by John Markwell | Contributing Editor
I thought “this must be how drug dealers feel.” I was sitting in my truck in a convenience store parking lot south of the interstate just east of Pittsburgh. I was not doing a drug deal, but sat waiting for Josh Bossart while watching the comings and goings of folks buying gas, sodas, etc. No one had, yet, called the cops.
The final version of the author’s Highland Special chest holster with attached knife sheath and Springfield Armory 1911.
Josh Bossart is a young holster maker from Pennsylvania who goes by the user name of Stitcher on the 1911 forum. I had made contact with him after noticing a post showing his M7 tanker holster. His work looked very good and we started collaborating on a couple of projects. Folks who have been reading TheGunMag.com (and previously GunWeek) by now know I have a weakness for chest holsters. Whether carrying revolvers or autoloaders, I really like this type of holster for field use and often use one around our place here in the mountains as well as when roaming the West. Josh had sent me a belt holster for a 5-inch N-frame S&W revolver and one of his M7 rigs with an attached magazine pouch; both were nicely made pieces of leather gear.
The project I was interested in birthing was, however, another chest holster but with a twist. Josh told me he had never used or built a chest rig, so I left him one of my favorites for a 1911 pistol when we parted ways in the parking lot. Josh used and studied the rig for a while and then built the holster that is the center piece of this story.
Two versions of the M7 shoulder holster from Josh Bosart.
For several fall seasons when my wife and I were working in a Wyoming hunting camp I used an El Paso Saddlery 1942 tanker holster to haul around my 5-inch S&W Model 29. This rig was my companion every day while working around camp and when packing hunters in and out. Fortunately, the Model 29 never saw any serious use in the grizzly country of the Wyoming Range. However, I found that everyday I was using a knife for something and that digging a folder out of my pocket or a belt pouch was often awkward due to clothing or having my hands full. The solution took a couple of seasons to work out, but I eventually attached a small fixed blade knife to the back of the 1942 Tanker holster via Chicago screws. The sheath is Kydex that is molded to the knife, providing a snug friction fit to prevent loss. The knife saw daily use; mostly for cutting baler twine and other mundane tasks. Being mounted on the back of the holster, access to the knife was a bit awkward. I always thought mounting the knife on the front of the rig would be the ticket, but the layout of the Tanker’s safety strap precluded that idea. It’s obvious when looking at the photo of Josh’s M7 holster with the attached magazine pouch where this is going.
This 1911 holster illustrates the attention to detail that is the hallmark of J. Bossart Custom Gunleather.
I have never liked using shoulder holsters because of the awkwardness of reaching across my body to draw and, especially, to re-holster a handgun. The 1942 Tanker Holster from El Paso Saddlery is, in my opinion, better in those respects, particularly after I changed the angle of presentation by re-positioning the shoulder strap. However, for general field use, I much prefer the chest rig, and this collaboration with J. Bossart Custom Gunleather may be the pinnacle of the genre.
Josh uses 8-10-oz. European cowhide which is wet pressed to individual firearms and provides extraordinary durability. Stitching is done on a harness machine using nylon thread. Most processes are done by hand although Josh does have an electric edge burnisher. Patterns are hand cut and each creation is hand finished. Hand carving of floral and other designs is also possible on some holsters. A one man shop, Josh specializes in 1911 holsters, for both field use and concealed carry, as well as some revolver holsters.
We have dubbed our chest holster from J. Bossart Custom Gunleather “the Highland Special”. Although separated by more than a few miles, both Josh and I live in the Allegheny Highlands. The Highland Special’s holster is built from a fine grained Belgian cowhide. The fully adjustable suspension is made from premium harness leather with solid brass hardware throughout. To my knowledge, the “Highland Special” is the only chest rig in the market place using a thumb break for retention. The single magazine pouch has two brass snaps allowing the carrying of mags with the thickest of bumper pads. The magazine pouch can be positioned anywhere on the suspension; ours is mounted on the strap under the left arm.
After hand finishing and inspection each J. Bossart holster receives this maker’s mark.
What sets the HS chest rig apart (other than the thumb break) is the front mounted knife sheath located below the pistol. The wet molded sheath is attached to the lower flange of the holster by two Chicago screws. It is also possible to mount an additional magazine pouch or a sheath for a small tactical light in place of the knife sheath. I like having my small J. Sornberger fixed blade handily positioned on the rig’s front. The 2 ½ inch bladed knife is securely held in the hand molded sheath yet it is instantly available for use.
The “Highland Special” from J. Bossart Custom Gunleather has been conceived as an outdoorsman’s outfit. Suitable for hunting (with the right handgun), hiking or fishing in bear country (or in snake country), or just rambling about in the wilds. This is a custom built holster system that can be tailored to the end user’s specifications. The holster pictured in this article is the first one produced by J. Bossart Custom Gunleather. If you contact Josh to have one built for you, expect to pay approximately $275 for the complete outfit. Readers can contact Josh at: jbossartcustomgunleather@yahoo.com Tell him I sent you.
Good shooting!
