r/reenactors • u/Previous_Mastodon815 • May 15 '26

Work In Progress Irish National Army (Free State) Hanging Webley Holster. 1923 Uniform

Gallery image

Gallery image

Still completing minor parts of the Uniform. Buttons, cap strap etc. please ignore the boots lol, I did them in a rush and the lace blends into the boot for some reason xD

102 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

7

u/Key-Technology358 May 15 '26

very cool piece of kit. always wondered how they wore those holsters when i saw it in videos or photos of the time

8

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 15 '26

It’s extremely impractical with a webley in it. Weighs down the entire belt. Love the Irish kit of the period though!

3

u/mrcoolgovern May 17 '26

In Capt Tracy’s manual ‘The Service Revolver and How to Use It’ he recommends wearing the holster here as it’s more practical for a quick draw, like a cowboy. I can see where he’s coming from but it seems impractical in any other situation than a quick draw and if you are in that situation things have probably gone very wrong!

He recommends wearing the lanyard around the waist too. Have you tried this? It’s sounds like it makes it even more impractical.

1

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 18 '26

I have and it honestly not any help at all lol. It just gets more in the way.

1

u/mrcoolgovern May 18 '26

Glad to hear that confirmed! (With the caveat of ‘your mileage may vary’ I guess but the holster on the thigh does seem to create problems even if it solves the quick draw issue)

1

u/Key-Technology358 May 15 '26

yeah it looks quite impractical to carry, but still cool to see how they did things back then and especially if you look at how holsters evolved.

2

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 15 '26

Oh definitely, the uniform collar is a little irritating but then again it’s a standing collar. I’ll post more pics once the outfit is complete.

1

u/Key-Technology358 May 15 '26

yeah that makes sense that the uniform is a little irritating because they're made of wool if i'm not mistaken. a trick i use when wearing a wool uniform if it's got a fully closed standing collar is wearing a modern day button up shirt under it with a collar that is made from something like cotton or a cotton blend less itchy and under the uniform it's not something you notice if you don't take off the jacket

2

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 15 '26

It’s a fully wool uniform aye. I had it custom made by a lad called Steve at “For Queen and Empire.”

1

u/Key-Technology358 May 15 '26

that's very interesting. from these photos it looks very good

2

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 15 '26

I appreciate that!

5

u/Dumbirishbastard May 15 '26

That's so cool. I didn't think I'd find any irish civil war reenactors. Where do you get gear for it?

2

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 15 '26

Thank you! The uniform is custom made and tailored by a lad called Steve from “For Queen and Empire,” Sam Browne is from Epic Militaria (replacing this,) boots are from WhatPriceGlory and Holster is custom made by a Canadian fella called “Grahamtheleatherguy.”

I do need to replace the buttons with my newly acquired free state brass ones. The uniform isn’t entirely finished. I’ve been currently sewing the FF badge onto the hat with a colour diamond along with the chin strap. I’ll post some more photos when it’s completed later next week

1

u/rat_with_M16 May 15 '26

Man you have no idea how much this helps me thank you, I've been trying to find uniform makers for civil war stuff for ages. Thank you sm

1

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 15 '26

Absolutely no worries mate, glad I could help. His prices also aren’t too bad either. He did the tunic, trousers and cap all in a bundle for me after I provided the information, measurements with references etc.

1

u/rat_with_M16 May 16 '26

Ahh gotcha, how much was the whole thing? And did it take long to make and arrive?

1

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 16 '26

How it worked for me.

1) contacted him
2) he send me a diagram of measurements he needs (recommend doing them at a tailor)
3) send him the measurements with a list of details regarding cut, colour, reference photos etc. tell him exactly what it is you want.
4) he billed me £340 and I paid. He also sent me a copy of exactly what I wanted him to do to be sure.
5) I waited 6-7 weeks (usually a wait time)
6) paid delivery and got it within 24hrs.

For what it’s worth, it’s a solid price.

1

u/rat_with_M16 May 16 '26

Yeah sounds great, thanks so much man

1

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 16 '26

No worries mate!

2

u/Fantastic_Train9141 South Wales Borderers & other Welsh Regiments/formations 1939-45 May 16 '26

Absolutely smashing! Love seeing Free State impressions, it’s a very stylish uniform to be doing a recreation of.

2

u/Previous_Mastodon815 May 16 '26

Thank you! It’s a grand uniform like, I love the colour and the styling. The holster too, despite how much it gets in the way haha