Reproduction of the WWII issue leather shoulder holster for the Colt M1911 .45 pistol. Adopted in 1942, this holster was standard issue for aircraft and tank crews and was often used by officers who preferred it to the hip holster. In combat areas, all sorts of troops found ways to "acquire" handguns and the regulations as to who was and wasn't permitted to carry them was rarely enforced.

Our holsters are patterned from an original example made by Enger-Kress. Although made overseas, we provided the pattern and American made Lift-the-dots which will not break like the junk used on most other reproductions.

Break in: Leather holsters are like leather shoes- they take a little time to break in. When new, the holster should fit the pistol snugly as it will loosen slightly with time and use. The only products you should use on any new leather holster is Neetsfoot or mink oil. There are numerous hair-brained "break-in recipes" online written by raving lunatics involving detergents, solvents, washing machines and so forth. Don't do it!

Fit: Most of the knock-offs of the M1911 as well as most WWII automatics including P08, P38, P35 Radoms, CZ75, and Browing Hi-Power pistols will fit in these. (Those are the 5 types we have tested- we cannot guarantee them to fit any others.) Customers have added Glock 19 and 23 to this list- albeit they are initially tight.

They do NOT fit any revolvers I have tried due to the curve of the handle requiring a longer strap to secure the pistol. If you want a complete itemized list of every pistol that can fit- just send us one of each (pistol) and we'll gladly test fit them all and publish the results.

Imported