Browning 9mm w/ shoulder holster

[birdie]

Hey guys, does this holster look WWII German/Luftwaffe? I bought a big vet lot, everything is 100%, but I am not familiar with the holsters. Also the gun is ser. #685xx. How can I narrow the date down? Thanks!!

[Gary Cain]

The color of the leather looks Italian. The holster is definately not Luftwaffe issue. As for the pistol itself, pictures are needed to determine what exactly it is and what era it is. It may or may not be Belgian etc. It could be post 1960 etc.


Gary

Hey guys, does this holster look WWII German/Luftwaffe? I bought a big vet lot, everything is 100%, but I am not familiar with the holsters. Also the gun is ser. #685xx. How can I narrow the date down? Thanks!!

[birdie]

Nazi Waffen amped Browning

Gun is all matching and Waffen amped.. direct vet bringback...Holster has been with it since thew end of the war. perfect fit. Anyone else think it's Italian or? Thanks

[r.blue]

It's one of two things.....private Allied made or private Axis made.
Hard to prove either way. Usually can be attributed to U.S. because we issued shoulder holsters and they were popular with our troops. I have never seen an original photo of a German wearing a shoulder holster. There is a documented account of a shoulder holster. It is featured in Jim Cate's book on the Sauer Pistols Vol. 1. The vet describes in a letter how he removed the shoulder holster from the German he killed.
I'm sure the German's used them. In fact AKAH sold them for the Walther Pistols in the 1930's.
R.B.

[phild]

It's one of two things.....private Allied made or private Axis made.
Hard to prove either way. Usually can be attributed to U.S. because we issued shoulder holsters and they were popular with our troops. I have never seen an original photo of a German wearing a shoulder holster. There is a documented account of a shoulder holster. It is featured in Jim Cate's book on the Sauer Pistols Vol. 1. The vet describes in a letter how he removed the shoulder holster from the German he killed.
I'm sure the German's used them. In fact AKAH sold them for the Walther Pistols in the 1930's.
R.B.

I can not add anything except to say the Vet/GI accounts whether verbal,written or sworn upon, like everything else may or may not be accurate and true. Like nickle plated bring backs the debate as to the origin or origins of bring back shoulder holsters has been around a long time and can get a bit emotional.

I think that there may have been some very few shoulder holsters worn by German pilots while in the cockpit...maybe, but I can not see any German officer or soldier wearing a shoulder holster as a matter of course with their uniform as that would have only been tolerated in the very front lines and even then only by a very few units....if any.

I think that most of these were made up for GIs in Germany and other countries in Europe near the end and after the war. Many GIs carried captured pistols concealed and otherwise during the occupation...even againist regulations.