Nambu "M3" type Shoulder Holster?

[ghp95134]

Has anyone seen a Japanese shoulder holster for a Nanbu pistol? My friend's uncle brought one home after the war and the pistol and holster have been together ever since. You can see the lines and indentations in the leather that were transferred from the pistol grip.

I've looked closely at this holster. There are no marks at all, even the snaps have no markings. Except for the cut-away, the body of the holster is pretty much like the M3 "tanker" shoulder holster.

The straps are not like the M3; it has a cheap oval aluminum buckle and the ends are riveted.

There is no belt strap on the bottom, but on the reverse there are two oval holes punched to allow for a strap.

The uncle was a colonel and served in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters; during the Occupation of Japan he was in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and established the military hospital there.


Thanks,
-- Guy

[Type4]

bearing in mind that there is a lot of photographic evidence and many non-regulatory holsters, anything can be, it could also be for other no Japanese-made weapon, Japanese officers used a lot of foreign pistols.

[Type4]

Some example

1fb1d6bc-0c15-4d27-bdf7-a01046ec3af1 — ImgBB
4b96f2dc-8c31-4021-98d6-9bbf6a83f0a3 — ImgBB
69893a37-db87-4c97-84b4-f92b9f61ef71 — ImgBB

[ghp95134]

Thanks Type4, the images are helpful.

— Guy

[Type4]

it is always a pleasure

[Long Shot]

Guy, the imprinting of the grooves certainly suggests these have been longtime friends but the war end 76 years ago - so they could have easily met afterwards and similar wear patterns formed postwar.

I have seen many examples and variations of captured Japanese, so called "pilots" or "tankers" holsters, but they always shared one thing in common - a place to secure the factory issued second magazine. For several small issues, with the missing magazine pouch being the weightiest, I would lean to this being a holster not used by the original Japanese owner of the T14 and instead acquired and mated somewhere down the line of "under new management" owner(s)

[ghp95134]

Guy, the imprinting of the grooves certainly suggests these have been longtime friends but the war end 76 years ago - so they could have easily met afterwards and similar wear patterns formed postwar.

I've also noticed the lack of a magazine pouch -- found in most Luftwaffe holsters and Japanese holsters.

Did I mention the holster and pistol were a bring-back from friend's uncle who was, in addition to being in Occupied Japan, served in the Pacific War. They've been "married" for at least 76 years. (^__^) The "cheap" brown snaps and aluminum buckle lead me to believe the holster is not European.

-- Guy

[Type4]

Is very close to the one in first link i post before