[NORTEXED]

I have an Askins Avenger that I dearly love, except, it's for the HP I used to have. My question is, (and YES, I know I'm cheap) would it be possible to wet the holster with something, and basiclly "Reform" it to fit my Combat Commander (In a plastic bag of course)?? The guns are same bbl length, and close to same frame size, so I wondered if it would relax the leather and then reform as it dried and shrank.:o

[Old Fuff]

It might work. Dampen, but don't soak the leather with water. I usually dip the holster - quickly - in my kitchen sink. Then mold the leather around the gun with you finger tips. When done, let it dry slowly and never force it with heat.

[Vern Humphrey]

Rubbing alcohol is probably best in this application -- and less likely to rust your gun. Just a hard, smooth object (like a plastic toothbrush handle) to mold the leather to the gun and get a detailed fit.

[Old Fuff]

I tried alcohol but it attacked the finish on the leather. If the gun is lightly greased and inside a plastic bag the water in the leather is unlikely to cause any rust. In fact after doing several dozen holsters I never had a spot of rust.

[the naked prophet]

I don't know about that holster, but when I make a holster, I cut it to specific dimensions based on the gun. I know that a HP holster is too large for a 1911 holster. The dimensions are just all wrong, even if it hadn't already been molded.

As for the molding, you take unfinished leather and completely soak it in very hot water - the leather will become pliable and then it will shrink when drying. But when I finish my holsters I use something called "Resolene" from Fiebings, that's an acrylic finish which is pretty water resistant and stiffens the leather quite a bit. There's no way you could re-form one of my holsters, but I don't know about that other holster. It may have a plastic finish that doesn't penetrate the leather or it may have just a color or something that doesn't make it water resistant.

Bottom line - don't do it. Sell the holster with the gun, or sell it to someone else with the gun. And then buy a real holster for your gun.

You don't want your nice expensive gun to fall out of the holster that wasn't made for it. A decent holster should hold the gun even if you were suspended upside down.

[Leanwolf]

It is beyond my understanding that people are so foolish as to depend on a handgun for saving their lives... yet are far too cheap and/or ignorant to buy a good holster that FITS the handgun on which they depend. Just stick it in some ol' cobbled together piece of crap that might -- or might not -- hold it in place, when you really need it. Maybe. :uhoh:

Frankly I place much more value on my life than to worry about $60 or $70 for a QUALITY piece of essential equipment.

Save your coins for awhile and buy yourself a really good holster made specifically for the Colt's Combat Commander. Simply Rugged Holsters make very fine quality holsters for your specific handgun, at a reasonable price.
www.simplyrugged.com

And there are, of course, other good holster makers out there.

L.W.