Gun in Denver airport bathroom was Houston DEA agent's

I have that holster (Blackhawk Mark IV Airborne). It does a pretty good job of fitting most medium and large automatics and there’s three levels of retention (snap, velcro and grip-strap). However, the introduction of the Safariland 6004 series rendered it practically obsolete, unless you switch between different pistol models often.

I guess that makes me, and my usual daily carry holster, really, really old, and probably also *practically obsolete.*

But it works.

The only two real-life situations where round-chambered makes sense is military patrols (e.g. ambush/attack response) and certain forms of hunting (e.g. flushing birds).

I take it you've never been on the Nuclear Position Duty Roster and had to pull guard on the toybox.

Crazy. I remember when we went to the UM84 holster that was issued with the M9 pistols (and later in bulk for M1911 units) and how much of an improvement it was over the old leather M1916 holsters. For a country so proud of its pistol heritage, I’ll never understand why holster development seemed to just STOP for 70+ years.

I was always reasonably fond of the earlier M1912 cavalry version, which dropped from a swivel loop and allowed the holster to move with the leg. There was even a thin leather tiedown strap to attach it to the leg, far more secure than the leather thong/bootlace tiedown of the M1916.

But then as a tank crewdog, I made the acquaintance of the M3 shoulder rig, and that was that. Easy to add a mag pouch if needed, could be worn either over or beneath a field jacket, and there was a positive safety strap retaining the pistol...which could be snapped under the pistol's grip if it might be needed in a real hurry. The little snap that secured the holster to the trouser or pistol belt was slightly improved on the later M7 holster, but I've always preferred the simplicity of the M3s single over-the-shoulder strap. Simple. Effective. And best of all, comfortable when worn for extended periods, whether standing, sitting/driving, or squinting through the gunner's sight or rangefinder. On the way!

>>The only two real-life situations where round-chambered makes sense is military patrols (e.g. ambush/attack response) and certain forms of hunting (e.g. flushing birds).
>
>I take it you've never been on the Nuclear Position Duty Roster and had to pull guard on the toybox.

I actually did get to guard a nuclear facility. There was, next to it a tract of empty land on which some hunters were once found and "reacted to" rather vigorously --this was one of the deployment-rotations prior my unit's assignment there-- and because of that incident it was included in our on-site relief-training. While we did have NVGs and live ammo, we were specifically told/ordered to keep the magazines out of the weapons [M-16s & M-4s] until needed, this to reinforce the 4^TH Rule: be sure of your target and its surroundings. (IOW: Our first reaction was to be communication rather than "light `em up.")

Beautiful. Looks like a holster from “The Wild Bunch”.

It's pretty enough for movie work, but I think William Holden's rigs were GI Issue M1918 hip and an M3 shoulder holster- they were supposedly trying to look like an Army payroll guard detachment, after all.

But I have seen a really nice M3 shoulder rig made by the Sam Myers Saddle company of El Paso, with a finish about like the one in the pic but without the *U.S.* property marking. It had a very nicely engraved Super .38 Government Model that belonged to a Texas Ranger, and he was quite proud of it.

Enough from me. Go here. A picture is worth a thousand words.

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