Do all holster materials wear on the finish of the gun?

[joey93turbo]

Hey guys, I'm shopping for a holster for my P226. I'm wondering if there's any material that won't wear on the finish of the gun. I'm not entirely sure if I wanna keep the gun or not but for the time being I have nothing else to carry. I don't have much money and if I know I'm going to sell in the future I don't want to devalue the gun by wearing on the finish. What do you guys recommend?

Also, I have the P226R (226 w/ rail), are the holsters the same as long as I dont have any accessories attached?

 

[ClarkEMyers]

Yes, Alessi leather, often shouldn't be but can be sometimes.

Yes,
Alessi leather,
shouldn't be on many designs but can be on others.

- that is boning should distinguish the two for a leather carry holster - boning on tight leather should distinguish a lot more than many people ask it to - but other designs have different standards.

 

[Johnny Guest]

Q: Do all holster materials wear on the finish of the gun?

A: Yes, to some extent. Anything repeatedly rubbing against the surface of the pistol will have SOME effect. The degree varies with the particular holster and the type pistol.

For example, the pretty but rather thin blue finish on my 1970-era Commander suffered more from a year in a molded plastic Fobus holster than from all the previous years in leather holsters.

OTOH, the hard factory finish of a Glock in reaction to a nicely lined leather holster will endure for many years with only a slight polishing of the high spots on the surface.

The "down side" of a lined holster is that some lining materials tend to cling to the pistol and impede a rapid withdrawal. The best is probably a thin layer of smooth leather, smooth side next to the weapon, as opposed to the flesh side. Suede, "orthopedic elk," or other semi-rough surfaces are worse in this regard, plus, they tend to trap dust, sand, grit and such, which naturally has an abrasive effect. Whichever holster is chosen, the interior should be kept brushed clean of foreign matter.

A poorly-fitting holster -- one which is too large for the pistol -- will allow a lot of excess movement, and thereby accelerate finish wear.

Best of luck - -
Johnny

 

[BamBam-31]

Regarding holsters for Sigs with rails: If it's a high quality, tight-fitting holster, then you'd need one specifically made for a rail. If it's a loosey-goosey generic holster, you might be able to get away with it. After just purchasing a Milt Sparks VM-II and belt, I'd recommend spending as much as you can afford on good leather.

You can check www.sigforum.com for more info on Sigs.

 

[joey93turbo]

I think I'll just order one of these sub-$400 sigs from CDNN then and sell my nice one, no point in messin up a nice Sig.

 

[Rinspeed]

Wear is good. It means you've been practicing.

Rinspeed

 

[swingcatt]

A little holster wear on the gun isn't going to devalue it that much. There are going to be certain places on the gun that will wear, but it's not like the whole thing will loose it's finish from carrying it in a holster. It'll just look well broke in.

Holster wear, to me, is just part of buying a used gun. As long as you keep it clean and well lubed and keep it away from anything that'll scratch or mar it, you'll be fine.

SC

 

[BamBam-31]

I think I'll just order one of these sub-$400 sigs from CDNN then and sell my nice one, no point in messin up a nice Sig.

Nah, just keep your nice Sig and use it. A little holster doesn't mess up a good pistol, it adds character, IMHO. Besides, your pistol will have a lot more life left in it than the CDNN pistols. No telling how much those have been shot.

 

[Fiero]

What the industry needs to invent is a clear brush on finish to "paint" on a gun's high spots. This product would be impervious to heat, powder, and cleaning agents, but still be peelable for removal. As well, it would not impact the friction of the gun markedly, for draw feel reasons.

Inventors! go to it.

Name: Holster armor