DIY holsters?

[mr_dove]

Anyone ever tried their hand at making their own holster or other such device?

I'm not talking about leather or kydex necesarily because those can be difficult to work with. I'm thinking along the lines of the smartcarry system or the various elastic belly bands. Those are all just cloth and elastic.

A concealment garment such as a vest or jacket wouldn't be that difficult for someone with some sewing skills either. I've even seen what appear to be T-Shirts with a cloth holster sewn in under the armpit.

So, anyone done this before or think it would be a good idea for someone on a budget?

 

[P95Carry]

Mr Dove ..... these may be of interest .... I used to have an ol' buddy leatherworker ..... he is in UK still ... and makes essentially bags, cases etc. But back along I wanted to make some nice rigs for my M27 and Redhawk. He offered to help re stitching etc but I designed my patterns and then chose from his leather - real nice Italian stiuff.

I cut out the material and then passed over to him .. using his machines to stitch what was often very thick sections. He added pigskin lining too for me. I was over the moon with these and still am ... they are IMO items of beauty.

The M27 rig has two holsters ... first one we made for cross-draw but then added one for simple strong side. I think you might agree, they are ... well ........ pretty!! I still enjoy them to this day and these were made when? ... I guess, back in early 80's.

I no longer have the 7 1/2 Redhawk - current one is 9 1/2" but that rig now serves well for my Super Blackhawk.

These BTW (and obviously!!) were not for concealment .. they were used at the range.! But examples tho still of a sorta ''homemade'' approach.

 

[K-Man]

Mr. Dove,

It's really not hard to make your own holster, especially if you have some skills to bring to the table. Oftentimes all it takes is a little imagination and talent. You might have to give it a couple of trys, but so do the most talented holster makers. I'm sure you can do an equally good, or even better, job than some of the other holster makers out there.

There are some things to consider when getting started, and you've mentioned some of them. One consideration is to make sure the holster allows you to carry the gun safely and securely in a position that allows you easy extraction of your gun. Snaps and velcro are two common ways to help you do that when using traditional cloth material, as well as the stitching.

In essence, think about how/where you want to carry; take some measurements that are fairly accurate; draw it/cut it out with paper/file folders; try it out; make adjustments (if necessary); cut it out of the actual material you want to use; sew it up, adding snaps or velcro as appropriate; try it out. As I mentioned, you may have to do it a couple of times, making adjustments along the way, to get the point you're satisfied.

It's really not hard, and good luck to you! Please feel free to contact me via email, as I'd be more than happy to help you out.