I remember when troopers carried their S&W .357 mags in those clarino bucket holsters.  I actually had one of those holsters that I never actually used but I thought was interesting.  When one of my academy instructors saw it he told me a story about how the OHP used them forever but they were nicknamed "widow maker" holsters because they had no retention and was so easy for bad guys to snatch a troopers gun.  I don't know if that ever actually happened but I can see how it could.  Those holsters, the unusual badge design, Smokey the Bear hats and, of course, the bubble gum machine overhead light on their cars (interesting trivia is that the OHP was the last department in the country to give up the "gumball" light).

I actually think Michigan State Police still use gumball lights.

Great video, thanks for sharing.

If anybody knows a source for those holsters they used, I would love to get one.

hell yeah; lake patrol "troopers" used the same holster; when I worked for the state one of the lake patrol was pulling a drunk out of the water and when he leaned forward to get a better hold of the dude to pull him in the boat his revolver fell out of the holster into the middle of thunderbird.

they brought out the dive squad for several days looking for the revolver; never found it; one diver laughed and said if somebody wanted to collect all the beer cans on the bottom of t-bird they'd be a multi millionaire when they sold them.

the trooper that lost his revolver made lieutenant later that year.  

ETA: back to the holster; iirc looper's used to make a holster of that design or at least one pretty close to it.

If I had known the significance of that holster I would have kept it.  I found it in an old box of discounted duty gear that was retired from the OHP when they switched to the newer style (basket weave iirc). The box had everything from the bucket holsters to belts to cuff cases.  My cuff case I carried on duty came out of that box and it's all I still have unfortunately. The clarino shiny is peeling and cracking badly but it was still a place to keep my original cuffs in.

The gun spinning in that video made me laugh.  When I was in college I had both handgun and rifles courses.  Our first day on the firing line they handed out the competition revolvers which were actually retired military and police iirc. Anywho the range officers explained all the safety rules again and warned everyone from being a "cowboy" and spinning the gun.  Sure enough the guy beside me, who'd never shot a gun in his life, goes full cowboy and starts spinning his revolver like Dan Combs (we hadn't been issued ammo yet) and the range officer see's him.  Normally if you did that they would have bounced you but this guy was like 6'3" 250# and the sight of him flipping the gun around was so funny even the instructor couldn't keep from laughing.  They let him stay...lol.

Dad has a couple of those stainless S&Ws in 4". And in 6" as well as 3".  He gave me one of his 3" 357s.
He has quite a few holsters. He got into collecting them for some reason. He has some holsters that are 50 years old he says are worth a chunk of cash.
You should call him because he knows some holster collectors. He is big on Myers holsters made in Texas but that went out of business way back in the 60s or something.
Our favorite truck stop pervert can probably make you one. When is isn't wearing his pink tutu at the truck stop he is at Looper Leather.

Good video wingman thanks for sharing!

The design of that holster predated Captain Combs. He was certainly a great shot and a legend at OHP But  I think he often got the credit for the bucket holster incorrectly that design predated OHP and any other organized Law Enforcement Organization in the State by a good number of years. It was very popular with lawmen all over the US back in the early to mid 20th century.

We had Retired trooper that did a couple of my handgun qualifications where I used to work and I used his bucket holster on one occasion to qualify when I left my duty rig at home once by accident. It is a weird feeling carrying a revolver in one of those holsters because it just sits in it if you were to fall on the ground and roll around there is not a lot to keep the gun in the holster. IIRC I think his had braided leather thong that slipped over the hammer on his but I will not swear to it.

A holster that I was always interested in was the clam shell holster which  was popular for a while around the same time as the bucket holster .

At the OHP headquarters on 36th and MLK, the lower level on the north end, is a display case with Dan Combs duty gear.
Or used to be a few years ago.

I'll have to go see it.

Yeah my bucket holster had a single leather "string" that held the gun in, not very comforting that's or sure.  Dang I wish I still had it.

kind of the like the walk & draw fast draw rig designed by Arvo Ojala for hollywood westerns.

It's still there, pretty neat to see.

The Undersheriff at McClain County is an old retired Trooper and still wears his when he's in uniform.

I tried searching for the guy Wingman mentioned and the only thing I can find is an estate auction in North Carolina.  I've been meaning to patronize LL anyway.

Don't ask for the truck stop discount unless you're a pervert or You hang with Nden.

A little redundant, don't you think?

Who is Dan Combs?  My dad retired several years ago after doing 27 years with OHP, I will ask him.
The things I grew up hearing and seeing would make your head spin.  It's the main reason I have such a distrust forLEO's.
I bought one of the OHP marked S&W's when they went to the semi autos but I sold it.  I freaking hate Smith's.

Saw him when I was in elementary school.  Still remember him blowing up dixie cups.

