Holster disappointment

[Onty]

Years back I purchased on line a holster for Ruger SBH, now Bisley. I wanted nylon holster, mainly because it wouldn't react with gun metal as most of leather ones do. I have a few of those and chemical reaction with metal rivets is clearly visible.

Anyhow, I've got one, didn't use it for years, and when I took it to see how it will fit my belt, that belt attachment shattered like glass:



As you could see, it's even sawn on the holster. Why they didn't use very same material as for holster, is beyond me.

So, if have you any of those nylon holster, check material of the belt attachment. If it's el cheapo as mine, get it fixed with a proper material, or just throw it away. The last thing you want to happen is that holster with your gun in it drops in a creek or falling of a cliff.

And if you are buying another nylon holster, make a sure it has good quality material throughout.

 

[Mizar]

You got exactly what you paid for.

 

[Onty]

You got exactly what you paid for.

No, I didn't!

I expect that any holster on the market, no matter how cheap, stays on the belt, holding my revolver. Products like this just shouldn't be on the market. PERIOD! Turning blind eye on something like this and blaming customer that if's his fault, is just fueling this shady business practice. If I am manager in charge, I will make sure that something like this newer happen again in my company!

 

[unclenunzie]

Caveat emptor.

The plastic probably became brittle with age or maybe sun exposure.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

No, I didn't!

I expect that any holster on the market, no matter how cheap, stays on the belt, holding my revolver. Products like this just shouldn't be on the market. PERIOD! Turning blind eye on something like this and blaming customer that if's his fault, is just fueling this shady business practice. If I am manager in charge, I will make sure that something like this newer happen again in my company!

You expect too much then.

If you want a good holster, buy a good holster, not a cheapy.

I recommend Kydex.

 

[edwardware]

No, I didn't!
I expect that any holster on the market, no matter how cheap. . .

You're expectation is silly. You bought an "el cheapo" bottom shelf holster, and it worked for you "for years". You got what you paid for.

Products like this just shouldn't be on the market.

So, I shouldn't I be able to buy a cheap holster because you're dissatisfied with yours? Self important much?

The majority of the customer base expects to get what they pay for; you should adjust your expectations. If you seriously believe you can offer better value at Uncle Mike's price point, start selling holsters and take their market share!

 

[Speedo66]

I’ve bought a variety of holsters over the past 50+ years or so, some expensive custom made one offs, some low end cheapies.

I wouldn’t expect any holster, regardless of price, to disintegrate like that one did.

 

[racepres]

PM me if you want to sell that one...

 

[Charlie98]

Materials deteriorate with age, and particularly plastics... and particularly-erer cheap plastics.

FWIW, you spend the money on a good, quality leather holster... it still wears out and/or deteriorates if you use it.

 

[Onty]

I’ve bought a variety of holsters over the past 50+ years or so, some expensive custom made one offs, some low end cheapies.

I wouldn’t expect any holster, regardless of price, to disintegrate like that one did.

Exactly!

If noted plastic part on holster disintegrates in several years, there is something very, very wrong with that plastic. Rest of the holster is like new. It's the shame that somebody decided to use such poor quality item on otherwise very fine holster.

I am going to visit upholstery shop to see if they have something to attach for belt. If they make it OK, I will prefer it over lather ones.

BTW, I had Malibu with V6 engine. It had that plastic intake manifold that cracks and leaks coolant into oil sump. To make long story short, I had to replace the engine. And that problem with intake manifolds happened on hundreds of thousand GM cars, from cheap Malibu, to pricey sedans. Does anybody still think that was OK for GM to sell those cars with such miserable parts? On the end, how many customers they lost? Must be millions!

 

[JTQ]

The advantage of gun forums is folks can share their experiences with different products. Thanks for sharing yours. I don't think your experience is "news" for anybody, though. I think most would probably have expected that from that style of holster.

The other advantage of forums is you can ask about a product before you buy it, and get feedback on whether the folks on the forum would recommend such a product and what the downsides of that product may be. I don't own an Uncle Mike's nylon holster, mostly because my gun forum experiences have told me they aren't very good.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Interesting. I have many Uncle Mike's holsters and belt cases/slides just like that going back over 25 years. They have provided excellent performance. I think one of the plastic belt attachments has finally cracked in the corner on one of the oldest ones (mid-90's), all of the rest are fully serviceable. I suspect the OP's was a bad batch of plastic, or it sat in the sun a long time. I am far more disappointed in several of my Bianchi products featuring velcro retention strap adjustments, or the "Black Widow" (emphasis on "widow") that would move the safety on my 3" 1911 to fire in about 10 minutes of carrying.

 

[Seedy Character]

I have 3 of those nylon holsters. All were included with gun purchase. 2 have nylon loops, one the hard plastic. The hard plastic did get brittle and crack. Not from sun, but from heat / cold, as it was stored in shop. The one that I did use, not much, sagged and flopped, gun was a loose fit. Got rid of it, with the gun, when I sold it. The other one, buyer left, didn't want, in a drawer somewhere.
I much prefer leather.

 

[JTQ]

Good holsters break too.

Here is a thread from member @GunnyUSMC ( https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/holsters-and-bowls.891247/ ), where he shows a broken RM Holsters Extreme Cant Paddle holster. The consensus across most forums is RM makes great holsters, though this style of one piece kydex can break at a flex point. That's what happened to this holster, but RM replaced it because it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

I have a near 15 year old Raven Concealment Phantom from the era when they used .60 thick kydex in order to keep the holsters thin. I noticed a couple months back, a crack on the holster body. The holster is still functional, but it does have a crack. I'm not bummed about it, I got my use out of it, and it is a fine holster. Nothing lasts for ever.

