Belt clips for IWB

[Khornet]

Awhile back I mentioned making replacement belt clips for my Tucker Texas Heritage holsters, because I keep breaking the Kydex clips supplied. Someone asked for pics.

I used 1" wide, 1/16" thick spring steel stock from Brownells. Forged a piece to shape, then split it lengthwise to give two clips about the same width as a belt loop on most pants. Spring-tempered them, then did a rough polish and cold-blue job. Crude, but effective. Much less obtrusive than Kydex. These have lasted a year, whereas the Kydex would break in 6 months or less.

Holds my S&W 1911 Sc just fine. Did the same with my double-stack all steel .45, a Para Tac Four.

 

[Squiggy]

I've made a few IWB holsters for myself and realize that the leather belt fasteners are the achillies heel of the holsters. I would very much like to do something similar to what you have done. Could you post a picture of the nut or fastner on the backside of the holster used to secure the bolt? I can't think of anything very low profile to secure the bolt so that it wouldn't be uncomfortable. BTW, I'm a lefty too. Power to the lefty!

 

[Khornet]

Squiggy,

there is no fastener visible on the back. You can see in the photos that there is a leather washer through which a threaded female cylinder projects, into which the hex screw threads. I think the flat base of the female end is sewn between the two layers of the leather holster itself.

So the female end would look like a cylinder standing on end on a metal disc base, and the base is between the layers of leather.

Last Friday I was at some friends' house and we were all dancing (or what passes for dancing when I do it) and one of the women patted me on the hip for being willing to look foolish so they'd have dance partners. Natch it was my left hip. Her eyes went wide. "WHAT is THAT? Is that a G--" "Let's talk about it later, not here, " I said. A few drinks later she forgot. But she'd been seeing me with that holster for a couple years and hadn't tumbled to it. So the slim clips work.

 

[Squiggy]

What you describe as the female end is exactly what I drew on paper last night when trying to show my dad what I had in mind for a female end. I wanted to see if he would know where I could get one but he didn't. I'll go searching today. Thanks for your reply.

 

[Boxerrider]

T Nut

http://www.hartvilletool.com/product/11305

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INLMK3?PMK0NO=721252

A decent hardware store will probably have the common ones with the prongs, woodworking suppliers should have those as well as the rectangular or oval ones with no prongs that are designed to slip into tracks.

Enjoy!

 

[Henry Bowman]

The fasteners you are talking about are also called "Chicago screws." Tucker makes one side captive in the holster. That also serves to cover the inside head of it, but is not manatory.

I've never had trouble with my Tucker Kydex clips breaking. I have other complaints with them, but I'll save that for another time. I use a clip in front and a J hook in the rear. Using epoxy and some custom fitting, I have turned the front clip into the attachment for my BlackBerry PDA. It completely disguises the clip and distracts from the bulge of the holster. PM me if you are interested in details.

 

[Squiggy]

I found some Chicago Screws at my local independent leather works supplier/warehouse. I also found some perfect spring steel clips for belts. I've got two other IWB holsters that I'm making that will use the the standard leather belt straps with snaps. After that I'll make a few with the spring steel clips. I'll post some pics when I'm done.