British web holster - correct wear?

[centurion94]

Good morning all,

This is probably a good place to ask a question which has bugged me for a while - can't seem to get an authoritative answer... I have a WW II British web flap holster which fits a 5" Model 10 perfectly - just the right accessory for a night on the town with a No. 4 Enfield Does anyone know if military regulations called for this holster to be worn on the right, with muzzle forward, or on the left with muzzle to the rear. I'm pretty sure the Queen didn't particularly care if you were right or left-handed.

Thanks!

 

[Robert]

Right side. Is it a P08 or P37 holster? I have a pdf of an original Australian P08 manual.

 

[centurion94]

Thanks for the reply, Gus. I can't even tell you that. As I said, a 5" Model 10 fits it very comfortably and I assumed that it was probably manufactured for a Webley. The backside of the holster has two choices of brass wire hooks for attachment to a belt, neither of which fit the grommets on a standard US web belt.

 

[Robert]

They will not fit a US web belt. I would venture a guess that it would be a P37, or later,as they are far less rare than the P08 models. To wear it without undue rigging you would need a P37 belt:
http://onlinemilitaria.net/shopexd.asp?id=4738&bc=no

Now this is only a guess. If it is a P44 or a later 50s model then it may not work with a P37 belt. Are there any dates on it?

 

[centurion94]

Neg. I looked. After monkeying around with it for a while, I found I can take the top, horizontal hook and work the ends unto two grommets and flatten out the belt pretty much so that it will work. Not quite the cool "hanging" look as with the US combat gear, but better than it was.

I gotta tell you, when you mentioned the P08 model, I looked at the holster for a couple of minutes and thought, "Yeah, I suppose you could shove a Luger in there, but why?" Ha!

Thanks for your help!

 

[Robert]

"Yeah, I suppose you could shove a Luger in there, but why?" Ha!

lol
P08 is Pattern of 1908. It is the web gear the British carried in WW1. I have a nice repo set. P37 is Pattern of 1937.

 

[otiac]

RU the Augustus McRae of Lonesome Dove TX?
OTIAC

 

[CapnMac]

The Brit web gear--generally--did not use eyelets to fasten things to the belts, but "pinched" them on the belt with a pair of "C" shaped clips.

Which means things 'ride' differently on UK web gear, they are "on" the belt, and not "under" it, as with US 1910-style hooks and eyelets.

Some Brit gear can be pinched on some US belts--helps if the US belt is thinner, and if the "C" hooks are a little ope, too. Best place being between the eyelets, naturally.

Brit system has some advantages, like being able to butt things together on a belt; something that had not been possible on US belts after they stopped using oval bottom eyelets.

Studying up on web gear can be fascinating in its way. Consider, we are still using bent wire hangers in metal eyelets a century after that system was adopted. Still a mix of LC-1 clips and MOLLE straps out there, too.