Dan Wesson Duty Finish and Holster Wear

[TomJ]

I just picked up a Dan Wesson Guardian, which has their Duty Finish. I'm planning on carrying it and was wondering if it will show less holster wear with a Crossbreed holster, which uses kydex, should I stick with a Milt Sparks Versa Max, which I have on order or does it not matter?

 

[JTQ]

Putting your gun is a holster will put wear on the finish of the gun. There is no getting around that fact.

I can only speak in the generic since I don't have any first hand experience with the Dan Wesson Duty Finish or either of the mentioned holsters.

In general, I've found kydex puts more wear on the gun finish faster than leather. However, while kydex will often get to a wear point faster, the wear may stop sooner. It usually comes quickly on high points/corners of the gun where contact is made with the holster. Conversely, a leather holster will usually take longer to show wear, but the wear may usually continues for a longer time since the gun contacts more points within a leather holster.

I seem to recall reports from Crossbreed owners (and other hybrid owners, for that matter) who have commented their guns show more wear on the leather side than on the kydex side. My explanation for that would be the kydex side is formed to the shape of the gun, while the leather side is just a flat piece of leather.

 

[Missionary]

Greetings
And after a couple years that DW will look like a good friend who has always been their for ya !
Still the best and getting better with age.
Mike in Peru

 

[guyfromohio]

Don't mean to be dismissive, but I wouldn't worry about it. I personally prefer 1911s in leather, but that's just me.

 

[Spats McGee]

I just picked up a Dan Wesson Guardian, which has their Duty Finish. I'm planning on carrying it and was wondering if it will show less holster wear with a Crossbreed holster, which uses kydex, should I stick with a Milt Sparks Versa Max, which I have on order or does it not matter?

Two quick caveats: (1) I have no experience whatsoever with the DW Duty Finish; and (2) I don't worry too much about holster wear. Truth be told, I like a gun with a little wear on it.

With those said, JTQ is right: If you regularly put a gun in a holster, you're going to wind up with some wear. I carry in leather, Kydex, or a hybrid, depending on the day's wardrobe, with my CBST easily getting more use than the other holsters. That makes it a little difficult for me to tell which one puts the most wear on my EDC, which is a Gen 4 G19 with what I believe to be the newer finish that the hardcore Glockaholics complain about. It shows some holster wear, but not a ton of it. I've carried it almost daily for almost 4 years now. If the DW Duty Finish is tougher than that, it's likely to be months of carry before you notice much of anything.

 

[Drail]

What is actually wearing the finish is not the material the holster is made from - it's dust and grit that settle in the holster from being out in the real world. And it is a gritty world out there. Anyone who ever served in the military and had to wear those cursed spit polished dress shoes knows how much grit gets on those shoes in just one day. That's what is inside your holster. Grit can become embedded in kydex or leather equally and if you do not blow it out or brush it out you gun's finish will be sanded off just like it would with 1200 grit sandpaper. I use high pressure compressed air about once a week on my carry holsters and it keeps the wear factor way down - but does not eliminate it. You just have to do the best you can to keep your holster free of grit and be willing to accept some wear on your carry guns. The only gun finish I have ever seen that really does not suffer holster wear is hard chrome. If you refuse to accept holster wear on your "precious" then do not ever place it in a holster. I used to worry about finish wear years ago but life became much easier when I just quit worrying about it. When my gun's finish gets worn away I just send it off and have it refinished.

 

[TomJ]

Thanks for the info. I'll try those suggestions. Unfortunately holster wear can't be avoided, but you've given me some good ideas on how to keep it to a minimum.