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ca. 1913-1916 MILLS WOVEN HOLSTER FOR THE MODEL
1911 .45 ACP PISTOL – RARE HOLSTER IN EXCELLENT
CONDITION ON A MATCHING MILLS MODEL 1912 PISTOL BELT
ACCOMPANIED BY A MILLS MODEL 1911 MAGAZINE POUCH – A
VERY NICE SET IN EXCELLENT CONDITION:
With the U.S. Army’s adoption of the Model 1911 Pistol,
several entities competed to design and submit their
holsters for the army’s consideration. Such was the
case with the Mills Woven Belt Company who was already
enjoying a decades-long relationship with the Ordnance
Department as a major supplier of cartridge belts and
other accoutrements.
The Mills Woven Cartridge Belt Company submitted a
series of Woven Swivel Holsters to the Ordnance
Department. The company, responding at each stage of
the trials to the reports received from the company
grade officers who had been issued the holsters for
field tests, made the necessary modifications based on
recommendations before resubmitting them for additional
tests. These Mills Holsters are extremely well
documented by Scott Meadows in his U.S. Military
Holsters and Related Accoutrements (pgs 410-416) and
he identifies this particular model as the “Second
Type”.
Mills ultimately provided approximately 77 of these
holsters to the Ordnance Department who in turn issued
them in small quantities to each of fifteen regiments
for field tests. The company commanders who monitored
the use of the holsters responded with critiques, some
positive but for the most part negative, and ultimately
Mills was unable to secure a contract to supply the
Ordnance Department with a large quantity for general
issue.
While no doubt Mills was disappointed at not being able
to obtain the contract, the company was adept at
skillful marketing to the military community, and these
holsters were offered for sale direct from the company
to officers as a private purchase item. Apparently,
Mills found a market for these holsters and at least
enough of them were purchased by serving officers to
warrant Mills continuing to manufacture them.
This specimen presents in excellent condition, showing
very little sign of having been exposed to heavy use.
The webbing is clean and bright, the canvas edging is
complete with all seams intact, and all the darkened
finish metal fittings are present with the finish
completely intact with the exception of some very minor
wear to the finish where fittings would have rubbed
against the wearer’s leg. The lift-the-dot snap is
nickel plated and appears to be one of the early
versions. The swivel is fully functional and rotates
with minimal pressure.
The fully legible “MILLS” cartridge logo ink stamp is
present on the underside of the flap. The “MILLS”
cartridge logo and the patent dates are stamped on the
bottom of the brass end cap, with some of the patent
line being lightly struck, but mostly legible.
The Mills Model 1912 Pistol Belt is woven of the
familiar Mills green thread and it matches the color of
the holster. The belt is in excellent condition with
all of the grommets and fittings intact, both “T”
closures are present as is the brass keeper band. All
of the metal fittings retain most of their original
darkened finish and the woven material is overall very
clean and shows no wear. The front right hand side of
the belt bears a unit applied inked stencil. The brass
tip with the adjustment hook is legibly stamped on both
sides with the Mills Company logo and patent
information.
The Mills Model 1911 Magazine Pouch is in likewise
excellent condition, also woven of the Mills green
thread and matching the belt and the holster. The pouch
shows very little evidence of use and none of the wear
through points to the flap or the magazine pockets as
these pouches are prone to have. The underside of the
flap is legibly stamped with the Mills Company bullet
logo and although the date stamp is lightly printed, it
is still legible as 1917. Both lift-the-dot snaps
function properly.
This is a very special set which
presents as an original set as it was worn during the
period of use. With all matching colors of the weave
and all in the same excellent, clean condition, it is
easy to believe this set presents exactly as the officer
or soldier wore it. Highlighting the set is an
excellent example of a scarce early trial holster,
making this set an important addition to a display or
collection of Model 1911 Pistols or a collection of
early Mills Company accoutrements.
(0416) $1850
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