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ca. 1913-1916 MILLS WOVEN HOLSTER FOR THE MODEL
1911 .45 ACP PISTOL – RARE HOLSTER IN EXCELLENT
CONDITION: With the U.S. Army’s adoption of the
Model 1911 Pistol, several entities competed to design
and submit their holsters for the army’s consideration.
Such was the case with the Mills Woven Belt Company who
was already enjoying a decades-long relationship with
the Ordnance Department as a major supplier of cartridge
belts and other accoutrements.
This Mills Woven Holster submitted a series of Woven
Swivel Holsters to the Ordnance Department. The company
responding at each stage of the trials to the reports
received from the company grade officers who had been
issued the holsters for field tests, made the necessary
modifications based on recommendations before
resubmitting them for additional tests. These Mills
Holsters are extremely well documented by Scott Meadows
in his U.S. Military Holsters and Related
Accoutrements (pgs 410-416) and he identifies this
particular model as the “Second Type”.
Mills ultimately provided approximately 77 of these
holsters to the Ordnance Department who in turn issued
them in small quantities to each of fifteen regiments
for field tests. The company commanders who monitored
the use of the holsters responded with critiques, some
positive but for the most part negative, and ultimately
Mills was unable to secure a contract to supply the
Ordnance Department with a large quantity for general
issue.
While no doubt Mills was disappointed at not being able
to obtain the contract, the company was adept at
skillful marketing to the military community, and these
holsters were offered for sale direct from the company
to officers as a private purchase item. Apparently,
Mills found a market for these holsters and at least
enough of them were purchased by serving officers to
warrant Mills continuing to manufacture them.
This specimen presents in excellent condition, showing
very little sign of having been exposed to heavy use.
The webbing is clean and
bright, the canvas edging is complete with all seams
intact, and all the darkened finish metal fittings are
present with the finish completely intact with the
exception of some very minor wear to the finish on the
bottom and back of the end cap where it would have
rubbed against the wearer’s leg. The swivel is fully
functional and rotates with minimal pressure. The
original leg strap is present, full length, and like the
holster, shows no evidence of wear or fraying.
The “MILLS” cartridge logo ink stamps are present on the
underside of the flap and on the leg strap, and both
stamps are fully legible. The “MILLS” cartridge logo
and the patent dates are stamped on the bottom of the
brass end cap and all the stamps are fully legible.
There is a name written in ink on the reverse of the
body, likely the name of the officer who owned this
holster.
This is an excellent example of a scarce early trial
holster, and it would be an important addition to a
display or collection of Model 1911 Pistols or a
collection of early Mills Company accoutrements.
(0812) $1850
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