I’m collecting 80s/90s LE holsters and gear.

What would the correct duty holster be for a sw 5903

And the correct holster for a sw j frame revolver?

Thanks

Basketweave Safariland thumb-break was almost all you saw. Sometimes smooth, rarely Clarino.

At least that's what I and the rest of the department had around 1987-1992. ETA: for either my stainless 686 or later, my 39.

Safariland (295?)

I likely have a bianchi or safariland that carried a 5906 from late 80’s thru ‘91.  It’s in a box.  Maybe two...send me an email and I can look.   Along with other gear.

That’s what I recall from that period. However, in the early 80s we used Jordan-style holsters for our revolvers.

My J-frame was either in a generic pocket holster on duty, or a leather Bianchi clip-on IWB off-duty.  I seem to recall a lot of variations in holsters used by plainclothes officers, probably all private purchases.

I was issued a safariland 070 basketweave holster with my 5906
the 1st level III retention holster, if done right it was surprising fast, if you didn’t you’d give yourself the wedgie hell

Safariland 070 (or maybe 707 I cannot remember)


Was pretty much the standard. Non basket weave in my case.

another vote for the 070. They were good holsters too.

Safariland 070 was the gold standard forever.  


It’s still a good holster if you need level 3 retention. It was crazy strong.  Steel belt loop.

Yep, Safariland 070. I was darn fast with one too back in the day (with a Beretta then a Sig)

A Bill Jordan style of holster.
In Texas, it may have been basketweave.
On the east coast it was Clarino(?) smooth patent leather.

295 was standard for a lot of AZ agencies in the mid to late 90’s.  I purchased a 070 and really appreciated the smoothness of it over the 295.  The 295 could be temperamental if the ring in the snap turned the wrong way or got dirty.

All through 90's and into early 2000's we had Safariland SSIII's for wheelies and autopistols at Houston PD.  Harris County issued Safariland Top Gun 200 holsters during the same period.

Everyone was coming out of the academy with 686's in SSIII's and my buddy had an SSIII for a S&W 629. 2nd and 3rd gen S&W autos were pretty popular so they had SSIII for those also.  I've never seen a J frame in a duty holster but I had one for off duty and don't remember what I carried it in.

That time frame
It would have been real leather
(Safariland sold both lined and unlined
holsters of the same model)
Don Hume was also popular and usually cheaper
Desantis was still around also
Duty belts had the buckle with the two hooks on the
inside. Velcro inside belts were becoming popular
Unless you lived/worked somewhere rural
Then river belts? Smaller buckle in front were
sometimes worn
HKS speed loaders were king of the heap
Safariland speed comp? Were faster to use.
Some still carried dump pouches for reloads
And once in a while you would see the loop thing
That held 12? Rounds
We called them bullet boards
Leather came in three types
Plain
Basketweave
And Clarino (shiny shit for Kansas Highway Patrol)
We usually managed to remark once a week
to our local troopers, REAL COPS WEAR BASKETWEAVE
Just giving the troopers a hard time
They are a God send in rural
parts of  Kansas where they chip
in and help do stuff they were never
told about at the academy
(The good ones even learn to heard cows with the
Push bar on the front of their patrol cars lol)

We had Tex Shoemaker leather.

This one is for the 1911.  All there but the radio pouch, mace case and flashlight ring.  I saw no reason to buy those when I left but I was partial to the belt/holster, ammo pouches and that double cuff case.

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There is no "correct" holster...different agencies issued different holsters (or allowed a selection), and some (like mine) allowed whatever you could order at the local uniform supply shop.

When I got hired in '93, I owned a 5946 and carried it in a Safariland 200 Top Gun, and later carried a 4506 in an 070. (Also carried various other Berettas, Sig, Glocks, etc. My department didn't issue handguns, you carried what you wanted...and I was a member of the "favorite gun of the month" for my first few years ).

As previously mentioned there was no standard on leather gear and it was not uncommon to have a different brand belt, hand cuff case and holster.   In my area Safariland was very common whether for semi auto or revolver.   Basketweave whether black or Brown was common with Sheriff’s dept.   My small PD issued Don Hume River belts (smooth black leather) with Jordan Border Patrol leather holster with single cuff case and double dump pouch for our issued S&W model 66.

The Indiana State Police and Illinois State Police issued Clarino gear whether issue a revolver or semi auto.

Here is a picture of the holster I used when I carried my 39-2.  It is a Safariland swivel holster but the mid ride holster with jacket slot were also very popular.



