Just how did the US Government become involved in purchasing the .303 British No4 Mk1* rifle? 

"Many in the US Military and US Government knew that sooner or later the US would be dragged into the war. They especially wanted the UK to remain free of the Nazi yolk. US Forces would need a base to operate from when it came time to launch an invasion of Western Europe. The British Isles were a perfect jumping off spot. The short trip across the English Channel would keep troops fresh for the battle that lay ahead. However, the US was not at war with either Germany or Japan at this point. Since the United States was officially “neutral”, the Neutrality Act of 1939 forbade “direct involvement” in the war; our allies were technically on their own. How could we help, but not violate the law?
Crafty politicians & lawyers in Washington read the law extensively, and wrote a bill to give the president the power to put the vast industrial base of the US at the disposal of our allies, but not have to declare war, or have war declared on us by the axis. Thus, the LEND LEASE ACT OF 1941 came into being. Because the war material supplied was “officially” US PROPERTY, and so marked, it managed to squeak past the benchmark of an outright violation of neutrality. Thus, the US managed to keep our allies supplied with war material, yet, still remain on the correct side of US and international law (though just barely).

So it was that Savage Arms Corporation in Massachusetts got a contract to produce Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I* rifles. Savage produced over 1 million No 4 Mk I* rifles between 07/22/41 and 06/22/44. The exact number is in dispute, however, all sources do agree the total was far in excess of 1 million."

Quoted from Surplusrifle.com

Holster, Pistol, Hip, M-1916

This is the standard military holster for the M1911 and M1911A1 Pistols. Complete list of known makers Holster, Pistol, Hip, M-1916 from WWI through Present Day and some of the known markings:

 

- A.L.P. CO. (Atchison Leather Products Co., Atchison, Kansas WW I/ WW II) (1918 J.J.M.)
- B. BROS. (Bryden Brothers Harness & Saddle Company, Los Angeles, CA. WW I)
- BANNERMAN (Francis Bannerman & Co.) (1916)
- BLOOMBERG LEATHER GOODS (BLOOMBERG LEATHER GDS.)(8-51 M.R.T.)(Korea USAF)
- BRAUER BROS. MFG. (Brauer Bros. Mfg. Co., St. Louis, MO WW II)
- BUCHEIMER (J. M. Bucheimer Co., Frederick, Maryland – Vietnam Era)(Bucheimer oval logo)(MRT)(part # 7791466) (DEC 1964) (1963)
- BOLEN LEA PROD (Bolen Leather Products) (part # 7791466) (Vietnam Era)
- BOLEN LEATHER PRODUCTS, INC. (part # 7791466) (Vietnam Era)
- BOYT (Boyt Harness Company, Des Moines, Iowa WW II)(E.T.G.)(42)(44)
(45)(LMS) (Korea USAF)
- BOYT (Walter Boyt Saddlery Company, Des Moines, Iowa WW I)
- CATHEY ENTREPRISES INC. (Cathey Enterprises, Inc., Brownwood, Texas) (Part Number: P/N 7791466 Contract # DAAA09-87-C-1158)
- CATHEY ENTERPRISES INC. (P/N (57311) 6086011 Cathey Enterprises Inc. 9MM RH) (USN flap)
- CLINTON (WW I) (1918 F.W.T.)
- CRAIGHEAD (John R. Craighead Co., Inc., Denver, Colorado WW II)
- CRUMP (Benjamin T. Crump & Co., Richmond, Virginia or B.T. Crump Co. Inc. WW II)
- ENGER-KRESS (Enger-Kress Company, West Bend, Wisconsin WW II)(1942)(44)
- FINK (Fink Leather Shops, Kansas City, Missouri WW II)
- F.M. HOYT SHOE CO. (F. M. Hoyt Shoe Co., Manchester, New Hampshire WW II)
- FODSOM (Vietnam Era) (64)
- G. & K. (Graton & Knight Manufacturing Co., Worcester, Mass. WW I) (G&K 1918 W.J.D.) (G. & K. 1917 F.I.C.)
- G.P. & S. (Australian Allied Services -unconfirmed) (WW II)
- GRATON AND KNIGHT CO. (Graton & Knight Manufacturing Co., Worcester, Mass. WW II) (U.S.) (1943) (G.W.R) (Graton & Knight)
- WH McM Co. (William H. McMonies & Company, Portland, Oregon WW II) (WH McM Co. W G 1944 WW II) (W.H. McMonies & Company WW II)
- HARPHAM BROTH (Harpham Brothers Co., Lincoln, Nebraska WW II)
- H.H. HEISER (Herman H. Heiser WW I) (H.H. Heiser 1918 M.R.T.)
- HILL COUNTRY LEATHER (Formerly CATHEY ENTERPRISES) (part # 7791466)
- HOYT (F.M. Hoyt Shoe Co., Manchester, NH WW I) (1918) (HOYT 1918 J.C.Y.)
- HUNTER CORP. (part # 7791466) (Hunter Corporation, West Minster, Colorado - Vietnam Era)
- KEYSTON (Keyston Brothers, San Francisco, CA. WW I)
- K.B. (Keyston Bros., San Francisco, CA. WW I) (H.A.B.)
- MILWAUKEE SADDLERY CO. (Milwaukee Saddlery Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin founded by Carl Swenson in 1924 WW II) (1942) (1944) (1945)
- MOSSER or JOESEPH H. MOSSER Co. (WW II) (Mosser 1942)
- NORDAC MFG. CO. (Nordac Mfg. Co., Fredericksburg, VA – Vietnam Era)
- PERKINS & CAMPBELL (Perkins-Campbell Co., Cincinnati, Ohio WW I)(1917) (1917 with an arrow)
- ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL (Rock Island, Illinois WW I)(1920)
- S-B CO. (WW II)
- SEARS SADDLERY (Sears Saddlery Co., Davenport, Iowa WW I / WW II)(UNMARKED)(SEARS 1942)
- S&R CO. (WW I) (JPC) (RCH) (ELT) (TMU) (1917 LNO)
- TEXTAN (Texas Tanning & Manufacturing Co., Youkam, TX - WWII)
- WALSH (Walsh Harness Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin WW II) (Walsh 45)
- WARREN LEATHER GOODS CO. (Warren Leather Goods Co., Worcester, Mass. WW I / WW II)
(U.S.) (1918 L.A.O.)(1918 J.A.O.) (1917) (1944)
- WESTERN MFG. CO. (Western Manufacturing Co., San Francisco, CA WW I /WW II)(U.S. Western Mfg. Co. 44) (Western Mfg Co A.M.)
- W.H. McM. CO. (William H. McMonies & Company, Portland, Oregon WW I)

From 1916 through 1955 these holsters were Tan leather.  In 1956 the US Quartermaster Corp determined that all leather goods should be dyed black.  This resulted in both new production items being delivered in a black dyed finish as well as older pre-1956 leather gear that was inspected for wear and tear and then dyed black. 

Early black M 1916 holsters (ca 1960s) were correctly made of good leather. The older black holsters may have a greater collector's value, due to their Vietnam era connection. But W.W II vintage holsters were used there as well in both Tan and Black finish. The Recent black production holsters seem to use a thinner leather and do not age as well as the earlier examples.

In our opinion, the collectible '' hierarchy '' would be :

- pre-W.W II tan,
- W.W II tan,
- tan dyed black,
- early original black,
- recent black