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INDIAN WAR MODIFIED CIVIL WAR HOLSTER AS ISSUED
FOR THE SINGLE ACTION CARTRIDGE REVOLVERS: A
rare survivor of the Indian Wars, this holster,
originally produced during the Civil War, was altered
with a simple modification by the Ordnance Department
for issue to the frontier army troops with their single
action cartridge revolvers. As pictured and discussed
on page 85 of US MILITARY HOLSTERS AND PISTOL
CARTRIDGE BOXES by Scott Meadows, this is one type
of modification executed in the mid-to-late 1870’s by
the US Army to conserve finances by utilizing the
remaining stocks of Civil War revolver holsters that
were still in inventory. Closely following the design
of the Model 1878 Holsters, the design of the flap is
credited to Col. P.V. Hagner, then commanding officer of
the Watervliet Arsenal. Modified holsters of this type
are fairly rare as most of those that were so modified
were indeed issued and used. For the most part they did
not survive the rigors of service in the field to be
surplused out to Bannerman and the other dealers, and
finding one of these true Indian War veterans to
accompany one of the early Indian War pistols is a real
challenge to a complete collection.
The modification was fairly simple and cost effective,
requiring only that the flap was reduced or reshaped to
a more abbreviated size and in some cases repositioning
or replacing the closing tab with a longer strap. When
new, the live leather would stretch sufficiently to
accept the larger frame M1873 Colt and Smith and Wesson
revolvers.
This holster shows all of the wear one expects to see on
these true frontier veterans. All of the components are
present and intact to include the seam, closing tab and
plug. The surface of the leather is crazed, with some
flaking, but stable. The flap, belt loop and holster
body all hold their shape and still retain the
characteristics of strong, live leather. All the rivets
are present and intact. The seam along the length of
the body had suffered wear through use and age just as
so many of the rare existing specimens of this holster
exhibit, likely the result of these holsters carrying a
pistol with larger dimensions, such as the Colt M1873
Single Action, than for what the holster body was
originally designed during the Civil War. This seam has
been nicely restored, is now full form and secure, and
doesn’t detract at all from the appearance or value of
this holster. I have owned and or handled number of
these early modified holsters through the years, and I
think it is worthy of note as a testament to the service
to which they were exposed that all of the examples I
have seen, including those shown in the above cited
reference, show evidence of hard use. There is no doubt
that these holsters were “there” amid the smoke and
dust, present on the belts of the soldiers at all of
the historic engagements in the Frontier West.
A truly rare holster that belongs in the most advanced
Indian War collections. $1250
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