USMC marked Shoulder Holster

[usmc69]

I posted this on the 1911 forum and no one seems to have any ideas. Any info would be of help.
Thanks.

Picked up a shoulder holster (M7?) this afternoon. It is marked USMC/Boyt/1945 on the back. I believe it has been dyed black, probably originally tan. Complete with the exception of the male portion of the belt loop snap (should be an easy fix). Paid $20.00 for it. Looks just like my HUNTER CORPORATION shoulder holster that followed me home from active duty. When was the change from the M3 holster to the later ones?

[Sunray]

Hard to beat $20 no matter who made it.
Rumour has it(that'd be a quick 'net search with references from other forums) that Boyt did year mark their holsters and made USMC stamped, shoulder holsters, dyed black. Likely Marine Air driving off a carrier.
Some of the auction site twits are asking $100 for one of 'em.
"...male portion of the belt loop snap (should be an easy fix)..." You could buy the tool and the part, but a shoe repair shop in a shopping mall is the place to go. Dealt with the guys working in 'em a few times for leather working parts. Always friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and odd requests don't phase 'em a bit. I suspect they like odd requests. Breaks up the monotony of fixing shoes. Good guys.

[usmc69]

Will try the shoe repair shop route, thanks.

AJ

[Garden Valley]

I posted this on the 1911 forum and no one seems to have any ideas. Any info would be of help.
Thanks.

Picked up a shoulder holster (M7?) this afternoon. It is marked USMC/Boyt/1945 on the back. I believe it has been dyed black, probably originally tan. Complete with the exception of the male portion of the belt loop snap (should be an easy fix). Paid $20.00 for it. Looks just like my HUNTER CORPORATION shoulder holster that followed me home from active duty. When was the change from the M3 holster to the later ones?

The M7 was introduced in the 1944/45 time frame. The older M3 holster just had too much movement with the single shoulder strap and the M7 solved that problem. As far as the Corps using it I believe tankers used the M7 as much or more than air wing personnel. A lot of natural color holsters in the Corps were dyed black in the late 1950's. They were very prevalent in the Corps in the early to mid-1960's and could be readily identified because the inside generally was not dyed and oftentimes the back side was not dyed. The black dye on M1916 hip holsters always had a tendency to come off on clothing so using such holsters was avoided when possible. The dyed holsters were often used by MP's because their holsters were carried inside the white color canvas carrier and it got the brunt of the black "rub off" instead of the MP's trousers.

Unusual that the male portion of the snap is missing as it is usually the female portion that is missing. And likely it is missing because the securing post broke when someone forced it open. This is a common problem with WWII shoulder holsters. The this walls of the post on those brass snaps were particularly susceptible to verdegris and it just ate them up.

[Sunray]

"...Will try the shoe repair shop..." Went looking for speed lacing hooks for an archery arm guard I made. Found 'em in one of the mall shoe repair kiosks. The guy gave 'em to me.

[t44e6]

Hard to beat $20 no matter who made it.
Rumour has it(that'd be a quick 'net search with references from other forums) that Boyt did year mark their holsters and made USMC stamped, shoulder holsters, dyed black. Likely Marine Air driving off a carrier.
Some of the auction site twits are asking $100 for one of 'em.
"...male portion of the belt loop snap (should be an easy fix)..." You could buy the tool and the part, but a shoe repair shop in a shopping mall is the place to go. Dealt with the guys working in 'em a few times for leather working parts. Always friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and odd requests don't phase 'em a bit. I suspect they like odd requests. Breaks up the monotony of fixing shoes. Good guys.

Now, I would not have mentioned it, but your signature is "Spelling and grammar count." The word is "faze", not "phase." Sorry, I couldn't help it.