rayban
Member
Wet the inside, stretch it out....what a great idea.
fitting your gun to your holster
- Thread starter gutterman
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Chocolate Bayou
Member
I'm an old baseball player and when we would get new gloves, first thing is rub in some "glove oil" then put a in ball or two and wrap with bungee cord. Might have to do it a time or two, but always ended up with perfect pocket. Never used water!
Jenrick
Member
aarondhgraham has the correct answer.
I wont bother scanning in the text, but John Bianchi (of Bianchi holsters and the Bianchi Cup) wrote book years ago title "Blue Steel and Gun Leather." In it he discusses the holster making process, such as boning the leather when casing, and includes a good section on how to fit a holster that is slightly off.
He recommends submerging the holster in water (with a small bit of dish soap to help the wetting action), for a brief period of time. Not until the holster is sodden, but so that it is wetted. Then insert the weapon (without any sort of bagging, plastic, socks, etc.) and press the leather firmly into the desired contours using a smooth rounded instrument such as a boning tool, or the rounded handle of kitchen knife. Then remove the weapon (clean and oil it) and allow the holster to dry.
I have followed these instructions on numerous occasions and they work wonders to achieve a custom fit for the weapon.
-Jenrick
I wont bother scanning in the text, but John Bianchi (of Bianchi holsters and the Bianchi Cup) wrote book years ago title "Blue Steel and Gun Leather." In it he discusses the holster making process, such as boning the leather when casing, and includes a good section on how to fit a holster that is slightly off.
He recommends submerging the holster in water (with a small bit of dish soap to help the wetting action), for a brief period of time. Not until the holster is sodden, but so that it is wetted. Then insert the weapon (without any sort of bagging, plastic, socks, etc.) and press the leather firmly into the desired contours using a smooth rounded instrument such as a boning tool, or the rounded handle of kitchen knife. Then remove the weapon (clean and oil it) and allow the holster to dry.
I have followed these instructions on numerous occasions and they work wonders to achieve a custom fit for the weapon.
-Jenrick
788Ham
Member
I've got a Bianchi holster for my SP 101 revolver, the holster fit like a glove right off, but you couldn't get the revolver out of that sucker when you were wearing it. Some guy told me about a leather product, "KG9 micro PTFE leather-Kote. I got some, rubbed it inside the holster where high portions of the revolver showed in the inside. I tried it, works like a charm, now I had to rub it in good, not slop it in there, but put on an old T-shirt and rub into the leather. It still fits tight as ever, but slides out when needed.
Red Cent
Member
aarondhgraham is spot on. All leather holster makers will use water to help make the leather pliable for molding to the gun. Don't use hot water and just for a couple of seconds.
I have a large dowel rod that looks like a screwdriver and is polished and coated with beeswax. I use this to open the holster (after wetting) to make it loads easier to start the gun.
The steps may be different but usually we oil (Neatsfoot or olive oil), dye, cut and sand, glue, and sew. With most competition holsters, they are two ply and very difficult to mold. Water. Won't hurt at all.
Education
http://leatherworker.net/forum/
I have a large dowel rod that looks like a screwdriver and is polished and coated with beeswax. I use this to open the holster (after wetting) to make it loads easier to start the gun.
The steps may be different but usually we oil (Neatsfoot or olive oil), dye, cut and sand, glue, and sew. With most competition holsters, they are two ply and very difficult to mold. Water. Won't hurt at all.
Education
http://leatherworker.net/forum/
Vodoun da Vinci
Member
Probably too late on this topic but I just received my first tuckable holster for my Beretta Px4 subcompact on Thursday. Mine is a "Hidden Ally" by High Noon. Loosened the tension screw a little and it took quite some effort to seat the gun....drawing was impossible out of the box.
So, I have been wearing this holster around the house and let it get good and warm...went on about my chores and even did a couple light workouts with it on. Push ups, stretching, and stuff and worked up a little sweat...not dripping but moisture and body heat, ya know?
Left the gun in the holster overnight the last two nights. It really started to loosen up and mold itself to the gun in the tight spots. Started drawing it and practicing working draws from being tucked...wow. Just wow.
Long story short (at least with the High Noon light duty holsters...) just wear 'em around the house and forcibly draw the gun repeatedly and firmly/forcibly seat it and work it from the outside with yer hands. This one has formed to the gun perfectly and holds the gun tight even doing jumping jacks and stretching/bending and push ups under a T-Shirt and then draws like glass. Takes two hands to holster again but I expected that from a deep concealment super thin and comfortable holster....but my draws are super clean and smooth and the holster fits like molded after 2 days.
No water - no mess - no bother really. Just body heat, pressure, and a little time. YMMV but this worked like a charm and I'll be buying more holsters of this type and fitting/breaking them in like this for my Glock 26 and others. By the way, I'm wearing these at 1 o'clock as a straight drop appendix carry.
VooDoo
So, I have been wearing this holster around the house and let it get good and warm...went on about my chores and even did a couple light workouts with it on. Push ups, stretching, and stuff and worked up a little sweat...not dripping but moisture and body heat, ya know?
Left the gun in the holster overnight the last two nights. It really started to loosen up and mold itself to the gun in the tight spots. Started drawing it and practicing working draws from being tucked...wow. Just wow.
Long story short (at least with the High Noon light duty holsters...) just wear 'em around the house and forcibly draw the gun repeatedly and firmly/forcibly seat it and work it from the outside with yer hands. This one has formed to the gun perfectly and holds the gun tight even doing jumping jacks and stretching/bending and push ups under a T-Shirt and then draws like glass. Takes two hands to holster again but I expected that from a deep concealment super thin and comfortable holster....but my draws are super clean and smooth and the holster fits like molded after 2 days.
No water - no mess - no bother really. Just body heat, pressure, and a little time. YMMV but this worked like a charm and I'll be buying more holsters of this type and fitting/breaking them in like this for my Glock 26 and others. By the way, I'm wearing these at 1 o'clock as a straight drop appendix carry.
VooDoo
doubleh
Member
Any stamped or tooled leather item has been wet. Do it how you want but the gun, some saran wrap, and a quick dunk in cold water will do the job and only takes overnight.
aarondhgraham
Member
Wow, someone else uses Olive Oil,,,
I was wondering if I was the only maker that has used olive oil,,,
An old tack maker in Southern California told me it was all he used,,,
What it does different than neatsfoot oil is not darken the leather so much
Just remember to get the Extra Virgin type,,,
And whatever you do don't make the same mistake I once did.
I didn't look at the bottle closely enough in the store,,,
Garlic infused olive oil makes for one funky smelling holster.
Aarond
.
I was wondering if I was the only maker that has used olive oil,,,
An old tack maker in Southern California told me it was all he used,,,
What it does different than neatsfoot oil is not darken the leather so much
Just remember to get the Extra Virgin type,,,
And whatever you do don't make the same mistake I once did.
I didn't look at the bottle closely enough in the store,,,
Garlic infused olive oil makes for one funky smelling holster.
Aarond
.
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