TheWarhammer
Member
I've been working with Kydex for some time, making some motorcycle accessories and other little things. A few nights ago, I decided I'd try my hand at making a hybrid holster ( a la Comptac, Kholster, etc...). There's really nothing to them, and by making your own you can add some little custom touches. I decided to make one for my Kahr K40. There were some specific issues I wanted to address that I can't find on off-the-shelf holsters:
1. A bottom that would civer the extended, ported barrel I've installed.
2. Provisions for an extra magazine.
3. Molded to the curve of my body, not flat as a board and requiring weeks of break-in to feel right.
4. Full coverage backing for the grip (not "combat" cut).
I figure I've got a total of about $12 worth of materials into this holster.
I used some olive drab .08" Kydex that I had lying around for the holster. I have a bunch of black .093" Kydex, but I thought that would be too thick and I'm not patient enough to wait for more .08" just to make the holster black. Besides, it's and IWB holster, so who really cares what color it is? The leather is natural (undyed) 9 oz shoulder and I used "black chrome" rivets and Chicago screws for assembly. The belt clips are universal spring steel clips. Everything but the Kydex came from Tandy Leather Co.
After molding the Kydex to both the gun and the mag and cutting off any unneeded material with my bandsaw, I dressed the edges of the Kydex and riveted it to the leather. Then, I reheated the Kydex and moulded the whole holster to the contour of my side where it will ride. I punched three holes on each side to allow for some adjustability of the belt clips and installed them with some leather washers and the Chicago screws. A little Loctite will make sure the screws don't come undone during use. Finally, I trimmed the leather to it's finished shape and sanded the edges to a smooth radius. I know a lot of guys like the "combat cut" where there is no leather behind the grip. However, I'm a heavy sweater, so I want the extra protection between me and the grip. Also, the checkering on my grips tend to get fairly harsh against your bare skin after a while.
Anyway, that's what I came up with. I learned a few "next-times" and had a fun evening playing with leather and Kydex. I may punch one more hole in the front so I can give it just a little more cant. The retention of the holster is just right: smooth and easy to draw, but the gun isn't going ANYWHERE on accident. (I've already given it the "jump up and down and run around" test.) The mag is easy to reach with my off hand, and I can store a standard or extended mag there with no problem. Due to contouring the holster to my body while I was building it, it's already more comfortable than most of my "broken in" holsters. I wore it all day Sunday, through church and a picnic in the park (complete with scavenger hunt and bocce) and it worked great.
1. A bottom that would civer the extended, ported barrel I've installed.
2. Provisions for an extra magazine.
3. Molded to the curve of my body, not flat as a board and requiring weeks of break-in to feel right.
4. Full coverage backing for the grip (not "combat" cut).
I figure I've got a total of about $12 worth of materials into this holster.
I used some olive drab .08" Kydex that I had lying around for the holster. I have a bunch of black .093" Kydex, but I thought that would be too thick and I'm not patient enough to wait for more .08" just to make the holster black. Besides, it's and IWB holster, so who really cares what color it is? The leather is natural (undyed) 9 oz shoulder and I used "black chrome" rivets and Chicago screws for assembly. The belt clips are universal spring steel clips. Everything but the Kydex came from Tandy Leather Co.
After molding the Kydex to both the gun and the mag and cutting off any unneeded material with my bandsaw, I dressed the edges of the Kydex and riveted it to the leather. Then, I reheated the Kydex and moulded the whole holster to the contour of my side where it will ride. I punched three holes on each side to allow for some adjustability of the belt clips and installed them with some leather washers and the Chicago screws. A little Loctite will make sure the screws don't come undone during use. Finally, I trimmed the leather to it's finished shape and sanded the edges to a smooth radius. I know a lot of guys like the "combat cut" where there is no leather behind the grip. However, I'm a heavy sweater, so I want the extra protection between me and the grip. Also, the checkering on my grips tend to get fairly harsh against your bare skin after a while.
Anyway, that's what I came up with. I learned a few "next-times" and had a fun evening playing with leather and Kydex. I may punch one more hole in the front so I can give it just a little more cant. The retention of the holster is just right: smooth and easy to draw, but the gun isn't going ANYWHERE on accident. (I've already given it the "jump up and down and run around" test.) The mag is easy to reach with my off hand, and I can store a standard or extended mag there with no problem. Due to contouring the holster to my body while I was building it, it's already more comfortable than most of my "broken in" holsters. I wore it all day Sunday, through church and a picnic in the park (complete with scavenger hunt and bocce) and it worked great.
