Jim V
17th December 2004, 09:11
I have been bitten by the "Old 1911 Holster Collecting" bug, spending lots of money at eBay, etc.
Any way one of my buys is a Folsom Audley Safety Holster. A straight drop black leather holster for the 1911. The holster is marked with a large oval stamp on the face of the belt loop:
Official
Folsom
Audley
Trade Mark
The back is marked;
A45
45A
OFFICIAL
FOLSUM
--+--
AUDLEY
TM. REGISTERED
The holster has no retraing strap but uses a flat spring to catch the inside of the trigger guard. To draw the pistol one takes his (or her) grip on the pistol and then disengages the spring by pushinig it back with the trigger finger. :eek:
I did a Google search on Folsom Audley and came up with a H & D Folsom Arms Co. out of New York. According to what I could find the company was in business from the late 1890s and manufactured shotguns and rifles that they sold to dealers with the dealeer's "trade names" on the firearms. Not unlike the various rifles and shotguns sold by Sears and Roebuck under thier trade name but manufactured by Winchester, Marlin et al. The company appears to still have been in business into the late '3os.
The problem is I can't find much about Audley and his holsters. I know he or Folsom manufactured full flap un-official military holsters during the Great War (WWI). One of which went for over $300US on eBay. NYPD used Audley holsters for their revolvers for many years and then the same style holsters made by JayPee Leather.
Where do I go now for information on Folsom and/or Audley? Any of y'all have any knowledge about either? Any help would be nice.
Oh, by the way, the holster is sound and the stitching is still tight with no broken stitches. The pistol would sit with the butt even with the belt. The only scuffing is along the top of the belt loop, in the center of the oval on the face of the belt loop and along the leading edge of the holster in the area of the rear sight. The pistol sits low enough in the holster that the hammer would be protected by the leading edge of the holster. The front of the holster around the trigger guard opening is reinforced with a sewn on leather piece. The belt loop is sewn at the top and fastened at the bottom with three rivets.
Now to continue my hunt for the various non-US military holsters for the 1911/1911A1. :)
Any way one of my buys is a Folsom Audley Safety Holster. A straight drop black leather holster for the 1911. The holster is marked with a large oval stamp on the face of the belt loop:
Official
Folsom
Audley
Trade Mark
The back is marked;
A45
45A
OFFICIAL
FOLSUM
--+--
AUDLEY
TM. REGISTERED
The holster has no retraing strap but uses a flat spring to catch the inside of the trigger guard. To draw the pistol one takes his (or her) grip on the pistol and then disengages the spring by pushinig it back with the trigger finger. :eek:
I did a Google search on Folsom Audley and came up with a H & D Folsom Arms Co. out of New York. According to what I could find the company was in business from the late 1890s and manufactured shotguns and rifles that they sold to dealers with the dealeer's "trade names" on the firearms. Not unlike the various rifles and shotguns sold by Sears and Roebuck under thier trade name but manufactured by Winchester, Marlin et al. The company appears to still have been in business into the late '3os.
The problem is I can't find much about Audley and his holsters. I know he or Folsom manufactured full flap un-official military holsters during the Great War (WWI). One of which went for over $300US on eBay. NYPD used Audley holsters for their revolvers for many years and then the same style holsters made by JayPee Leather.
Where do I go now for information on Folsom and/or Audley? Any of y'all have any knowledge about either? Any help would be nice.
Oh, by the way, the holster is sound and the stitching is still tight with no broken stitches. The pistol would sit with the butt even with the belt. The only scuffing is along the top of the belt loop, in the center of the oval on the face of the belt loop and along the leading edge of the holster in the area of the rear sight. The pistol sits low enough in the holster that the hammer would be protected by the leading edge of the holster. The front of the holster around the trigger guard opening is reinforced with a sewn on leather piece. The belt loop is sewn at the top and fastened at the bottom with three rivets.
Now to continue my hunt for the various non-US military holsters for the 1911/1911A1. :)