How do I break in my new Galco holster?

[bishan]

Galco holsters are made of the finest quality leather and workmanship.&nbsp; Although these holsters are very durable they require great care and maintenance in order to keep it in new condition.</p>
The Galco holster when new will have a very tight fit however with the regular
use of the holster the leather will relax and “mold” to your weapon.& Please keep in mind the Galco holster will take time to break in like a leather mitt used in baseball or a new pair of jeans. &nbsp;After repeated use the holster will provide the perfect frame to secure your weapon to your body.

 

[Mannlicher]

I have never even thought about 'breaking in' a holster. Put your handgun in it, and wear it, I guess. There is a tendency to make simple things WAY over complicated these days.

 

[stevemis]

If it's not too tight, I'd say leave it alone.

 

[Pete409]

Leather stretches when wet and contracts when dry. The quickest way to break in a holster is to wet it from the outside and force your gun firmly into the holster and let it sit overnight.

Repeat this several time until the holster is a perfect fit for the gun. Be SURE that the gun is well oiled or greased to prevent rust.

Yep, I've done it this way. It works. It also works well to do this to a new pair of leather boots to break them in to fit your feet. Wet them and wear them until they are dry. Repeat a few times and VOILA, they are a perfect fit.

 

[the_fallguy]

bishan,

Don't wet the holster unless it is so tight you can barely remove the gun. Try placing the handgun in a gallon sized freezer bag and seating it in the holster (while the holster is mounted on a gun belt, if you use one). Leave it this way over night. If the holster still fits too tightly, try the same thing with two bags, but only leave the pistol holstered for two hour increments. Keep checking by way of practice draws until you reach the desired tension. Don’t go overboard when loosening the holster’s fit. Stretching leather is possible, but shrinking it isn’t. Another solution you might want to try before stretching the leather is a food grade silicon spray applied lightly by hand on the inside of the holster. Hope this helps.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If it is so tight you cannot pull the gun out, it will need some break-in. I like to wrap the gun in plastic wrap (the plastic bag the holster came in works well), cram the wrapped gun into the holster and leave it sitting at least overnight. I have a Galco Royal Guard (IWB, horsehide, for a Glock 19) that I had to wrap in a double layer and leave it for three days. Now the gun slides in and out with a little more reasonable effort.

BTW, although the retaining straps are attached to the outside of a reinforced (double layer) mouth and have snaps - making it rather bulky - this holster is about as good as IWB comfort gets.

 

[shadowalker]

My Galco holster came with instructions for breaking it in.

The instructions for my holster were along the lines of inserting and removing the firearm several times, then checking the inside of the holster for rub marks and then "massaging" the leather with thumb and forefinger in those areas.

Be careful of using any oil because it can soften the leather too much.

 

[esq_stu]

If it is so tight you cannot pull the gun out, it will need some break-in. I like to wrap the gun in plastic wrap (the plastic bag the holster came in works well), cram the wrapped gun into the holster and leave it sitting at least overnight.

I have done this when I wanted to wet the holster with a gun in it. More typically, I have wrapped a gun in one layer of thin rag made of a tee-shirt and then left the gun in the holster. Pull it out after a day, unwrap, and see if it's any looser. If not, keep doing it. It eventually stretches enough to work well.

 

[Scratchy]

#1 Put holster on belt.
#2 Put gun in holster. Enjoy!
Repeat steps 1 and 2 as necessary.

 

[Owens]

An old (now deceased) friend of mine who had been a cobbler, said that he used alcohol to wet leather (evaporates quickly) so it could be stretched. So... maybe this would work on holsters too? Wet the inside, wrap the gun in plastic wrap, shove it in. I haven't tried this, mainly because I haven't had to.

 

[Big Boomer]

NO! DO NOT WET HOLSTER!!!

The Lone Haranguer had it right, wrap gun in ONE layer of plastic wrap at a time. Let sit at least 1 day, preferably wear it for a day inside the house. If you stretch it too much you'll destroy it. Add a layer as needed. Do not go overboard here. Best bet it to just put the gun in the holster and wear it around a bit in the house. 99% of the time they will stretch to a perfect fit. Holster will wear over time.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

In case you haven't noticed, this thread isn't about breaking in holsters. It SPAM to get you to buy a Galco holster from the company that made the initial post. Have seen this on other boards.

