Dreyse Holsters converted for P08s

[Don M]

I recently purchased a holster that was originally manufactured for a 9-mm Dreyse pistol for the Imperial-era Prussian Landgendarmerie and later converted to a P08 holster for the Weimar-era Schutzpolizei of K�¶ln. Although the holster is not in great shape, it is a rare example of these conversions. I have recorded only a few of these in my book.

In 1912, the Prussian Landgendarmerie ordered 5,600 9-mm pistols from Dreyse. Evidence strongly suggests that these pistols were never delivered as no example of a 9-mm Dreyse with L.G. Landgendarmerie markings has been observed. However, the holsters for these pistols apparently were delivered. The first series of images (courtesy of Fritz M�¼ller of Germany) shows one of these holsters in its original form and apparently unused. Note the L.G. property stamp inside the holster.

The rest of the photos show my holster that was converted for use with a P08. The closure strap has been changed to the â??police-styleâ?� closure. In the photo of the inside of the cover, you can see the plugged hole where the original stud had been. The two-piece pouch for the Dreyse spare magazine inside the cover has been replaced with a pouch for a P08 take-down tool and a new pouch added on the outside for the spare magazine. However, the most obvious feature of these holsters, the deeper cutout on the front, remains.

This particular holster apparently was modified for use by the Schupo of K�¶ln sometime after the end of British occupation in 1926 when the Mauser C96s of this police force were replaced with P08s. This may have been as late as 1930. The unit marking on the back has been partially obliterated but the serial number of the P08 it housed is clear. Similar holster conversions have been observed for the Schupo of the D�¼sseldorf and Stralsund administrative districts.