Great M1916 holster for the Colt M1911 .45 pistol from WW2 marked Boyt 1943, a nice holster, with a nice patina. At some stage, the belt hook on the back has been replaced by two ring loops; however, this seems to have been done a long time ago, given the patina on the rivets, presumably to wear it on a strap. The Boyt company is known for manufacturing WWI and WWII M1916 Colt holster and was a famous maker of these holsters during both WW1 and WW2. Adopted in 1916. In combat areas, all sorts of troops found ways to "acquire" handguns and the regulations as to who was and wasn't permitted to carry them were rarely enforced. The holster was also dyed to a black tone at some stage. Great item for your USA WW2 collection, fully functional, with a beautiful patina! History of the Colt 1911 in WW2 World War II and the years leading up to it created a great demand. During the war, about 1.9 million units were procured by the U.S. Government for all forces, production being undertaken by several manufacturers, including Remington Rand (900,000 produced), Colt (400,000), Ithaca Gun Company (400,000), Union Switch & Signal (50,000), and Singer (500). New M1911A1 pistols were given a parkerized metal finish instead of bluing, and the wood grip panels were replaced with panels made of brown plastic. The M1911A1 was a favored small arm of both US and allied military personnel during the war, in particular, the pistol was prized by some British commando units and Britain's highly covert Special Operations Executive, as well as South African Commonwealth forces.[27][28][29] The M1911A1 pistol was produced in very large quantities during the war. At the end of hostilities the government cancelled all contracts for further production and made use of existing stocks of weapons to equip personnel. Many of these weapons had seen service use, and had to be rebuilt and refinished prior to being issued. From the mid-1920s to the mid-1950s thousands of 1911s and 1911A1s were refurbished at U.S. arsenals and service depots. These rebuilds consisted of anything from minor inspections to major overhauls. Pistols that were refurbished at government arsenals will usually be marked on the frame/receiver with the arsenal's initials, such as RIA for Rock Island Armory or SA for Springfield Armory.[citation needed] Among collectors today, the Singer-produced pistols in particular are highly prized, commanding high prices even in poor condition.[30]