For you crafters and tinkerers, a project. Few pics either. Literacy required.
I have a "vintage" Braer Bros .38 snub shoulder holster I picked up after buying a Taurus .38, which wears well and offers a no - chest - strap design. Too many links are "for sale", surf "Brauer Bros vintage leather."
I usually wear a PW which is basically a nice belly band chest high, and it works nicely. But, a 4" neoprene strap around your chest precludes over the shirt wear concealed, and it does get warm in summer when I use it the most.
I wanted a hybrid, not leather, with a kydex holster. Modern firearms with low weight triggers and SAFE actions require a hard sided shell. Glock stated that in 1985 and it came with the pistol.
List of parts: a neoprene waist trimmer, cheap. Boxmart has them, 8" x 48" or so, with "velcro" hook closure which grabs the fabric covering.
Two 2x5 squares of "velcro" loop with stick on backing
IWB kydex holster, about $25 with screwed on belt hook
48" of webbing, I used a lightweight tie down
A plastic slide buckle to fit that webbing
Tools - scissors, knife, hole punch.
First remove the belt hook on the holster, it's discarded. You now have some replacement screws with chicago nut and washers. Degrease with some alcohol. The loop squares will run vertically on both sides of the holster. (Hook will not be completely covered and will grab clothing.) I started at the squared off bottom and went up the center, it almost covered it all.
You now have a holster with loop on both sides. Now you need a shoulder strap. I cut mine from a pattern I made off the Bauer Bros. It's basically a curve 4" wide and 36" long that rises the full width of the material to make an arched piece. I laid it out on the waist trimmer and cut it out. This is the part that goes over the off shoulder from the holster up, over, and back down the back to the holster again. The velcro attached to it will also be used, remove the stitching and release it. If it's one continous piece fold it over and cut in half. It's factory matched hook for the fabric and the loop should work.
You should now have a fuzzy holster, a neoprene shoulder strap and two hook pads. Hook one pad halfway over the end of the strap, then onto the fuzzy, same for the other on the back. Where they attach should be up to 90 degrees angled to the front from the back piece to fit your anatomy. Length is individual. Go look at the pic of the Brauer Bros holster and you can see the front strap is on the outside angled forward, the rear strap underneath angled backward.
And no sewing!
Now the back strap, it will attach behind a few inches down from the top of the shoulder in the back. I hole punched a slot in it, and wrapped one end of the light webbing thru it, around the neoprene and back thru, then across and over the shooting hand shoulder, under, and back up. The glide buckle gets three webs thru it, an end sticking out either side. Adjust for length and try fit with an empty firearm (really.) Again look at the BB pic for guidance, they anchored it at another slot but it's your choice. The one buckle should do.
Again, no sewing. There are a lot of upgrades and finesse points that could be added, this arrangement was about $45, half the kydex holster. It's comfortable, light, easily modified and adjusted, holds the gun as securely as any kydex and won't fold over or grab the trigger. Adding a belt hook of some kind might be needed - or not. The old Brauer hung so low it had a snap loop for the belt, Ive never used it. If you actually practice your draw, you might want it, in the day folks grabbed the holster with the off hand during the draw. YMMV.
I've raised the bar on how to make this very simple holster by not detailing each and every step. How you make it with the supplies you have and get it to fit your body style with your skill level is up to you. I will say I figured it all out for a week or two, sat down, and in about 90 minutes came up with a completely different solution. I really pushed the no sewing which is why I used stick on loop - which I already had.
Security with hook and loop fasteners? We all have our tier of what is acceptable. I've used a lot in the military since 1983, on MILES attached to vehicles, on uniforms, etc and Onewrap as an easy fix where you need MOLLE straps. It's often used for computer and A/V cable management, too.
TL;DR: Wall of words method to make a hybrid neoprene kydex shoulder holster with no sewing.Yes I will take pics and yes I will try to attach. Whole new skill set.
I have a "vintage" Braer Bros .38 snub shoulder holster I picked up after buying a Taurus .38, which wears well and offers a no - chest - strap design. Too many links are "for sale", surf "Brauer Bros vintage leather."
I usually wear a PW which is basically a nice belly band chest high, and it works nicely. But, a 4" neoprene strap around your chest precludes over the shirt wear concealed, and it does get warm in summer when I use it the most.
I wanted a hybrid, not leather, with a kydex holster. Modern firearms with low weight triggers and SAFE actions require a hard sided shell. Glock stated that in 1985 and it came with the pistol.
List of parts: a neoprene waist trimmer, cheap. Boxmart has them, 8" x 48" or so, with "velcro" hook closure which grabs the fabric covering.
Two 2x5 squares of "velcro" loop with stick on backing
IWB kydex holster, about $25 with screwed on belt hook
48" of webbing, I used a lightweight tie down
A plastic slide buckle to fit that webbing
Tools - scissors, knife, hole punch.
First remove the belt hook on the holster, it's discarded. You now have some replacement screws with chicago nut and washers. Degrease with some alcohol. The loop squares will run vertically on both sides of the holster. (Hook will not be completely covered and will grab clothing.) I started at the squared off bottom and went up the center, it almost covered it all.
You now have a holster with loop on both sides. Now you need a shoulder strap. I cut mine from a pattern I made off the Bauer Bros. It's basically a curve 4" wide and 36" long that rises the full width of the material to make an arched piece. I laid it out on the waist trimmer and cut it out. This is the part that goes over the off shoulder from the holster up, over, and back down the back to the holster again. The velcro attached to it will also be used, remove the stitching and release it. If it's one continous piece fold it over and cut in half. It's factory matched hook for the fabric and the loop should work.
You should now have a fuzzy holster, a neoprene shoulder strap and two hook pads. Hook one pad halfway over the end of the strap, then onto the fuzzy, same for the other on the back. Where they attach should be up to 90 degrees angled to the front from the back piece to fit your anatomy. Length is individual. Go look at the pic of the Brauer Bros holster and you can see the front strap is on the outside angled forward, the rear strap underneath angled backward.
And no sewing!
Now the back strap, it will attach behind a few inches down from the top of the shoulder in the back. I hole punched a slot in it, and wrapped one end of the light webbing thru it, around the neoprene and back thru, then across and over the shooting hand shoulder, under, and back up. The glide buckle gets three webs thru it, an end sticking out either side. Adjust for length and try fit with an empty firearm (really.) Again look at the BB pic for guidance, they anchored it at another slot but it's your choice. The one buckle should do.
Again, no sewing. There are a lot of upgrades and finesse points that could be added, this arrangement was about $45, half the kydex holster. It's comfortable, light, easily modified and adjusted, holds the gun as securely as any kydex and won't fold over or grab the trigger. Adding a belt hook of some kind might be needed - or not. The old Brauer hung so low it had a snap loop for the belt, Ive never used it. If you actually practice your draw, you might want it, in the day folks grabbed the holster with the off hand during the draw. YMMV.
I've raised the bar on how to make this very simple holster by not detailing each and every step. How you make it with the supplies you have and get it to fit your body style with your skill level is up to you. I will say I figured it all out for a week or two, sat down, and in about 90 minutes came up with a completely different solution. I really pushed the no sewing which is why I used stick on loop - which I already had.
Security with hook and loop fasteners? We all have our tier of what is acceptable. I've used a lot in the military since 1983, on MILES attached to vehicles, on uniforms, etc and Onewrap as an easy fix where you need MOLLE straps. It's often used for computer and A/V cable management, too.
TL;DR: Wall of words method to make a hybrid neoprene kydex shoulder holster with no sewing.Yes I will take pics and yes I will try to attach. Whole new skill set.