I wonder who was quicker...Combs or "Jelly" Bryce?

Captain Dan Combs was a Legend of the OHP and one of their most noted marksmen with a pistol or anything else that you could imagine. His feats with a revolver and a tommy gun were astonishing. Something truly amazing to see. he put on a shooting exhibition in the name of vehicle safety for a good number of years while he was on the OHP. He was lighting quick with a handgun, like Ed McGivern or Bill Jordan.

Definitely old school

My money would have been on Combs. but most of those old timers that made their money with a pistol knew how it worked. I would not have underestimated any of them.

My great uncle was a retired OHP. He died a few months ago. He had nothing but good words about Dan Combs.
He didn't much care for the OHP brass and bragged about drawing his retirement for over 40 years, twice longer than the 20 years he served.
Hearing some of the stories from my dad and my great uncle since I was a little kid, I can understand why you don't think much of LEOs.

I just spoke to my dad about Dan, he knew him well and shot with him several times he said.
My dad said Dan used to joke about shooting himself, Dan would say "I am the only guy with a 22 caliber pecker with a 45 caliber hole in it."
My dad also said Dan was a trick shooter with a 22 derringer and an M1 Garand.  He said he could throw grapes or other small items in the air and Dan would hit them with the M1.
Anyways, he seemed to enjoy reflecting back on those days.

I'm gonna start practicing trick shots with my .357 mag derringer.  I'm going to tie an aspirin to a giant balloon with a piece of thread and as it flies away I'll shoot the balloon

What amazing skill and class evident in this man.

His "never disarm the American people" speech at the end makes it clear that if all LEO were like Dan Combs in both skill and attitude, our country would be drastically improved.

LMAO!!

You owe me a keyboard!!...

cool video..thanks Wingman

Looper there in OKC still makes a similar holster

My goodness! I haven't thought about Snuffy in years. In fact, as I recall he still owes me a holster that I paid for before I started making them myself. Snuffy used double-layer harness leather for his holsters, and didn't line them with metal. Wow, could I tell some old war stories about him! After waiting for more than a year, I purchased a K-frame metal-lined holster from Don Hume Leather Co. (The company is still in business), and carried it until I went back to an N-frame (Mod. 29 and later 629).

By the way, the first to use such a metal-lined holster was Bill Jordan. As I recall, started using them because they didn't collapse when he packed them away to travel between firearms demonstration locations.

Great video! Do you have one when Dan used a Thompson submachine gun to shoot out the center of a playing card?

Didn't he respond to claims about it being tough to shoot by resting the butt against his lips and firing?
By the way, after posting the earlier message, I looked on youtube, and found a video of Dan. He does some amazing work with an M14, also.

I seem to remember his S&W Mod. 29 being on sale in a Tulsa gun store about 27 years ago. At the time I was carrying a 629, and didn't need it, but it was sure tempting.

In 1975 Dan Combs came to Norman Oklahoma to demonstrate his skills and helped to teach our academy. So I would like to put a few things streight.

1. The "thong" hammer loop was very efficient if you maintained it properly and knew how to use it properly. We were taught to draw from the bucket holster with the "thong" twisted and hooked over the top of the hammer. With a little practice you can thumb the "thong" off the hammer as you draw with no loss of speed. If the "thong" is not worn out it is strong enough to resist being forced by a would be attacker. In fact more than one bad guy found that out during my patrol days. I felt very safe useing it. I never lost my pistol in any fights or while running  or working.
2. Fireing from the hip is easy to learn and instinctive. It is also very accurate out to 15 yards. I could kept all of my shots in the ten ring at the 7; 10 yard lines; and most of them in at the15 yard line. Dan Combs taught me the trick is to learn to feel where your arm touches your side. If your right handed and hiting right move your arm forward. If low move your arm up. Once you find the "sweet spot" you'll constantly be on target. Just start up close to the target and move back as you get on target. In addition holding your gun low and close to your side makes it very hard to disarm you. Most disarming techniques assume an outstretched arm or arms.
3. Ref the Thompson. I saw Dan shoot the center from a playing card leaving the sides intact. He could do it because he used a 1928 model my department had recovered from bank robbers in 1935. The department seldom used it and I heard that Dan tried more than once to get it from them. It had a longer barrel, a compensator and fired from a closed bolt. The one he used in the video I saw on youtube was a Thompsons ued in WW2. They were simplified for mass production. The barrels were shorter, no or poor compensator and fired from an open bolt. As a result his group was larger and he destroyed the card. But it was still very good shooting.
It is true that some people didn't like the Thompson during WW2 but my dad prefered it for urban fighting. He considered it more than adaquate for the job.

I count myself very lucky to have been among the people he taught.

Great info, thank you for posting that.  I would love to have taken one of his classes.  How can you not admire a guy like that?