WW2 Canadian Tank Crew Pistol Holster

[WW2_RCAF]

Hi out there,

I am looking for some information regarding WW2 webbing for Canadian Tank crews. Apparently there is a particular type of pistol holdster? The "tanker's holdster" is suppose to be longer in length in order to fit easier around the leg - easy to move around in enclosed spaces [in tanks]?

I recently acquired a very rare set of WW2 British Tankers Coveralls, black beret, binnoculars. I'd would be grateful to find out more about a "tanker's holdster" to complete my set. If anyone has or knows of one for sale please contact me.

Best regards,

David R. Clark

[Tony Smith]

The large .455 holsters are still fairly abundant in Aust and the smaller .38 slightly less so, but either style of the RTR pattern is fairly hard to come by. The RTR pattern was used by all commonwealth armour crews and was used in conjunction with the "Enfield Revolver, .380 No.2, Mk1*". The essential difference with this pistol is that the cocking hammer had been ground off to prevent snagging and accidental misfires in confined spaces.

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi All
Just to be pedantic again, a revolver is NOT a pistol and vice-versa. A revolver has a rotating drum holding the ammunition whilst a pistol normally has the ammunition in a magazine held in the butt. The firing principals and mechanisms are also entirely different.
Pendantic Bob

[konigstiger]

How much would you say a tankers holster would cost?

[cletrac (RIP)]

Bob Moseley-- a revolver IS a pistol, but a pistol is not necessarily a revolver. I have an Enfield "tanker's model" with no hammer spur, double action only. Was told by a few old tankers that the reason for no spur was so that it wouldn't hang up on stuff when you were getting out in a hurry!

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Just to clarify... the tanker's holster is an adaptation of the original early model open-top holster for the Enfield or Webley .380 revolvers. They also worked with the S&W 38-200 revolver which saw much wider service with Canadians in WW2. The upper loop in the holster was strapped around the belt, allowing the pistol and holster to ride on the thigh, with a strap to hold it there.

I don't know how prevalent in service they were, given that early on in Normandy at least, officers tended to put their pistols in their pockets (and hide their binoculars) in order to not make easy targets for enemy snipers. The holsters now, while once relatively easy to find, are worth just about what the seller is asking, especially if they are original with the appropriate straps.

Oh yes, and any of the Commonwealth-issue revolvers is called a "Pistol, No.X Mk.X" even if it was a revolver. makes things frightfully complicated, but then again, the English are damned good at that. Perhaps that's why they haven't been invaded in the last millenium....

Originally posted by Bob Moseley
Hi All
Just to be pedantic again, a revolver is NOT a pistol and vice-versa. A revolver has a rotating drum holding the ammunition whilst a pistol normally has the ammunition in a magazine held in the butt. The firing principals and mechanisms are also entirely different.
Pendantic Bob

I understand pedantic. . . . . . .

Let us refer to that mighty tome and reference work of the English language: The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Tenth Edition, Revised, 2001.

pistol • n. a small firearm designed to be held in one hand.
- Origin. C16: from obs. Fr.pistole, Ger. Pistole, from Checz. pišt'ala, orig. in sense "whistle", hence "a firearm" by the resemblance in shape.

revolver • n. 1 a pistol with revolving chambers enabling several shots to be fired without reloading. 2 an agreement to provide revolving credit.

R.

[Rob van Meel]

I have the British manuals: Small Arms Training Volume I, Pamphlet no. 11 for Pistol (.38-inch) 1937 and 1942 edition.
The army calls these revolvers Pistol (in other documents sometimes named pistol, revolving), so pistols it is, I think.

Rob

I can be pedantic at times, but just saying that you are is not sufficient to qualify as one.

PS I am still looking for the 1941 version and possibly a 1944 or 1945; even a photocopy would be good.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Of interest to anyone?

CANADIAN MILITARY PATTERN 37 WW2 9MM HOLSTER !!RARE!! Item number: 6568067017

This is a very rare item to find as it is the 9mm holster from the tank crew guys. it has the broad arrow on it and is dated 1945. Item is in like new shape and is pattern 37.