 

[Old Dog]

I wanted nylon holster, mainly because it wouldn't react with gun metal as most of leather ones do

No handgun should ever be stored in a holster, leather or otherwise, no matter the holster's quality.

No offense intended toward anyone who owns one, but my considered opinion, after 50 years of carrying handguns around in all climates, is that Uncle Mike's produces entry-level holsters, "one size fits all" that don't really fit any handgun particularly well, don't offer good retention and frankly, are crap. Nylon holsters are floppy, do not conceal well at all and are not designed to last for years like good gunleather or quality Kydex.

 

[Terry G]

I like the nylon holsters, Uncle Mikes included, You can usually fit several similar sized guns in the same holster. That's for woods carry. Wear one for a self defense gun? Not bloody likely. Put a $800.00 gun in a $15.00 holster? My SD guns have custom leather holsters.

 

[lee n. field]

Years back I purchased on line a holster for Ruger SBH, now Bisley. I wanted nylon holster, mainly because it wouldn't react with gun metal as most of leather ones do. I have a few of those and chemical reaction with metal rivets is clearly visible.

Anyhow, I've got one, didn't use it for years, and when I took it to see how it will fit my belt, that belt attachment shattered like glass:

View attachment 1144411

As you could see, it's even sawn sewn on the holster. Why they didn't use very same material as for holster, is beyond me.

Uncle Mike's used to make the belt loops of these out of nylon webbing.

So, if have you any of those nylon holster, check material of the belt attachment. If it's el cheapo as mine, get it fixed with a proper material,

replace holster.

And if you are buying another nylon holster, make a sure it has good quality material throughout.

 

[Onty]

I carry handgun in a holster just for several hours at the time, while hunting, so concealed carry is not the issue. The problem is when I got wet. Nylon holster dries much faster than lather one, and it doesn't shrink or discolor. Going through dense bush is another issue. That is the reason why robust, not so fancy and reasonably priced holster makes sense.

As for holster above, handgun I carry is full size Ruger SBH (now Bisley) in 44 Magnum, so I have no problem with sloppy fit.

 

[Hikingman]

Of the approx. 20 holsters that I've owned, one early purchase was Uncle Mike's.

This hobby has me wanting better and longer lasting. At age 60+, I actually choose holsters that should last decades. Sort of a buy once cry once.

The idea has everything to do with resale value, and 'best' quality. Whether it's for self defense or not, an excellent quality holster should not be a rarity on one's belt or shelf.

My guess is the OP's holster paid for itself some time ago.

 

[kwb377]

No offense intended toward anyone who owns one, but my considered opinion, after 50 years of carrying handguns around in all climates, is that Uncle Mike's produces entry-level holsters, "one size fits all" that don't really fit any handgun particularly well, don't offer good retention and frankly, are crap. Nylon holsters are floppy, do not conceal well at all and are not designed to last for years like good gunleather or quality Kydex.

^^^This.

Uncle Mike's actually did the OP a favor by forcing him (hopefully) to realize this and buy a better holster. Think of it as a $14 lesson on the advantage of buying a quality product the first time.

 

[thirty-eight]

What is the country of origin? I ask because recently I purchased a pair of Uncle Mike's quick-detachable sling swivels online, without researching, and learned upon receiving them that they were made in China, with some plastic parts. Live and learn...

 

[nettlle]

You chose a plastic reaction verses a leather reaction. Please let us know the outcome of your decision.

 

[jmorris]

I expect that any holster on the market, no matter how cheap, stays on the belt, holding my revolver.

I agree 100%. That said, I don’t expect the cheapest to last anywhere near as long as the good stuff; however, given enough time an use, both will fail. That’s why we look over and take care of our equipment.

 

[TacticalJanitor]

Here's another perspective:

When starting with a new pistol, I've always been one to order an expensive leather holster (and wait a year to get it). While waiting I'd order a good Kydex holster (and get it in a month or two). During that wait I wouldn't get to carry the pistol...because I wouldn't buy something like Uncle Mike's. Half of the time I'd lose interest in the pistol while waiting for a holster because I couldn't carry it or train with it. This is a big reason why I have a whole lot of small carry pistols.

But, when I started with my current carry pistol, I bought a plastic Blackhawk holster that they had in the store at the time. It was $20, and turned out to be so very comfortable, and easy to put on and take off, that I'm not really interested in a different holster.

I did order a couple of fancy leather holsters for the gun...just because. I doubt they will be better than the el cheapo for comfort and ease of use. My solution was...to buy four more of the twenty dollar jobbies and put them in the holster drawer. If mine breaks, I'll have a new one quick as I can get back to the house.

So, IMO, a holster doesn't have to be high-quality or expensive if it works well for you. Might be a good idea to grab a couple of 'em while you can get 'em though.

It is such a huge pain and expense to deal with all the "custom" holster makers and their "we'll ship one to you someday" attitude, that they have "cured" me of my holster snobbery.

 

[toivo]

Materials deteriorate with age, and particularly plastics... and particularly-erer cheap plastics.

Yup. I used to ice skate for fun and exercise, and then, after a 10-year layoff, I dusted off my all-plastic hockey skates and went to the rink. When I bought my ticket, the guy at the counter asked, "Do you need rentals?" and I said "Nope."

So I sat down on the bench, slipped on one skate, and then yanked on the laces. Pop! The entire upper of the skate tore off and was dangling from the laces in my hands. My foot was still sitting on the detached footbed and blade. I went back to the counter with my dead skate in my hand and said, "I guess I need a rental after all."

"Happens all the time," the guy said.