| M-1911 Holsters : Höppner & Schumann |
These guys are the second holster manufacturer I found in Europe and the first one from Germany. They are buidling some very nice holsters, from excellent leather, which fit the old workhorse. They are split in various categories, like concealed carry, uniform carry etc. The owner of the firm, Thomas Thomas.Marzi@t-online.de was kind enough to send me some samples to try out. From the first look, the holsters impressed me because of the quality of the leather. I've never seen so beautiful leather used for holsters before. They were all black, with a very smooth texture, impecable stitching and construction.
Below, you can find some pictures of the holsters that this guys make.
A classic design, available for both revolvers and pistols. I received one of these for my M-1911 and I've been wearing it for the last few days. It is a very comfortable holster, you hardly notice the gun's weight, even after a full 16 hours day of carrying. The leather is really beautiful and the quality of this holster is impecable. I use it as a "behind-the-hip" holster, and it carries the pistol very well, the butt close to the body. I tried some quick draws, and it performed beautifully. I can strongly recommend this holster, so if you want more information, read my test of it (this link will open a new browser window, close it to return here).
An IPSC holster, produced of fine quality leather and fully adjustable. It features a very deep cut in the front, which allows the gun to be moved forward, after being pulled up by about 1 inch. I received also one of these and I am planning to test it in the next IPSC match here, so you will have my impressions from real usage of this holster.
An IPSC magazine holder, for two magazines, fully adjustable. Again, great quality, excellent leather.
A Funny-Pack type of holster, made also of excellent leather. It has one big compartment, which closes with two opposite-facing zippers, through which a small cord is protruding. Pulling this cord with authority, will pop the gun compartment open, allowing instant access to the gun, which is secured to the inside of the pack, in a horizontal fashion. There is no holster per se, in this compartment. The rear part of the compartment is covered by a foam-like material (neoprene PVC), with four cut-outs, two for the gun and two for a spare magazine. This foam material is a nice idea, as it is flexible enough to keep a variety of pistols securely. However, I am not too sure if this material is strong enough to withstand years of use, and will not tear out. Only time can tell. There are also three more compartments one big one in the front (in front of the gun compartment) and two smaller ones for coins, keys etc, at the side, where the cordura belt starts. I still haven't tried the pack in any serious way, but I am not sure if the horizontal position of the gun suits me. For the last years, I was using another funny pack holster, which was keeping the pistol in a barrel-down manner. I think it is easier to grap the pistol grip when the gun is held in a barrel-dawnward fashion, but we'll see if this proves to be a problem. Quality-wise, the holster is in the same high standards than all other Hoppners holster I've seen.
A horizontal shoulder holster, made of fine leather and cordura nylon. Haven't tried this one, but judging from the samples I received, it should be a very nice holster. There are also a twin magazine holder and a one magazine holder/cufflink holder for the off-side.
This company also makes several other models, for the M-1911.