 

[Pete409]

In case you haven't noticed, this thread isn't about breaking in holsters. It SPAM to get you to buy a Galco holster from the company that made the initial post. Have seen this on other boards.

Good observation.

With regard to using water to speed up the breaking in process, that's exactly what water does..... speed up the process. Ordinary wearing of a holster with a gun in it will result in the leather slowly absorbing water from the wearer's perspiration. As the holster gets wet from perspiration, the leather stretches. As the leather drys, it conforms to the shape of the gun.

I've worn holsters before when doing some mildly vigorous exercise (hiking) and, upon completion of the exercise, the holster was visibly WET from perspiration. This was an IWB holster.

So, whether you like it or not, your holster is going to be exposed to moisture (water) if you wear it. Wetting it thoroughly to begin with simply speeds up the break in process. If you are carrying a gun with a smooth blue finish, wearing it in a tight holster will quickly wear off the blue finish in the areas which are subject to the greatest pressure (muzzle, bottom edge of cylinder, etc). Of course, if you are carrying a "plastic" gun, it probably doesn't matter.

 

[stevelyn]

Spray silicone inside the holster, put the gun in it and let it sit for a day or two.

 

[ExSoldier]

Agree 100% with HKMP5SD on his observation. Having said that, I own a couple of Galco Concealable models. I love the cant and the style but they have been a little bit tight. I use Mitch Rosen's Leather Lightning and it works wonders.

Okay this is post #100 for me since I started here. Does anything happen to my level of membership? Senior member perhaps?

 

[ExSoldier]

YEEESSSSSS!

I suddenly feel at home!

 

[Sir Aardvark]

Check out Milt Sparks site under "Questions" then "10. My holster is too tight! What's the best way to break it in?"

http://www.miltsparks.com/


Blocking out your holster is the best way to do it - DO NOT wet your holster!

 

[Texas_XD]

Hkmp5sd:

Good point.. but still resulted in lots of useful info for me. I'm normally a kydex kinda guy but now swapping over to leather.

 

[the_fallguy]

Texas_XD, welcome back from the "Dark Side"

 

[Dravur]

hmmmm

This kind of chaps my hide.

I think I shall avoid galco from now on just because of this shady practice.

Now.. Thompson Gun Leather is a great leatherworker and makes all my holsters.... web site coming

 

[Pete409]

Several posters have said "Do NOT wet your holster" yet I haven't heard a single person explain WHY NOT. What bad thing is going to happen if you do, and why is it going to happen?

Also, if you believe that a bit of "wetting" is bad for the holster, then please explain how you are supposed to keep your holster dry if you wear an IWB holster (concealed) and do any type of exercise such as hiking, jogging, brisk walks, etc?

I've done these types of exercise while wearing an IWB holster for an hour or so and come in the house with the holster as wet as if I had submerged it in water for a minute or two. Yet my holsters never fell apart, came unraveled, or anything of the sort. Someone please explain to me why this is?

 

[the_fallguy]

Pete409,
If you thoroughly soak a holster and don't let it dry properly, it can loosen so much it will not have any retention qualities, you might lose the "temper" of the material, and you can even get a nice case of mildew if you don't dry it correctly.

All holster makers have some sort of process they use to harden the leather to make it keep its shape for life. It's my understanding that when vegetable tanned leather is exposed to hot water or alcohol the first time, part of the tanning agents in the leather is released, and some of it moves closer to the surface of the leather. This reinforces the fibers of the leather adding strength and rigidity, but still allows the leather to breath. This process will usually only work really well once. If you re-wet the holster, chances are you have just drastically reduced its service life. The other problem you will run into, is that even if the holster wasn't tempered in the above mentioned manner, there is a very good chance the holster is treated with some sort of acrylic. The odds are you won't get the penetration you need to properly soak the holster for any sort of reshaping.

Basically, if you use water to reshape it, there's a good chance you are hurting the holster. There are ways to accomplish loosening without doing this, so that's why most makers recommend not wetting the holster. It's safer than taking the chance. Any good holster maker wants you to have a holster that will last several years. That's my understanding anyway. If anyone else is better educated about this process than me, please jump in.