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Unissued, original WWII German P38 "soft shell" holsters. These are about as nice as anything from WWII can come- totally unused, the flaps have never even been closed. All are from the same maker RB 0/0833/0007, (Hans Römer, Neu Ulm) same production batch. There is no date, just WA and RB number. And yes, they are absolutely original.
Discriminating collectors notes:
1. I have checked several with my P38 pistol and spare magazine. All fit, some went right in and closed easily, but one or two needed to have the pistol twisted back and forth a bit the first time. Likewise, the spare magazine pouch can be a bit snug at first- but this is a trait common to all leather holsters.
In every case in which one of these has been returned because "the gun doesn't fit", I have put my P38 (and a spare magazine) in and closed it no problem. These are unused- meaning they were never broken in which is the main reason one needs to give the pistol a shove. If you want one where the pistol will fall in and the flap will close with a flick of one's pinky, then find a used original.
2. These are mass produced- the things that I find intriguing such as dye drips, guide holes and pencil marks can offend those less in tune with how these were made. Many of these have parts made with belly leather, a few have nicks, tool marks and so forth. This is real history, and totally authentic.
Use? Maybe, maybe not: These are in excellent condition, as good as any 80+ year old leather item can be. But they are OLD. The leather is not terribly stiff, but it's still not a supple as it was three quarters of a century ago. These were made to be very close fitting to the pistol and thus on some of them it can be tough to initially get the P38 all the way in and close them. This is characteristic of ANY WWII holster than was never used a broken in. If it's hard to get the a P38 pistol in them it's not because they are made incorrectly, too small, etc.. They are just OLD. So far it hasn't happened but it is possible that the leather could crack during fitting. We do not "warranty" original items for failure during use- we can't- they're just too old.
Care: If you feel you must oil or treat them, stick to the beeswax based products like Sno-seal or Huberd's.
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