World War Supply Canvas M3 Tanker Holster

Last year I posted about the virtues of the M3 Tanker Holster. I have copies of those made for the M1911 and the S&W Victory Model, and a really nice version from El Paso Saddlery for my S&W Model 28 N-Frame. Today I received a canvas version of the Victory Model holster by World War Supply. I bought it from Amazon to take advantage of points I have, but it's also available directly from WWS.

Aside from 4" K-Frames, it fits a variety of other guns:

Russian M-1895 Nagant:

High Standard Sentinel .22:

Ruger Speed Six:

And even the Beretta Model 81 .32 ACP autoloader fits comfortably:

Note that I have the Beretta in there cocked and locked with the retention strap between the hammer and firing pin, just in case the safety gets nudged off by accident.

The Beretta Model 84 in .380 is externally identical to the Model 81 so it'll work as well.

During WW2 the Victory Model holsters were also used for Colt Commando revolvers, so it should work for an Army Special or Official Police with a 4" or shorter barrel.

I didn't try it in this one but my leather Victory Model holster works well with a Webley Mk.IV in .38/200. 

The 12 cartridge loops on the strap are intended for .38 Special rounds but appear snug enough for .32 S&W Long. They should be fine for 7.62x38R Nagant ammo or .32-20.

World War Supply also has a canvas version of the holster for the M-1911.

The canvas fabric appears to be of good quality and the stitching is done well. These holsters cost $34.99 and at this price point appear to be a great deal with a lot of versatility. As a southpaw I appreciate it that WWS sells left handed versions of this design at the same price as the right handed holsters.

If you prefer leather those versions are only a few dollars more.

Galco Draw-Ez Solution for Leather Holsters

Recently I've posted about M3 Tanker Holsters, of which I have three variants. The no-name copy that I wanted to use with my Beretta M9 was very snug, so I did a couple things to make it usable.

First, the leather was very dry, so I worked in some 100% neatsfoot oil. This softened it a bit and will preserve the leather. At some point I'll also rub some Sno-Seal dressing into the outside, to provide some water repellency.

After treating it with neatsfoot oil, I wrapped the Berretta in Saran wrap and forced it into the holster for about a week. This loosened it a little and the I added a plastic bag over the Saran wrap, then let it sit in the holster for another week or so. By this point it was getting there. However, the gun still dragged when drawing it.

So, the final step was to rub some Galco Draw-Ez Solution into the inside of the holster where the gun rubbed against it. I let it sit for about 10 minutes, put the naked gun back in, and tried drawing. It made a noticeable improvement.

Draw-Ez comes in 1/2 oz. (15ml) bottle. It's not cheap but a little goes a long way. If you have a leather holster that is hard to draw from it's worth trying.

 

The M3 "Tanker" Shoulder Holster

Sometime around 1939 - 1940, the US Army adopted a shoulder holster as an option for carrying the M1911A1 pistol. A similar version was adopted during WW2 for the S&W Victory Model and Colt Commando revolvers. These holsters remained in service at least until the 1990s, AFAIK. After the 1911 was replaced with the Beretta M9, it was used for the new pistol.

Several years ago I picked up a copy of the USGI M3 shoulder holster for the S&W Victory Model from the now-defunct Pacific Canvas and Leather. I like it a lot for carrying my Model 15 or Ruger Police Service Six, but of course it's too small for an N-Frame.

I recently replaced the grips on my S&W Model 28-2 Highway Patrolman, which made the gun much easier to shoot with my small hands. It previously wore a set of Herrett's Shooting Stars. I replaced them with a set of Thai Magnas + a BK Grips adapter. With it now fitting me better I started thinking about packing it as a woods gun.

So back on 9/3 I placed and order with El Paso Saddlery for one of their “1942 Tanker” holster, which is their version of the USGI M3 shoulder holster. It arrived 9/15, much sooner than expected based on what the EPS website says.

If it looks backwards it's because I'm a southpaw.

It’s very nicely made with nice leather, stitching, and hardware. They also threw in a key fob.

Out of curiosity I put my Colt Shooting Master in it and except for the fact that it’s too short for a 6” barrel, the holster fits the gun well. So, if I ever pick up a 4” Colt New Service this holster is usable with it.

A S&W Heavy Duty would look right in this rig.

I'm looking forward to using it in the woods.

I also have a copy of the M3 for 1911s. I don't have a 1911 anymore but I do have an M9, so tonight I tried it in the holster.

(I don't recall where I got this one from. Maybe Amazon. I'm pretty sure it was made in India.)

It's very snug and takes quite a bit of force to insert. So, since the leather was dry I gave it a good coat of neatsfoot oil and plan to leave the Beretta in it for several days in the hopes it'll stretch out.

As-is, my Browning High Power and Beretta 81 Cheetah fit OK. The CZ P-09 won't fit at all.

I've recently run across variants of the Tanker holster cut like the leather ones but made from canvas. The Amazon link above has some. I've never tried them and they are a bit less expensive, but I've no experience with them. They might work well, might not.

I also ran across this blog post extolling the merits of the M7 shoulder holster. The M7 differs from the M3 in that it includes a chest strap to help keep it from flopping around. That post also lists a variety of pistols that will fit, which makes it close to being a universal holster.

As to why to use one, as noted above I find it comfortable. It also makes the gun available if you're sitting in a vehicle. The strap can be adjusted so you can wear it over your clothes or concealed under a coat. Also, if you can't normally carry a gun but want one that you can quickly throw on, it's an option.