[ak-kev]

Hey guys, I've always carried in a pocket holster, belly band or ankle holster. All of whick are nylon and Ive never experienced any holster wear on my guns. I just bought a Don Hume h721OT and LOVE it!! Its so comfortable! Anyway, is there any way I can prevent holster wear? I've never experienced it before, so I dont know how easily it happens. I have zero from the nylon, but the leather is another story. I just dont want any marks to start showing up on my guns by using this leather holster. Am I being ridiculous or is it a valid concern? Any advice??

[Dravur]

that you have no wear from nylon holsters. Be that as it may, you will get holster wear from leather holsters.

But, it really doesn't matter. Unless you have a huge concern about rust, let the gun get some wear. It shows character. If you get so concerned about a gun's finish, get a stainless gun, or have yours hard chromed.

[ak-kev]

Thank you for your quick response!! What about a Nickel finish? And I carry an old Colt Agent with the black oxide finish. Does it wear too??

[The Lone Haranguer]

From Milt Sparks' FAQ section:

Our holsters are designed for use by professionals and others who carry a handgun routinely for sport, personal defense or as mandated by their profession. We would hope that anyone considering carrying a sidearm for sport or personal defense would seek out and attain proper training, and then practice regularly. Having said that, I'll get to the heart of the subject. The act of drawing your pistol from whatever container you choose to carry your weapon in, creates friction at the points of contact, and eventually those points will begin to show signs of wear. For that reason it would be unreasonable to expect that your personal sidearm will remain in pristine condition forever. It matters not whether your holster is lined or un-lined, as a lined holster simply delays the inevitable. If you practice hard your guns finish will wear, or maybe it would be better to say, develop character. You will have to learn to deal with it.


This is not to say we are insensitive to our customers concerns about holster wear, its just that the reality of the matter sucks. Holsters whether they are made of plastic, leather, horsehide/cowhide, lined or un-lined, soft leather/ hard leather do not protect gun finishes as much as we would like. Nobody in the industry (at least the ones that are honest about it) can claim they have the solution in their product.

Certain gun finishes are more prone to wear then others and this may be food for thought for those that are concerned about it. Blued finishes are at the bottom of the list in terms of durability and corrosion resistance, but IMHO nothing compares in terms of beauty. Parkerizing offers better corrosion resistance then bluing, but is only slightly better in the wear department. Baked on Teflon or Poly finishes offer better corrosion and wear resistance then bluing or Parkerizing but can scratch easily. Hard Chrome and Nickel based finishes such as NP3 offer excellent wear and corrosion resistance, but are only available in silver or gray finishes. And then finally, there is always stainless steel. Stainless steel is not totally corrosion resistant, but the appearance can be maintained by polishing or bead blasting when needed.


There are a few options to slow down the holster wear. One is to get your holster with the rough side out, which puts the smooth inside against the gun. Horsehide holsters generally have a little smoother interior surface. Another is a smooth interior lining, but suede (the usual material for this) has its own problems.

I've seen your pictures of those beautiful little Colts over the last few months:cool: and don't blame you for wanting to keep them that way, but the fact of the matter is that any gun "put to work" is not going to stay that way forever, as stated above.

[skinewmexico]

Keep it clean. Otherwise, nothing.

[rcmodel]

Dust & dirt in the holster is what causes the wear on the finish.

Dust & dirt are just exactly like very fine lapping compound. When applied to the leather holster, you have a "strop" just like grand-paw used to use to sharpen his razor.

So, the cleaner you keep your gear, the less finish wear you will eventually see.

I am of the opinion that "rough-out" holsters are harder on finish then lined or flesh side in holsters. The rougher surface of the rough leather or lining gives the dirt a place to hide down in the grain.
A smooth inside surface keeps it all on top of the leather, rubbing on the finish.

A well-fitted holster will also cause less wear then a loose holster that lets the gun flop around with every step.

rcmodel

[El Tejon]

Keep it clean. Have multiple copies of the same weapon so you can send one back to be re-blued.

Besides, doesn't a pistol with holster wear make more of a statement?:D

[Mad Magyar]

Holster wear is real...Look at some of the police trade-ins...They look like crap, but shot very little in many cases...Regardless of the holster material, it will show wear on normal finishes..
What about a Nickel finish
Nice finish, but over time will flake & peel...I've had some pistols done with the Armoloy finish out of Texas; damn it seems like it will last forever...Tripp, when they were doing the CobraChrome, was very good also...:)

[ak-kev]

So basically I'm going to have to live with it huh?? I guess I could resort to carring only stainless weapons but that would mean retiring the blued and nickel ones:( What problems do the suede linings have. It seems like a good idea. Thanks alot for the info guys. I appreciate it! Kevin.

[rcmodel]

I have found pig-skin lining, as used by El Paso Saddelry to give the least amount of holster wear of anything I have ever used.

Orthopedic Elk is also very good if you can get it.

rcmodel

[Car Knocker]

I guess I could resort to carring only stainless weapons
Stainless will develop holster wear also. Matte SS will polish along edges or contact points. These same areas, on polished parts, will develop a different degree of polish that will be visible.

[The Lone Haranguer]

I am of the opinion that "rough-out" holsters are harder on finish then lined or flesh side in holsters.
:confused:

[lance22]

A 2002 Kahr P40 with no holster wear. It's been carried almost every day since it was purchased. It is my humble opinion that holster wear (falsely so called) is 99% about weak gun finishes.

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x137/lance22_photo/kahrOn1911.jpg

The gun is carried mostly in Kydex (BearClaw Holsters 'Hidden Asset') but also carried in leather by Mernickle, Alessi, and HBE. The Kahr's stainless finish is amazingly effective. I also haven't had any rust problems even though I carry it against my skin even in hot weather.

Underneath the Kahr is my Kimber Tac II which has a blued finish. Unlike my stainless Kahr, the Kimber has shown obvious holster wear due to it's weaker nature.

[HiWayMan]

Some of the problems with suede are that it to collects dirt and turns into virtual sandpaper, particulary in the Southwest where the dust is like talcum powder. The chromium used in the tanning process can also be detrimental to some finishes.

[loop]

This subject came up at the range the other day and I'll say the same thing I said then. if you don't want your gun to look used, don't use it.

Shoot and carry something else and turn the pretty gun into a safe queen. I have several of those that no one but me, my family and a couple close friends ever get to see. It isn't a problem.

All my carry guns show wear. They should, they're carry guns.