The most important thing you should know about Bruce Nelson is that his holster design and build was the product of choice for many years in law enforcement and competitive practical shooting.

During his law enforcement career, Bruce was a Uniform Patrol Officer, Detective and Undercover Agent. He investigated felony crimes of all kinds and spent many years in narcotics investigation with the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. During this time he supervised a team of Narcotic Agents and served as Bureau Commander of the Napa County, California, Special Investigation Bureau. 

During Bruce's law enforcement career he spent much of his time conducting firearms training for the Department of Justice Special Agents both in the Academy and in Officer Survival Training. He organized and taught firearms instructor schools for area office firearms instructors and formulated an Officer Survival Program that he presented to police and sheriffs departments throughout California as part of the Department of Justice Advanced Training Center Program. Bruce also served as guest speaker and consultant for many other firearms and police survival seminars and programs throughout California and the Western United States.

Bruce was one of the pioneers in the world of practical pistol competition, having been a Southwest Pistol League Class A shooter and a record holder starting in the mid 1960's. He was also a part of the now legendary Bear Valley Gunslinger matches conducted by Jeff Cooper in Big Bear Lake, California. These matches served as the "research laboratory" for development of the Modern Technique of the Pistol. 

Bruce was one of the forty founding members of the International Practical Shooting Confederation, which was formed in Columbia, Missouri in 1976. He took second place in the I.P.S.C. Columbia Conference Match, which served as the World Match for that year. He was also the I.P.S.C. Southwest United States Champion in 1977. 

When Jeff Cooper launched the American Pistol Institute in 1976, Bruce was there as API's first staff instructor. All of Bruce's law enforcement and practical shooting background combined with 20 years as an exacting holster designer and leather craftsman. Although Bruce's law enforcement career prevented him from building many holsters, his influence on design was considerable. Such designs as his #1 Professional and the #10 Summer Special have inspired generations of imitations. 

No one else in the holster business had such a varied and extensive background in the practical use of holsters and weapons carry systems. Bruce's philosophy was to produce and offer to his clients only what improves upon those designs already on the market. He worked hard to assure meticulous quality in this very personal craft where Bruce Nelson was the world's premier holster designer.