American Commercial Luger Holsters: Colorado Saddlery

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Pictured is a rare Colorado Saddlery – Denver style number 1705 open top, closed toe commercial holster for a 4-inch barrel Luger. This is the only known Colorado Saddlery holster for a Luger with an attached twin magazine pouch using a continuous piece of leather, including the cover flap closure strap to the holster body spine. It is firmly attached with five flush mounted copper rivets, two at the top, one in the middle and two at the bottom of the holster and magazine pouch, a full six-inches into the narrow portion of the 8¾-inch tapered depth of the holster, as measured from the entrance lip of the holster and four-inches into the five-inch deep, twin magazine partitioned pouch. Pictured are each side of the top or entrance located rivets.

It is Interesting to contemplate if the rivet attachment of the magazine was done to a complete assembled holster, and a preassembled magazine partitioned pouch. The twin magazine pouch has a leather partition, each section slightly wider than the standard 0.5-inch width of a magazine, the partition being a continuation of the left side facing pouch which terminates to the right or rear side of the pouch with a thin wall leather strip glued to the partition and to the rear inside wall of the pouch from the entrance to the bottom of the pouch, of which interestingly, the twin magazine pouch, except for the attachment copper rivets was assembled using no stitching.

The back wall of the pouch is attached to the holster body spine, being one continuous piece of leather that wraps around to form the four sides of the pouch, except for the bottom, which is a separate rectangular piece of leather secured by some type of adhesive. Viewing the front of the holster, the outside magazine pouch facing leather edge seam is tapered to form a flush surface, attaching to the front wall extension of the pouch via some unidentified form of three-point attachment and adhesive. The twin magazine pouch is of identical heather and color, except more pliable, to the holster body using an identical enamel, tan colored snap fastener. The holster body entrance strap closure uses a typical period design snap fastener assembly, whereas the twin magazine leather pouch cover flap snap fastener utilizes a period United Carr made birdcage type closure assembly.

Additionally, to accommodate as a flush mount attachment of the twin magazine pouch required removing a small horizontal section of the continuous wraparound strap around the holster midsection securing the lower termination of the holster belt loop, immediately behind or between the holster body spine and the backside of the magazine wall. This required two copper, flush mounted rivets on each end of the severed strap to resecure it to the holster body.

Colorado Saddlery Catalog number 8 on page 6 lists and describes style number 1705 as: No. 1705 – Heavy weight Leather, Plain, smooth -------------------------Large 4.60 and Small 4.20. The subject No. 1705 matches the catalog description. The same type of holster is listed as No. 1605 except with Medium weight leather, No. 1805 as a Hand Basket Stamped finish and No. 1905 with Mexican Hand Carved finish.

The example pictured in the catalog on page 6 for this series is No. 1905 and except for its Mexican Hand Carved finish and although not for a Luger is otherwise identical to the subject No. 1705 Luger holster. It should be noted that holsters pictured in the catalog represent the style only, as clearly stated on page 6 that the described holsters are: molded to fit your particular gun(s)….

Pictured are the page 6 listings with pictures of comparable Colorado Saddlery holsters in the collection. Numbers 905, 1605, 1905 and the subject 1705.

One could argue that the subject No. 1705 dual magazine leather pouch was added by Colorado Saddlery per customer request to an existing No. 1705 holster, although the method of attachment does not support that as similar holsters do exist with added magazine pouches, stitched to the holster spine as part of the original holster assembly.

The conclusion being that the subject No. 1705 magazine pouch is an excellent aftermarket addition done by a skilled and experienced leathermaker and based on the early period bird-cage style fastener and the equal aged appearance of the holster leather and the attachment of the magazine leather pouch strongly suggests that the addition was done close to the manufacture of the holster and despite the information provided herein, still leaves the possibility that the leathermaker was a Colorado Saddlery employee.

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