One of only 205 total produced in 1908 for use by the four Army units assigned to put the, then-experimental, Colt 1907 Pistol through it's paces, with the markings on this holster identifying it as one of the 37 sent to Troop H of the 4th Cavalry operating out of Fort Snelling, Minnesota. In addition to providing critical input on the design and use of .45 ACP pistols, which would shape the final design of the timeless 1911 pistol, these tests also revealed important ergonomic concerns with holstering said pistols, leading to the abandonment of the left-handed crossdraw typical of American Martial revolvers in favor of the right side strong-hand draw which became near universal among the American military even to today. Constructed from 4 sections of brown leather (flap, belt loop, main body and base plug), the belt loop bears the stamp "ROCK ISLAND/ARSENAL/1908/H.E.K.", while the flap bears the oval "US" stamp above the brass stud, and "4/H/20" below. The base of the main body is equipped with a brass lanyard ring on the teardrop shaped plug, and a small drainage hole was just above the plug on the rear (present before alteration). A steel reinforcement plate is present on the inside of the flap. These holsters were originally manufactured about an inch longer than necessary to fit the Model 1907 pistol, and many examples, like this one, were later altered by shortening the body for a more precise fit. This example is pictured on p. 245 of "U.S. Military Holsters and Pistol Cartridge Boxes" by Edward Meadows where it is noted as being part of the Mike Beckelman Collection. Provenance: The Dr. Robert Azar Collection

Fine as period altered, showing generally mild wear for equipment used in military trials, some light cracking scattered throughout, and some scattered minor handling marks. A rare piece of Colt U.S. military automatic pistol development history that would be a fine addition to any Colt automatic collection!