an OWB holster strong side and felt adequately armed. A few wore the same revolver in a shoulder holster but they were in the minority. Rare was the detective that carried anything else.
Click to expand...
Yeah. Many uniform cops carried a J frame off duty or as a backup, but if you made detective, a 2” snub was almost mandatory. It was like a badge of office. I always saw guys with them jn pancake holsters on strong side.
 
P5 Guy said:
View attachment 1189981
Shoulder holsters?
Click to expand...

See the goal is to pretend I’m in the Untouchables. Don’t mind the fact I live in rural Kansas where the most dangerous thing you’ll meet is a pissed off bull or maaaaaybe a meth head. Though most of the time the meth heads aren’t up for a fight. They just want your barn wiring. :rofl:
 
I remember reading something about Chic Gaylord a few years ago regarding his contributions in the mid 20th century.

americanhandgunner.com

Chic Gaylord - American Handgunner

As I was growing up my parents never owned a new car, never bought a house — always rented. We had all the necessities but rarely had any kind of extras. As I look back from my perspective now, my mother was exceptionally skilled in stretching a dollar.
americanhandgunner.com americanhandgunner.com
 
Homerboy said:
Yeah. Many uniform cops carried a J frame off duty or as a backup, but if you made detective, a 2” snub was almost mandatory. It was like a badge of office. I always saw guys with them jn pancake holsters on strong side.
Click to expand...
Before the "J" frames there were the Colt "G" frame and the "D" frame or the S&W I frames. And there were automatics as well, the 1903 Colts and shortly thereafter the 1911. The Browning HiPower is 1935 as well. J. Edgar carried a Colt 2½" barrel 32 Colt in nickle like the second from the top.

with-i-jframe.jpg

left.jpg

1906 Colt 1903-05-small.jpg

hipower800.jpg
 
Kansas Trapper, an older Dick Special would be a great choice; maybe one with some 'honest wear', so there's no guilt in carrying it. I've a minty one, that I always wanted, due to old time TV cop shows, Broad Crawford especially. But I don't own a holster for it.
Keep hoping Fastbolt will pop up with advice; he's a big fan of noir-themed guns.
Moon
 
halfmoonclip said:
Kansas Trapper, an older Dick Special would be a great choice; maybe one with some 'honest wear', so there's no guilt in carrying it. I've a minty one, that I always wanted, due to old time TV cop shows, Broad Crawford especially. But I don't own a holster for it.
Keep hoping Fastbolt will pop up with advice; he's a big fan of noir-themed guns.
Moon
Click to expand...
Here's my DS in a favorite IWB holster made by Privateer Leather but a more period correct holster would be the Hunter in the second image, or the Alessi in image #3 or the Bucheimer Federal Man in the last image.

Privateer-Marauder-front.jpg

Hunter-DS.jpg

Alessi-DS800.jpg

Bucheimer-Federal-Man-DS800.jpg
 
My dad was a police officer in the 1970s through early 2000s and carried a model 65, 357 magnum until about 1983. I remember when he wore a suit he did utilize the harness so you can carry it on one side of the rib cage. But being in South Texas, it was very common to put some type of ankle holster, or some sort of padding in your cowboy boot. Considering the size of that handgun, it certainly would not have been comfortable in the boot. However, he was a police officer and not a deputy sheriff, which meant you could not choose your service weapon and had to use what you were issued.
 
Last edited:
This was H. H. Heiser's version of a pocket holster from back in the '20s and '30s. Their catalogs also featured several shoulder and belt holsters for concealed carry.
GvsfUds.jpg
 
The illustrations in that book include a Fitz Special and the third illustration captioned "belt holster and pistol" is described in the text as a "cut-down revolver." The shoulder holster was recommended for the Colt 1911.
 
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