What is this holster for?

AdrianM

AdrianM

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My neighbour came up to see my small milsurp collection a week ago. He really liked my enfield revolvers. I went to his house yesterday to borrow some roof jacks and he gave me this holster. We both thought it was an enfield revolver holster but it's too short and I notice it looks like it has an internal pouch for an extra mag. Pistol holster; what's it for? Hi-power? 1911?

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C Broad Arrow marked

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Even with the No.2Mk1* it's just a bit too short.

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Second pattern WWII Canadian issue holster for the John Inglis hi-power.

There are some pictures of Canadian soldiers using these near the end of the war, but the general consensus was that these weren't very good holsters.

Mint examples are still relatively common, your holster still has some value for collectors.

-Steve
 
This is the 9mm Inglis High Power pistol ("No. 2" or "Canadian" model) that your holster was for -
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These Inglis-made pistols were all manufactured in 1944 and 1945 .... but they are still Canada's primary-issue military handguns!
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The second pattern of holster, such as you have, was not adopted until early 1945. and as a result few, if any, of them actually saw service at the front. They had gone into production, however .... and that is why there are so many examples of this holster in excellent, if not unissued, condition.

Steve: actually, it was the first pattern of holster for the Inglis High Power (below) which was considered unsatisfactory and was also unpopular with those who had to use it - it was too stiff and too tight, such that the flap was difficult to close and fasten over the holstered pistol -
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The common ways of dealing with the problem were to leave the flap unfastened, or else tuck it in behind the pistol -
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geologist said:
Everytime I see a photo of an Inglis it reminds me that I need a High Power for my collection.
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OK, just to help you along with expanding your collection .... ;) .... here is the No. 1 Inglis, as produced for China -

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The reason Inglis made High Power pistols in the first place was China's request to the Allies to have this model (which they had adopted as their official sidearm in the 1930's) produced elsewhere, their supply having been terminated by German occupation of Belgium. The No. 2 version had a much simplified rear sight (.... the No.1's tangent adjustable rear sight is sighted to an optimistic 500 meters ....) and eliminated the shoulderstock/holster attachment groove in the gripframe.

Brutus said:
I know for a fact that our Navy used this same holster up until at least 1975.
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What colour were they, Brutus? There were several other variants of this design produced in the years following WWII - for example there was a white webbing version made for Military Police use (in lieu of painting/blancoing khaki holsters white) and at least two variations of the design in black leather, also intended for Military Police use -

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The UK adopted a softer-bodied version of this holster design in 1958 -

hlstrBrit_P1958_front.jpg


Canada even had a rather chintzy white vinyl version, originally designed in 1959 for RCAF Dress Parades, and subsequently adopted by all branches of the Canadian Forces -

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Hi Power Holster

Steve1987 said:
Second pattern WWII Canadian issue holster for the John Inglis hi-power.

There are some pictures of Canadian soldiers using these near the end of the war, but the general consensus was that these weren't very good holsters.

Mint examples are still relatively common, your holster still has some value for collectors.

-Steve
Click to expand...

King Sol in Toronto used to have a large bin of those for sale at $5 a piece in the late 1970's. I bought several. They were all in new condition.
 
Steve1987 said:
Second pattern WWII Canadian issue holster for the John Inglis hi-power.

There are some pictures of Canadian soldiers using these near the end of the war, but the general consensus was that these weren't very good holsters.
Click to expand...
Steve:

Do you have any of the photos showing Canadian servicemen wearing the second pattern holster in WWII? I'd love to get some for my "archives" ....
 
GrantR, it was colored and appears to my eyes, to be identical to AdrianM's first photograph. The officer of the day, or all officers(??) on the DDH, had the empty holster in thier quarters. So when and if the Hi-Power was issued, they already had thier holster and web-belt. And the web-belt was on this same color and canvas type material. IIRC, a brass buckle also.

Cheers!
 
Brutus said:
And the web-belt was on this same color and canvas type material. IIRC, a brass buckle also.
Click to expand...

Sounds like they were the standard second pattern holster then, and that the web belt was likely one of the variations of the Pattern 1937 Web Equipment belt, which is what this holster design was intended to fit:
P37BELT.jpg
 
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