[servicepub (RIP)]

You can always buy this book, "37 Web";



Available from Service Publications

[alleramilitaria]

hano, that browning holster is not at all rare here in the US. at the ft wourth militaria show i saw at least 15 of them from $5 to 20 each. the real tanker holsters were going for about $75 and up

[centurion]

Some revolvers are pistols- others are not. Long arm revolvers (muskets and rifles) were certainly around in the 17th Century (and possibly as early as the 16th) and persisted right up into the 19th being used in the American Civil War. Most of these had a serious draw back, being loaded with loose powder and ball there was a risk that flash from the chamber being fired could ignite the rest. At worst this could cause the revolving chambers to burst (often fatal to the firer) and at best the rounds from the chambers not lined up with the barrel would remove the hand (usually the left one) holding the gun stock and barrel ahead of the chambers. The introduction of metal cartidge cases both removed this danger and allowed the development of reliable magazine based guns (unreliable ones already existed). Some specialised long arm revolvers have persisted (I think there was a revolver combat shotgun in the 1960s). Revolving pistols continued to be widely used, in part because the mechanism is simpler and less subject to jamming through dirt and wet. Pistols issued to air crew and tankers appear to have been mostly (but not always) magazine loading automatics probably because they have less protrubances to be snagged when moving in a confined space and hopefully there should be less battlefield mud in a tank or cockpit
There thats my pedantry for this month - I'll go and have a lie down.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
hano, that browning holster is not at all rare here in the US. at the ft wourth militaria show i saw at least 15 of them from $5 to 20 each. the real tanker holsters were going for about $75 and up

I saw a gentleman carrying a tanker holster and .38 Webley, both in mint condition at the F.W. show. I stopped him and asked if they were for sale and he told me he had just bought them two minutes ago off the table I was just heading towards. He purchased them both for $225.00! I was heart broken!
Now to add my two bits to the Pistol/revolver brouhaha......in the past "pistol" was the term applied to both revolvers and autos, however in the current lexicon it is very uncommon to hear a revolver referred to as a pistol. The English language is vibrant and constantly evolving and so must we. Case in point....Would you say,"I was sitting in my horseless carriage a fortnight ago listening to the wireless when over the ether came a report that a clutch of Wog scalliwags had waylaid our troops in Mesopotamia!" or would you say," I was sitting in my car a couple of weeks ago listening to XFM when over the satellite radio I heard that a bunch of Islamic insurgents ambushed a convoy with an I.E.D. in Iraq!" Ya mean, Homey?
Now, if I could just get people to quit referring to a detachable box magazine as a "clip"!!!! Thank y'all for your kind attention.

[alleramilitaria]

clip, clip, clip!!!

by the way i ask the guy how much for the pistol and holster of friday, at that time it was $150. i just didnt have the cash.

[sapper740]

Originally posted by alleramilitaria
clip, clip, clip!!!

by the way i ask the guy how much for the pistol and holster of friday, at that time it was $150. i just didnt have the cash.

AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!! on both statements!

[centurion]

Originally posted by sapper740

Now to add my two bits to the Pistol/revolver brouhaha......in the past "pistol" was the term applied to both revolvers and autos, however in the current lexicon it is very uncommon to hear a revolver referred to as a pistol. The English language is vibrant and constantly evolving and so must we. Case in point....Would you say,"I was sitting in my horseless carriage a fortnight ago listening to the wireless when over the ether came a report that a clutch of Wog scalliwags had waylaid our troops in Mesopotamia!" or would you say," I was sitting in my car a couple of weeks ago listening to XFM when over the satellite radio I heard that a bunch of Islamic insurgents ambushed a convoy with an I.E.D. in Iraq!" Ya mean, Homey?
Now, if I could just get people to quit referring to a detachable box magazine as a "clip"!!!! Thank y'all for your kind attention.

Point partly taken. language changes. However sometimes it changes differently in different places. In the UK revolvers are still quite often refered to as pistols, indeed sometime a news report on the wireless (yes some of us still use this term) will refer to someone being shot with a pistol and it is only when one reads in the papers of the court procedings a fortnight (also still in common use here) later that one will find out if it was a revolver, automatic (or even single shot) weapon. Reports of road side bombs are probably as common as those of IEDs (we tend to use acronyms less [for EVA might say going outside] -whats XFM?).

I once had the pleasure of leading a project tem containing English, Scots, Irish (North and South), Canadians (Alberta and Quebec), Americans (Texas, Colorado, Ohio), Indians and one totally confused Vietnamese. It was surprising how often the same word had many different meanings. Still makes life interesting. Vive la difference

[Harry Moon]

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MESE%3AIT&rd=1
There are 2 styles of armoured holsters, black and looks like no bidders so far.

[Geoff Winnington-Ball (RIP)]

Originally posted by Harry Moon
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...MESE%3AIT&rd=1
There are 2 styles of armoured holsters, black and looks like no bidders so far.

Both look suspicious to me, and the one with the "leg strap" is definitely NOT a tankers holster - the belt loop is too short.