Spring-release safety holster

• US 3,942,692 A
• Filed: 03/22/1974
• Issued: 03/09/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gould and Goodrich Leather Incorporated East Mcneill Street Drawer 1479 Lillington North Carolina 27546
• Original Assignee: Quentin J. Chica
• Inventors: Chica, Quentin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spar, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Forsberg, Jerold M.
• Application Number:
  US05/454,361
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 224/2 B, 224/2 A, 224/2 C, 224/2 D, 224/2 E, 224/2 F, 224/26 R
• US Class Current: 224/243
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/0227 having a strap or other restraining element only covering the hammer or a part of the upper part of the small arm
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 33/041 for connecting a holster to a belt, webbing or other object
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 224/911 Handgun holder formed of leather, fabric, or other flexible material

Abstract

A belt revolver holster with the pocket formed of one piece of leather folded symetrically along the front edge then welted and stitched closed along the back edge.

The revolver is held securely in place by a 5/8 inch × 3 inch flat leaf spring inserted and stitched in place along the vertical front edge of the holster pocket. The spring, bent to an approximate angle of 25° presses against the revolver frame forcing it back agaist a nylon welt which is shaped to, and houses most of the revolver trigger guard.

The revolver then can be released only by grasping the butt and by using a clockwise pivoting motion. The same motion or "draw" taught in most police weapon training schools.

The revolver pocket is stitched to two 11/2 inch strips which protrude, one to the front, and one to the rear of the holster.

The strips are in turn fastened to the waist belt by means of Velcro straps which when wrapped around the waist belt allow an adjustment and hold securely to most standard belt widths.

Claims

1. A holster for a handgun having a frame, a barrel, a trigger guard and a hand grip comprising a holster having spaced opposed side walls and means interconnecting the side walls at the respective forward and rear ends of said holster body whereby said holster body defines a pocket open at its upper end for receving the handgun, and means carried by said body for releasably retaining the handgun within said pocket including means adjacent the rear end of said body and said opening engageable with the trigger guard of the handgun to prevent direct withdrawal of the handgun from said pocket through the open upper end of said body, resilient means carried by said body adjacent its forward end engageable with the handgun frame for biasing the handgun in a rearward direction such that the trigger guard engageable means is maintained in engagement with the trigger guard, said resilient means comprises an upstanding elongated leaf spring, means for substantially rigidly securing the lower portion of said leaf spring to said holster body at the forward end thereof, the upper portion of said spring being disposed adjacent the open upper end of the holster body and being flexible for movement in generally forward and rearward directions between a normally disposed rearward position engageable with the handgun frame to retain the handgun in the holster pocket and a forwardly disposed rearwardly biased position enabling withdrawal of the handgun from the holster, said resilient means being movable forwardly against its bias in response to movement of the handgun forwardly within said pocket to disengage the trigger guard of the handgun from the trigger guard engagement means thereby enabling withdrawal of the handgun from the holster through its open upper end.

2. A holster according to claim 1 wherein the connecting means at the forward end of said body includes a forward wall between said side walls, said spring extending vertically along the forward wall of said holster body over a major portion of the depth of said holster body.

3. A holster according to claim 1 including means carried by said holster body for releasably securing said holster to a belt worn by an individual carrying the holster.

4. A holster according to claim 1 wherein said holster body is formed of flexible material reversely folded, means at the rear end of said holster body for securing the free end of said reversely folded material one to the other, the upper portion of said holster body at its forward end being cut out, said resilient means comprising an upstanding elongated flat leaf spring, means for substantially rigidly securing a lower portion of said leaf spring to said holster body at the forward end thereof, the upper portion of said spring being disposed adjacent the open upper end of the holster body and within said cutout for engagement with the hand gun.

5. A holster according to claim 4 wherein the upper spring portion is bent such that it extends toward the rear end of said holster body.

6. A holster for a handgun comprising a body defining an elongated pocket having an opening at its upper end for receiving a handgun, means carried by said body at one end of said pocket and said opening for engaging a portion of the handgun, resilient means carried by said body at the opposite end of said pocket and said opening for engaging an opposite portion of the handgun, said resilient means comprises an upstanding leaf spring, means for substantially rigidly securing the lower portion of said leaf spring to said holster body at the forward end thereof, the upper portion of said spring being disposed adjacent the open upper end of the holster body and being flexible for movement in generally forward and rearward directions between a normally disposed rearward position engageable with the frame of the handgun to retain the handgun in the holster pocket and a forwardly disposed rearwardly biased position enabling withdrawal of the handgun from the holster, said resilient engaging means being normally biased toward the first mentioned engaging means into a first position defining a first predetermined distance between the respective engaging means at opposite ends of said opening, said resilient means in said first position enabling engagement of the handgun by said engaging means at opposite ends of said body for releasably retaining the handgun within the pocket of said holster body and being movable against its bias away from the first mentioned engaging means into a second position defining a second distance between the respective engaging means at opposite ends of said body greater than said first predetermined distance whereby the handgun is movable past said holster body opening.

7. A holster according to claim 6 including means carried by said holster body for releasably securing said holster to a belt worn by an individual carrying the holster.

8. A holster according to claim 6 wherein said holster body is formed of flexible material reversely folded, means at the rear end of said holster body for securing the free end of said reversely folded material one to the other, the upper portion of said holster body at its forward end being cut out, said resilient means comprising an upstanding elongated flat leaf spring, means for substantially rigidly securing a lower portion of said leaf spring to said holster body at the forward end thereof, the upper portion of said spring being disposed adjacent the open upper end of the holster body and within said cutout for engagement with the handgun.

9. A holster according to claim 8 wherein the upper spring portion is bent such that it extends toward the rear end of said holster body.