The hefty .44 Colt Dragoon revolver was intended to be carried in saddle holsters. It was only with the adoption of the lighter M1851 .36 Colt Navy in 1855 that the army gave serious consideration to a belt holster, though an 1853 report from Texas indicated soldiers had taken things into their own hands to some degree and the practice of wearing pistols on the sword or waistbelt was “universal.”

The army adopted the M1860 Colt .44 Army, much lighter and more suited for belt wear, but there were still many Colt dragoons in use and this is a very good example of a military belt holster made for one. As is typical, it has a full flap and holds the pistol butt-forward on the wearer’s right. The complete latch tab is an early style, secured by double, straight lines of stitching to the flap. The wide belt loop on the back is secured by three copper rivets.

The integrity of the holster is strong with supple leather and moderate crazing throughout.  Finial remains securely attached and stitching is strong - a 2.5” split in the seam is noted toward the toe. There is no toe plug, but there are empty stitching holes where it would have been (surrounding leather is not torn).  Eight individual star symbols are cut into the face of the flap, each formed by four intersecting lines. The imprint of a Dragoon Revolver’s cylinder is clear, as are the barrel assembly and trigger guard. Very slight tearing at either side of the top of the belt loop is noted, but integrity and leather condition are strong. Dimensions are 14” in overall length (from top right of flap to toe) and 7.25” across the flap.

This certainly saw use long ago and would be a very interesting addition to a display of cavalry accoutrements.  [cm][ph:L]

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