What's the ankle holster used by Don Johnson for his Detonics?


codemaster94

Recommended Posts

Hi,I'm looking into getting the Detonics that Sonny used, and wanted to know what kind of ankle holster he used for that. If anybody could explain, that'd be helpful. Thanks!Code

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tough Question.....my recall (seeing Prodigal Son)..is that his carry wasn't a Detonics Pocket 9...but a full on Detonics Combat Master (45acp)...as I recall....those kick like a mule......probably some custom or early on nylon version...can not imagine anyone was making ankle rigs for that specific model, considering it was fairly large frame platform......most likely placed for the 'grab shot' only....very much like Tubb's Stakeout...tough to hide under an Armani...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a Detonics Combatmaster .45 acp. -A Mark VI Professional Model to be precise. This was THE compact 1911 variant in the day. Very concealable- easily in an ankle holster. I don't know that anyone has identified the ankle holster maker or model, though.I'd like to know myself, as I have the exact CM in my safe!BTW...noone seems to know the maker/model of the shoulder holster in Brother's Keeper either...but I'm still trying.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

I've had a gun enthusiast tell me that the ankle holster used for the Detonics Combat Master Mark VI is the Galco Ankle Glove AG424 for 1st thru 3rd season (we don't see a backup gun used in 4th season), with the calf strap.  This model is still available for compact 1911s from Galco.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

uhh its kind of hard to say really, the thing went all over the place.

 

Namely during the Calderones return episodes it was leather with a simple strap over it, a very common kind of holster, then it went to velcro and it probably changed over time, although I'd bet it stayed velcro for the rest of its tennure

 

simply being switched over to one fitted for the 6906 9mm in the latter seasons.

 

and also the reason for that being made is that 9mm is easier to make blanks for, as its a 10th of an inch smaller than .45 and thus its probably alot easier to get enough pressure in the blank to cycle the firearm properly and to crush the primer so it can eject properly.

 

also with the S1 holster, there is possibily another possibility, in the Pilot he had a Detonics 9mm, a pocket 9, it could have been the holster for that repurposed for the .45

 

unless he just stuck it in the middle of his back for that one scene without a holster.

Edited by Kavinsky
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

I just noticed your response on this thread months after the fact.  The 5th season ankle holster for the S&W 6906 is the Galco AG246 Ankle Glove holster.  I picked one up on ebay a while back:

 

Eingefügtes Bild

 

Eingefügtes Bild

 

I have a new modern calf strap on it, so the logo color doesn't match up between the holster and calf strap.  But they don't make this holster anymore, so you have to pick it second hand.  The AG424 for the Detonics Combatmaster is an early version of the Ankle Glove that has a thinner neoprene band than the later modern version.  So to be accurate, you have to look for a really early version of AG424 as you can still buy the AG424 for small 1911s today but with the thicker modern neoprene band.  The AG426 was only made with the thicker band as far as I know as Galco seems to have changed the Ankle Glove design prior to 5th season.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I was sleepless and up last night watching "The Hit List" and "Calderone's Demise" and remembered to look at his ankle holster for the Detonics and get some screen grabs:

Screen%20Shot%202016-11-08%20at%202.09.5

Screen%20Shot%202016-11-08%20at%202.45.2

Screen%20Shot%202016-11-08%20at%202.45.4

Screen%20Shot%202016-11-08%20at%202.46.1

 

I really don't see any difference between the holster being used 4 episodes in and the one we see at the beginning of season 2 "Prodigal Son":

IMG_1842_zpsteudpfcs.jpg

 

Seems like the same holster with velcro neoprene strap, and a rather basic unmolded leather holster.  The calf strap connector has a snap on it, maybe instead of velcro?  And the thumb release strap does not go over the hammer like in the other holsters, but under the dovetail, so the hammer is protected from being accidentally cocked.  That's a little unnerving unless carrying it in condition 1.  But unless the Galco Ankle Glove holster was a bit different in early models, this does not look like an ankle glove holster?

Edited by Lifeguard
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot to mention on this thread, that after seeing the Detonics in season 3 episodes "When Irish Eyes Are Crying" and "Viking Bikers From Hell", we do see it again three more times in season 4.  Popping up in episodes "Love At First Sight", "Rock and a Hard Place", and "Deliver Us From Evil".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Somewhere on here is another thread about his Detonics. I wrote that I thought it was a damn large gun for ankle carry in a full steel frame gun both size and more so weight. I bought in the late 90's a colt officer's series .45. 'very similar in size and weight to the Detonics. Not something I'd want to ankle carry. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 11/8/2016 at 7:41 PM, timm525 said:

Somewhere on here is another thread about his Detonics. I wrote that I thought it was a damn large gun for ankle carry in a full steel frame gun both size and more so weight. I bought in the late 90's a colt officer's series .45. 'very similar in size and weight to the Detonics. Not something I'd want to ankle carry. 

