ltwguns.com

Here is the rig that will be on it's way to Iraq with a member or our Special Forces.

Both the holster and the mag pouch have Elephant Trim.

The rig will be complimented with a brown belt to match.



John

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

John, very nice holster setup, and thanks for your support of our guys and girls! (especially my buddies in SF). One observation.....THAT DON'T LOOK LIKE NO M9 BERETTA RIG.... (I may be wrong on that, but it does my heart good if it isn't!)

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

No M9 for that one - it is the new home for a Les Baer Stinger

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

A very practical and well executed rig… absolutely gorgeous John!!

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Heirloom Precision
http://www.heirloomprecision.com

Nice work John! I like the color and texture variation.

Thanks guys -

I hope he is as happy with it as I am and that it serves him well during his deployment.

John

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

Hope he doesn't bring the Stinger - He'll lose it. Did 7 trips there with SF myself. No POW allowed/no where/no place.

Group 5?

I was under the impression that it was going with him and to be used in service. I will have to send him an email and find out for sure.

John

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

You mean 5th group. Nope - I didn't go there with 5th group.
SOME guys smuggle their own weapons but it is NOT allowed or condoned and subjects one to loss of their weapon and punishment if/when caught. Moreso now-a-days. EVERY plane has to clear customs and all kit/gear/etc needs to be claimed. How would they know a "stinger' from some other 1911 platform?? they wouldn't. But, why subject yourself to ruining your career if caught? Also - why put your personal 1911 at risk of loss/getting stolen/loss in combat ops if "Sam" is providing you with one?
Not saying he won't take it over, just saying it's not smart. That's too nice a rig to subject to those conditions.
The war is way too PC today - too many orders out of MNC-I; MNF-I; SOCOM, etc to allow personal weapons.

I will get an update from him when I email him about the order.

And thanks for the correction (5th Group)

John

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

[soapbox mode]

In my world, any attorney who expressed an opinion, who had not yet been there, would be dropped out of a helo in Bagdhad with a Swiss Army knife, $50 in local currency and a map to the Green Zone.

The map would have North and South reversed.

Trust me, it's not just the attorneys. We have a tremendous amount of risk averse commanders out there that refuse to allow their troops to carry loaded weapons inside the wire. You better HAVE your weapon, but it can't be loaded. I swear - at one of the bases there - you had to wear a reflective belt while on base. So, some guys just off mission hump on over to the PX to buy said belt to placate moron of commander (same commander who stopped counterfire on the bad guys when they would mortar us in the hopes that the bad guys would stop shooting at us...), and they get to the PX. Guard at the entrance won't allow them in because the Commander told him not to allow anyone in if they didn't have a reflective belt. So, they can't go spend their own money to buy a belt, and they can't walk around base; nor can they get in to buy a belt because they don't have a belt, (catch 22).

This is supporting the troops?? Also same idiot posting Sergeant-Majors at intersections to ensure everyone is wearing seatbelts; giving out SPEEDING TICKETS; etc. I could go on and on and on....

BTW, said moron cdr was a General officer. God help us.

JimP

I unfortunately got stuck on the same said base with the same CO. Fortunately it was only a stop over on my way out to a FOB.

John,
To second the POW issue, there is some reason POW's must do bodily harm differently than issue weapons. So they aren't allowed in theater, and with the way things are today it certainly isn't worth it.

Jim

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"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin , 1759

POW in this case is
Personally
Owned
Weapons
just in case anybody didn't get it.

Well, you guys might be surprised to hear it from me, but I can sure see the logic in POW's being prohibited. You just can't have everybody showing up with different calibers and configurations-- although dang it, it seems like they could/oughtta be able to come up with certain parameters within which a guy'd be OK. But you know, no .44 mags with 8 3/8 barrels, no .380's, etc. Guns within the specs would be inspected in and a guy'd qual with it, just like with personally owned pistols at a police department.

But-- that's asking a lot of the Armed Forces just so a guy can bring along his pet pistol. 'Specially when they have all those perfectly good Berettas....

And Sweeney, Jeez, this is the first time I've ever detected a mean streak in you, better get some coffee or something!

Heck I thought Mr. Sweeney was being pretty passive or lenient with the attorneys!!

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

Well,
In my time we did carry 1911a1's in 45ACP!!!!!!!
Didn't need or need to bring anything else to the fight.
Although it was a no-no to do any customization, little that there was at that time.

I feel for you youngsters.

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"No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave."
Calvin Coolidge

You, who are more informed than myself, were obviously correct about the Stinger staying home.

The Belt and Mag pouch will get to make the trip, but only the issued 1911 will be on the right hip of my customer.

He heads back over in a few months, so at least for now he gets to use the holster for his CCW rig.

John

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

Still, much better that the Beretta.

I have spoken with some troops who told me that it is possible to get a POW in, but their ain't no way in hell to get it out.

It looks like I won't be seeing Saddam's gold-plated MP5s on Gunbroker.com.

Beautiful work on the leather BTW.

ML