KansasTrapper77
Member
There are a couple Detective Specials in town here that are more than I want to give. But I’m tempted.
Some NYPD dicks carried shoulder holsters, but it was mostly Feds who patronized Chic Gaylord. He had a reputation as the most concealed shoulder rig.I remember reading something about Chic Gaylord a few years ago regarding his contributions in the mid 20th century.
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
Nice rigs, and they should certainly conform to your body. Those are fairly substantial guns; that's what leather handles best.I don't know, depends on what you like. I can't stand Kydex holsters, IWB or OWB, and I carry a snubby quite a bit.
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But when I feel more modern......
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Nothing conceals a S&W k frame more comfortably than a Bucheimer "Concealer". Light, thin, high & tight.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.
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Both had broad support points and a smooth contour while carrying the grip high and tight for better access and greater concealment.
Super classyWell, my time as a rookie only goes back to the beginning of the 80's, so I can't speak to the prior decades.
My first J-frame was a 3-inch nickeled RB, because I had a hard time finding any 2-inch 36's or 60's in any of the gun stores and cop shops who sold guns back then. They sold out damned quick, according to the shops. I knew a few guys who carried 2-inch Colt DS snubs, but I already had a short-barreled Ruger Speed-Six if I wanted to carry a 6-shot snub.
I finally stumbled upon the bright, shiny 3-inch 36 in a shop, and decided to grab it. It made shooting the 158gr LSCWHP +P loads I came to favor pretty controllable. I once had an older Tyler T-grip for it, but I also liked the hand-filling Pachmayr. Dunno where the T-grip went nowadays.
Anyway, the leather paddle style holster was popular among detectives I saw carrying snub revolvers at the time, so I found one.
On the subject of holsters, a little while back I stumbled across a guy who sells on ebay and on his own webstore, and he specializes in old police gear, and has another website for old Western style gear. He isn't cheap, but some of the gear he finds is very cool. What originally interested me was that he'd found a batch of New/Old Stock vintage crossdraw holstered made by a leather maker I once knew. He operated a small storefront in a warehouse district of one of the small towns on the SF Bay Peninsula. Earl Ginn Company of Belmont. He was a former saddle and harness maker. His leather gear was top notch, and he provided duty gear for LE agencies in the greater Bay Area, which is how I knew of him. Some of my original issued leather gear was made by him.
Anyway, back in earlier decades crossdraw rigs for snubs weren't uncommon, and one of the better known models was probably from Bucheimer. Earl Ginn made a very nice version, and the gentleman on ebay had come across some RH J-frame models somewhere. After some email discussions with him, I promptly ordered one. It's condition made it look like Earl had just finished it.
This is the guy's ebay store, showing that holster. Apparently, he only has 3 left?
Vintage Earl Ginn Black Basketweave Small Revolver Holster Chief Detective 2" J | eBay
Holster loop will fit a belt up to 1 1/2" and holster has an adjustable tension screw. We also have a large selection of duty gear and accessories for patrol.www.ebay.com.au
Mine:
When I feel like belting on my of my short J's under a cover garment, for an afternoon or evening at my cigar club, without the butt pressing against my side and experiencing a bit of nostalgia, I slip on the crossdraw.
My old black leather basketweave Safariland dump pouch (which holds a speedstrip nowadays) is a nice touch, but it graces the jacketed noses of cartridges with some verdigris ... which reminds me of the old days, too. Some where in one of my boxes I still have my original issued black basketweave leather double dump pouch. That's what they gave us for uniform gear in those days, although most guys and gals bought speedloader carriers to use. No shortage of older guys & gals who still had bullet loops on their authorized Buscadero rigs, though. I saw some with bullet loops across the back of the belt, and speedloader carriers up front, and even an occasional rig that had a single or double spare bullet loop stitched ion the gun belt right above the drop-shank holster. The western influence was strong in my former agency when I joined.
Yep, lost the lining on several designer suits, was not happy.I can remember back to '68 in Ft. Worth, TX. That won't be the "average". Ft. Worth was the home of Tandy leather. You couldn't swing a dead cat and not hit a leather worker. I don't remember seeing many J frames. The detectives I would see usually carried a six shot and mostly S&W's. Some would carry a 2"K, but a lot of them carried a 4". These were usually not small men. In those days they always wore a suit and fedora. Most of those suit coats would have a patch sewed in where the pistol had worn thru the lining. Most of the holsters were custom made and most were tooled in a traditional southwestern pattern. I don't remember seeing anything in my early years except the Tom Threepersons style with a keeper strap. Those mostly left the hammer spur exposed. Yeah just a matter of time till you got that patch in the suit lining. I don't remember seeing holsters with the keeper strap that covered the hammer until the early 70's (John Bianchi?) It was 1975 when I first saw a Roy Baker pancake holster. I was a freshly minted Secret Service agent and was issued a 2 1/2" Model 19. That pancake was a lifesaver best thing I had ever seen. One other memory, when we graduated from the FWPD academy our issued duty belt, holster, handcuff case, 6 round cartridge carrier was made by the Lieutenant who commanded the Robbery/Homicide unit. All custom made. When I prevented all of the hijacking at DFW airport I did that with a S&W Model 60 and carried it in a custom made hand tooled holster made by a Detective who was a neighbor of my parents. I had discovered pancakes at that point. I wouldn't make that decision today, but the world has changed a lot since the days of yore. I got that first pancake holster by calling Roy Baker on the phone, he took my order and mailed it to me and I sent him a check, in that order. They passed in the mail.