Revolvers/pistols

[squirrel]

Following on from the MMP postings, who decided or otherwise whether revolvers/pistols would be worn left or right handed and what difference did this make for infantry/cavalry soldiers?

[Guest]

As a leftie, all I can say is that then it was a right handed world, even more than now.

I don't think they made a service issue left hander's holster.

[Old Tom]

Hello,

If a pistol was being worn by an officer and the officer was wearing a Sam Browne it would be reasonable to wear the holster on the left so that the weight was supported by the brace strap. As most are right handed the pistol butt should be forward to allow the right hand to draw the pistol easily, If the pistol is worn on the right the same holster again puts the butt in the convenient position. In later wars the wearing of the pistol on the left was more convenient when sitting in a vehicle.

Old Tom

[Guest Pte Hutchison]

Angie is right, all old military issue holsters are made for right-handers. The “left handed” military holster is actually made for wear on the right side but made to be drawn with the left hand. The reason is that the saber was carried on the left side to be drawn by the right hand. The saber is useful only in the “strong hand” whereas a pistol can be quite easily used by the “weak hand” (left hand). If necessary the right hand can still pull a pistol from a butt-forward holster on the right side, it just takes a fraction of a second longer. This butt-forward holster was used by both mounted and dismounted troops.

As the saber became obsolete the practice of carrying pistols butt-forward was abandoned. By WW1 the butt-forward holster was occasionally seen, but it was obsolete.

I believe the cross strap on the Sam Browne belt is made to carry the weight of the saber on the left side.

Pte Hutchison

[Captain Dave]

I have a WW1 leather pistol holster, but have never come across any shots of people wearing them on Sam Brownes, was there a regulation method at all?

[bigalni]

Interesting topic this.....

Im attaching two photos that are WW1 showing examples of pistol wearing...one has a leather crossstrap going left shoulder to pistol on the right...the other shows a pistol worn on the right with no cross strap.

The left hand picture with soft cap i think would be earlier than the one with the tin helmet.Interestingly the French guy wears his on the left with a cross strap.

Alan

[bigalni]

These two photos show a single NCO with his pistol on the LEFT side ..somewhere in France but undated.The group shot is dated 1948 and shows how with the new webbing they moved to wearing pistols on the left with web crossstraps.

Alan

[bigalni]

This last picture i posted in another thread but it is worth another look because it illustrates a group all wearing pistols on the right with leather crossstraps but i reckon its just post WW1 as they are mainly wearing WW1 medals.

Alan

[bob lembke]

There is another factor. I am left-handed, but I prefer to shoot a hand-gun right-handed, not only because the firearms are generally designed for the right-handed shooter, but probably because I am "right-eyed"; my right eye leads, the left follows. At any rate, I always shot better with the right hand. Yet another modern spin; I had premature cataract surgery due to the ravages of a medication, and, totally to my surprise, the surgeon put a reading lens in my right eye, and a distance lens in my left, something that I had not realized was done. But I have shot since then and it did not seem to be a major problem, although it was not on a proper range, only in my mother-in-law's back yard (70 acres, with a good backstop).

Yet another spin, or two. I habitually "carry" (I have a carry permit from my police commissioner; 44 US states are "right-to-carry" states) but it is more convenient to carry so that the left hand would produce the firearm. A couple of years ago I broke my left hand in three places in Vienna, and it is still a bit odd. However, I have only had to produce the weapon twice in seven years, and I have found that a white-bearded gent producing a hand-gun radically changes the equation on the street; I have not even pointed the infernal device. The first time the would-be mugger was outraged, and repeatedly bellowed: "This is Philadelphia; it is supposed to be the city of Brotherly Love!" He was still bellowing it when I had walked several hundred feet away. He did not mention that he had just expressed his interest in forcibly making me finance an evening of drink.

I have to add that I find London more scary than Philadelphia, and, as I read the Guardian every day, I get the impression that there is more street crime; it has dropped a lot here, it seems.

(Well, I started On Topic.)

Bob Lembke

[Guest]

In all the pictures shown so far, whether worn on the right or the left, the holsters shown are for a right hand draw. If worn on the left, they are for a cross-draw, still by the right hand.

History of the Sam Browne belt:

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-uniforms/sam_browne.htm

[lassuy]

As a small correction--in the Indian Wars US cavalry, the saber was worn on the left, the pistol was butt forward on the right. This was NOT so the pistol could be drawn with the left hand, your horse's reins are in your left hand. The saber was considered the primary weapon, and was most easily retreived by the right hand drawing from the left side. Cavalry regs instructed that when the pistol was drawn, it was with the right hand, in a weirdly twisting motion. I may be wrong, but I think this arrangement was carried on until the issuance of the Colt automatics. By WWI, US pistols were carried conventionally in a right handed holster with the butt to the rear. I've not seen it in original photo's, but the US web beld does allow the holster to be carried on the left, butt forward, for a right handed cross draw.

[squirrel]

Many thanks for all your interesting replies and taking the time to post the photographs.

lassuv - intersting point about the US cavalry as I had always noticed the revolvers worn on the right butt forward and wondered why. Also noticed this with pictures of RCMP. Easier to draw when sitting on a horse I would think.

Would reckon that if you had room with the rest of your kit a right handed person would better wearing a revolver/pistol on the left; it's quicker to draw and the weapon is pointing roughly forward with the arm extended as soon as it has left the holster.

Right handed for a right handed draw is an awkward movement and requires the weapon to be lifted and brought forward after removing it. unless you have a WW2 tankies holster which is worn lower on the thigh.

Prepared to be "eductaed" on any of this.

[Guest]

Would reckon that if you had room with the rest of your kit a right handed person would better wearing a revolver/pistol on the left; it's quicker to draw and the weapon is pointing roughly forward with the arm extended as soon as it has left the holster.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Organisations which train their people in quick draw techniques, such as the FBI, do not favour the cross draw.

I do not think standard police firearms training really includes much quick draw stuff, but they also do not use cross draw techniques.

Of course, shooting with a single arm extended is a very old fashioned method now. The shooter now wants to get into Weaver or isosceles stance as quickly as possible.

[squirrel]

What would the training of those using pistols in WW1 have been?

Very different to today I should think. Any views welcomed.