Here is a picture of a Don Hume mid ride holster issue for my 5904 in 1991.   My Agency previously issued a Clarino Safariland mid ride belt holster of the same body design of the previous picture but without the swivel.   The cuff case was manufactured by Jay-Pee and my duty belt was a Safariland.  

Thanks for the wealth of information.

Email me

This seems to be the place to ask, since I just got a 39-2 and may carry it occasionally.  Will it be a good fit in a 59 holster if that's all I can find, or will it flop around loose?  Also, some of the old duty holsters are suede lined... does that make a difference in preserving the finish?

The 39 and 59 holsters are the same or at least I’ve never encountered a holster that wouldn’t work.   The only exception is when S&W brought out the fully adjustable winged rear sight on the Gen 2 and Gen 3.  Some early 39/59 holster had to have material removed to accept the new adjustable rear sight.   The later duty holsters had the front top of the holsters relieved to accept the rear sight.


When the model 39/59 were in production I don’t remember any polymer Kydex or plastic holsters on the market.   The leather or nylon were more commonly encountered.  The suede lined leather holster tended to have a snug fit but leather holsters wear in with use.   Here is a picture of my 439 with winged sight in a Safariland swivel holster designed for the model 39/59.  I posted a picture of the same holster with a 39-2.   You can see the holster has loose enough tolerances the winged rear sight on my 439 fit.    The suede lined holster will protect the blue finish on a pistol as long as the pistol fit isn’t to loose.   When you walk or run a loose fitting holster will permit the pistol to move inside the holster even though the retention strap snap is engaged.   The unlined Safariland holsters the ISP used with the 439 wore the finish a lot worse than my Safariland suede lined holster or our suede lined Don Hume holster pictured above.   For off duty carry the pancake style of holster or a belt slide holster were very common.   The inside the waist band leather (or horse hide) holster like summer special were popular.


S&W changed the trigger guard on the some pistols to a squared off trigger guard to make it easier for user to put their finger on the front of the trigger guard.   I don’t remember the difference in the trigger guard being an issue with leather duty holsters.   If a leather holster is to tight you can put warm water on the leather then wrap a pistol in plastic wrap.  Shove the pistol in the holster and engage the safety strap.   The water will form fit the pistol to the holster.   When the leather dries usually you end up with a better fit.

Thanks for clarifying,Bianchi #7 pancake inbound  Now I just need a few mags that aren't $100.

I read the OP requested holster info on J frame revolvers so I decided to post what I bought last year.   A Friend used to be a Deputy Sheriff in rural midwest in the mid 70’s.  He was issued a tapered barrel model 10 but carried a 3” model 36 off duty or in plain clothes.  He sold the model 36 and shoulder holster to another Friend.  Knowing both guys I couldn’t resist when I had the opportunity to buy the model 36.


Shoulder holsters were kind of common in the 70’s with small revolvers.   I never really cared for Shoulder holsters even though I used one occasionally.   Colt Detective Specials (Agents & Cobras) were popular as well as the various S&W J frames in the 60’s & 70’s.  The most common holster I saw officers use with small revolvers back then were simple leather belt holsters usually with a safety strap.  I also observed a few clam shell holsters where the spring clip inside the holster body held the revolver usually with no safety strap.   This clam shell holster was commonly carried at 10 O clock sort of cross draw.   I knew an Indiana State Police Detective who carried a well worn Colt Cobra revolver in plain clothes.   This Detective did not use a holster but had rubber bands wrapped around the top of the grip so the revolver would ride inside his waist band.

The Bianchi shoulder holster pictured below uses the same type of spring clip with no safety strap as the clam shell belt holster I previously described.  

The only person I observed carry a J Frame or small Colt revolver in Uniform was a female Deputy who worked in the Jail.   The female Deputy would assist Road Deputies any time a Female Deputy was needed for arrest, searches, or mental cases.   This Female Deputy carried a J frame 3” or 4” revolver in a basketweave leather holster with basketweave duty belt in uniform.

It was not unusual for an Officer not to carry extra ammo on his person for his small revolver in plain clothes.   I was kind of the exception as I usually had at least one speed strip for my model 60.   Speed loaders were fairly new in the mid 70’s and not commonly encountered for small revolvers.

Here are pictures of the 3” model 36 and shoulder holster even though I replaced the factory grips with Pachmayr gripper grips (I still have the wood grips).

Thanks everyone, lots of good info.

I carried a S&W 59 in a clarino Don Hume but I don't remember the model.  I hated clarino and ditched it as soon as possible for nylon.  As mentioned above, black basketweave Safariland were the king of that generation.