Holster collectors here?

Happy to see this stuff. Hope you dont mind that I added the images to your post.
Al

Thank you. For all of the wonderful coaching this is the only place I have problems posting a photobucket picture. I am currently blaming "Subjectual amnesia" and "Temporary Incompetence"
 
I just had to see if this holster might "make somones day" because they had the matching gun.

That holster is in great looking condition, any idea when it was made? It might be for a  .38 Special size revolver, as a lot of those were issued to security guards and such during the war.  If I had a gun to fit I would have jumped at it just for the nostalgia value. Chris

I don't have anything concrete, and haven't done any recent research, but, many years ago, I owned a Colt 1917 that was supposed to have been a USPO gun and I tried to verify it. Since it bore no the P.O. markings I was doubtful. In the research IIRC the P.O. had used New Services before WWI and then 1917s later. My LGS is tiny and there didn't happen to be a comparison gun handy. 

I used to own a Colt .32 ACP many years ago that was a municipal city gun that was kept in a city safe sans holser. My uncle had told me of a S&W revolver in another city safe that also did not reside in leather.
This would obviously have been carried by a security guard at a larger Post Office. A good start would be to try and see what barrel length fits it and if it is for a K or N frame. It may have been for a model 10 with a long barrel. Please let us all know what you find out.

CG,
The 1917 is indeed the New Service! However, while the 1917 was only produced with the 5.5" bbl length, New Service bbl.s were all over the map, from 2" to 7 1/2", and beyond. I'm not good enough to tell if it would fit a New Service or not. My guess is that its for a longer than 5.5" bbl., but I don't know. If it does fit the 1917/NS, then I would definitely be interested.
Generic holsters designed for the NS also would fit N frame S&W's, so If you have one of those handy, you could tell pretty quick if it'll fit the Colt.
Let me know.

Mak,
In a moment of brainfart I overlooked that idea. At first chance I'll take a 6" N frame in to town, that should tell us a lot.

After going back and looking at your pictures several time I keepasking myself how it was carried in service. It would be neat to see a picture in use. There is such a cant to the belt loop it almost appears to be a cross draw, but not quite. It also seems like too severe of a cant to utilize the leg strap if carried strong side. Have you tried it on a belt and worn it to see how it works in actual use?

I thought of it as a crossdraw also. Chris

I am sure it is a cross draw and the hole you see in the back is a "drain hole"

You nailed it. The one front side picture looks like it has a holein the flap bot on the backside it is in the enclosed body.
Good eye. I would still like to see a period correct picture of a Postal Officer wearing it. I suppose it is even possible that it was built for a Colt SAA originally.

I am going to try and find a picture I seem to remember seeing in an older western History book that seems like it had a picture of a postal inspector officer in a sort of unique uniform complete with had and Postal badge circa 1890's. I can't recall which book I saw it in but will look. I'm also not positive if he was armed but I do think he was. If that is correct, It is possible that the firearm could indeed be a Colt SAA. We need to remember that the Army had decommissioned them from military use and replaced with the .38 Colt (disaster) until pressing the .45 Colt Peacemaker back into action in the Phillipine's. Some of those pistols could easily have found their way into other government service.
If anybody else can find a picture it would be great to see.

One of my first thoughts was the Colt 1892 swing oout cylinder. The ffamous ".38 (Long Colt)" of the Phillipines in the Spanish/American war. I had one for a time but there is too much 'Barrel Room" in this holstter.

Here is accurate and interesting hisory about the Postal Police that is kinda mind boggeling. Hopefully I will have some pictures soon to go with this.
 
POSTAL POLICE FACTS AND HISTORY
The Postal Inspection Service has the oldest origins of any federal law enforcement agency in the United States. It traces its roots back to 1772,[1] when colonial Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin first appointed a "surveyor" to regulate and audit the mails. Thus, the Service's origins—in part—predate the Declaration of Independence, and therefore the United States itself. As Franklin was Postmaster under the Continental Congress and was George Washington's first Postmaster, his system continued.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
In 1801, the title of "surveyor" was changed to Special Agent. In 1830, the Special Agents were organized into the Office of Instructions and Mail Depredations. The Postal Inspection Service was the first federal law enforcement agency to use the title Special Agent for its officers. Congress changed this title to Inspector in 1880.
For some time, one of their primary duties was the enforcement of obscenity prohibitions under the Comstock Act.
                                                Jurisdiction and activities
USPIS was at one time the only investigative agency of the Postal Service; however, many of its internal oversight duties were transferred to the USPS Office of Inspector General. These duties tended to be in the internal fraud, waste and abuse categories.
The OIG primarily took over the Postal Inspection Service's audit function, as well as fraud (against the USPS) waste and abuse.
The USPIS is primarily an investigative agency employing plain-clothes federal criminal investigators entitled "Postal Inspectors" whose primary mission is "to protect the U.S. Postal Service, its employees and its customers from criminal attack, and protect the nation's mail system from criminal misuse". It has responsibility for over 700,000 Postal Service employees and billions of pieces of mail transported through air, land, rail and sea world wide a year.

1881

Post Office Inspectors interview “Billy the Kid” in connection with a mail robbery in Santa Fe, NM.

1916

The last known stagecoach robbery in the United States is solved by Post Office Inspectors, who apprehend the bandits within five days of the crime.

1925

Inspectors quell heavy outbreak of train robberies and post office holdups.

1926

Post Office Inspectors successfully conclude a 31/2-year, worldwide manhunt for three train bandits known as the D’Autremont brothers. The brothers killed four men and blew up a mail car, which they thought was carrying half a million dollars in gold.
 
 
WHEW!!!!!!!!

<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" />

and speaking of train robberies, the last train robbery in the US accured in whant was called the "Banfield Gulch" outside of Portland Oregon. It was carried out by brothers Roy and Ray DeAutramont. They were captured and sent to prison. I knew a man in Portland, who as a young man had befriened the then elderly Roy DeAutramont and had a pistol given to him by the retired robber. The brothers were captured many miles from the scene and my friend had a letter of provenance from Roy stating that it was the gun he used in the robbery and had hidden with a relative while they were "on the lamb". Last time I saw the friend I offered him "Crazy Money" for the gun and letter, but no joy.