Australian made US holster

artu44 · Post by **artu44** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 3:49 am

This is a real oddity I bought at Australia ebay. It's an holster made for the US revolvers M1917 following the US 1942 production. Its maker is Bonney & Clarke (a well known aussie leather maker) and carefully scratched on leather it bears R.F.Feethers name. I start investigations and the only thing I got for sure (from Grant Militaria) was that Feethers was a RAAF pilot and that Aussies did issue in WWII every kind of pistol they could reach, even WWI captured lugers.

As you can see from pics this holster is an almost exact copy of the US Textan 1942 with minor changes in legstrap ring, flap brass stud and dimensions of the short strap securing the holster to the belt. Of course there is not the big oval with US inside.

There is someone who can tell me more about the story of this strange item?

artu44 · Post by **artu44** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 3:58 am

One more pic: on the left Textan 42, on the right Bonney&Clarke

artu44 · Post by **artu44** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 4:06 am

Another one. Don't you mind for bad quality pics, look at the shape

Tom-May · Post by **Tom-May** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 4:53 am

Isn't it odd how different backgrounds give us different views of the same item?

You look at the piece and see "...holster ... an almost exact copy of the US Textan 1942 with minor changes in legstrap ring, flap brass stud and dimensions of the short strap securing the holster to the belt..."

I see what appears to me to be a Standard (if somewhat battered) Sam Browne holster cut about to carry a weapon it was not designed for (and probably modelled for ease of design on the 'US Textan').

I must say that I have no idea about this piece, except to suggest that it may either be a rebuilt SB or possibly a purpose built piece using the SB pattern as a start point - but then my opinion is just a WAG based on the basic shape.

Sorry I can't help.

Tom

artu44 · Post by **artu44** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 6:09 am

No Tom. The problem is in the pics, the first one I did before treating the textan 42 with saddle soap so in the next the textan appears in its original russet colour. I'll try to post the old ebay pics. As you can see this holster itsn't butchered and it's really identical to US 1942.

hat is strange to me is to understand why Aussies for their S&W 1917 did copy an american design instead to use a regular webley .455 holster which do accept perfectly a 1917 revolver (I have a pic demonstrating it)

artu44 · Post by **artu44** » Sat Sep 10, 2005 7:59 am

There is a WWI aussie machinegunner (first left) with a Colt 1917 revolver which fit perfectly in an open top Webley holster