Yeah, I remembering seeing that post.  Anyone know the loaded weight on a Detonics Combat Master?  The S&W 6906 is 26oz empty and around 32oz with 147grn JHP.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Did just see an article on the Detonics that said it weighed 34oz.  That's 2oz heavier than the 6906, and I don't even know if that is with ammo?

Same article said the first holsters for it were from Lou Alessi.  Detonics was founded in 1976, and the author said he had one in 1977, so it was at least first available in 1977.  But that's 7 years before the 1st season.  Plenty of time for there to be more manufacturers making a holster.  Some say the forward sight is a tough fit in holsters for the Officer's model 1911, but the author of this article said he tried it in a modern Galco and Desantis ankle holster and it fit.  I'm continuing to read up on the Detonics to see if I come across a possible explanation to Crockett's ankle holster:

First it could be a Galco, but it does not look like the modern Galco Ankle Glove holsters.  The neoprene strap is too narrow.  It could be an early design for the Galco, but after combing through auctions for years, I have yet to find a Galco holster different from the current models in anything other than logo color.  Plus the props department couldn't find a Jackass shoulder rig for the Bren Ten, and so ended up going with the Lifeline rig.  So it would not make sense that they were sourcing Galco for the ankle holster and not realize that it also carried the formerly Jackass shoulder rig.  

Perhaps it was an old Bianchi Model 150 Negotiator.  The leather does look similar with a narrower neoprene band.  And it does come with a calf strap.

Gould and Goodrich could have made one then.  The leather holster and neoprene band do look similar.  They currently do not carry an Officer's 1911 holster, but maybe they did in the past.  I haven't seen one on the auctions tho.  It does have a calf strap too.

But it also occurred to me that if they went to Ted Blocker for the Lifeline rig, maybe they also sourced the ankle holster from him too?  They have a custom Ankle holster available, but it is not pictured with a calf strap.  

I am still looking.  I'm not satisfied that I found one the correct holster yet.  Detonics folded in 1987, so that's when S&W stepped in to offer the 6906 3rd gen and Galco provided the holster.  Maybe I should also go back and look at the post-"Bought and Paid For" uses of the Detonics.  Since Galco provided a Bren Ten holster at that point, maybe they also provided a Detonics?  "One Way Ticket" was filmed two episodes after it, but the ankle holster laying on the table looks the same as previously used.  That leaves season 2 "Definitely Miami", "Trust Fund Pirates", and "Sons and Lovers"; then season 3 "When Irish Eyes are Crying" and "Viking Bikers from Hell"; and finally season 4 "Love at First Sight", "Rock and a Hard Place", and "Deliver Us From Evil."  I'll see if the holster remains the same and try to get screen caps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
On 5/17/2010 at 9:29 PM, kokopelli said:

It was a Detonics Combatmaster .45 acp. -A Mark VI Professional Model to be precise. This was THE compact 1911 variant in the day. Very concealable- easily in an ankle holster. I don't know that anyone has identified the ankle holster maker or model, though.I'd like to know myself, as I have the exact CM in my safe!BTW...noone seems to know the maker/model of the shoulder holster in Brother's Keeper either...but I'm still trying.

 

On 5/16/2010 at 8:08 PM, jcm8002204 said:

......most likely placed for the 'grab shot' only....very much like Tubb's Stakeout...tough to hide under an Armani...

I do recall an episode where C&T were at a boxing match (probably down for the count) and crockett was wearing his ankle holster. You could see the tip of it sticking out when he crossed his legs. I kept waiting in that scene under the assumption that he'd be grabbing for it, but I guess maybe it was just part of his costume? I can't imagine he'd have worn it just to barely print the thing in one quick shot. The assumption would be that he wears it like the shoulder holster, so you don't have to actually have it in every scene. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Well maybe not, Galco Came about in mid S1 as Don was complaining about how much of a pain in the ass it was to carry around a 7+ pound gun, plus 2 mags full of blanks with a holster that didnt fit that well, as that's like 10 pounds plus hanging off your side, so it might have just been a generic pocket gun holster for the ankle, given how early this showed up in the series

as the detonics is about the same size as a J frame and the Sig Sauer P232, as seen on the gunblast article about the gun I found from a few years ago, so hell could have been a simple ankle holster for a PPK really, or even just an ankle holster for a 1911 in general, maybe a commander model.

as the thing about a TV show like that, is that all those props and the like are not ALL from once source generally, their thrown around and left overs from whatever is around or whatever can be scrounged up based on the budget

hence how we got the old trek episode a Piece of the Action using a bunch of left over things from the untouchables with a bunch of rented out 30's cars driving around.

or Magnum PI reusing all of the left over sets from Hawaii 5-0, which had just ended a year earlier when that show started, as the TV industry loves to recycle, so much so that you can see the same gun being used in mutliple tv or movies if its distinct enough

such as I think the 645 showing up in Predator 2 of all things along with don's wardrobe really lol

Edited by Kavinsky
  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.