Holster wear

[glbedd53]

I would like to get a holster, not necessarily for concealment, for my blued Colt 1911, 5" just to use occasionally. I know if you holster a blued gun there is no getting around some wear but I wanted to get input on what material is least damaging. I have always heard suede and horsehide but I want some other input. Not just material but maybe something to spray or apply to the inside of a holster.

[RiverRat]

That is a difficult question. I have given it some thought. I'm sure some of the old timers have personal knowledge they could share, too.

I'll give you my insights, considering your question about a blued pistol.

Suede:
Suede is soft. If clean, it might (on paper) seem like a good alternative.
I have found that suede traps dirt and is harder to clean(even unused, sitting in your draw).
Suede holds moisture and sweat and oils.
Suede is difficult to clean.
Suede is a higher friction surface than several other linings. Makes it slower draw.
a lot of suedes are tanned using chemicals that are unfriendly to bluing, particularly colored suedes.

Sealants:
It is common to use sealants on finish holsters to make them resistant to dirts, oils, and moisture and to keep from softening with humidity.
I would not have holster that the leather was not sealed unless it was a cowboy style without definitive shaping or molding. I'm not sure it makes good sense then either.

Acrylic sealants; commonly used (think latex, water based paint).
They are easier to clean,
water proof to a level,
easy to maintain,
not common to re-administer,
don't collect dirt or foreign matter as readily and
are chemically inert to the bluing.
They stiffen the leather surface, leaving a hard surface, and increase abrasion that way.
The hard surface makes for less friction when drawing you weapon.

Wax and balm;
Resistant to moisture,
some resistance to salts and oils,
traps some dirts if ground in,
cleans easily,
leaves a pliable surface (think of the finish on your shoes or boots),
easy to maintain,
can be re-waxed or re-surfaced as needed.
Wax is a lubricant, allowing for a good draw of your weapon and polishing of the draw track inside the holster.
The flexiblility of the wax also allows the pistol to set (stick a little) for more friction on draw, particular over time an leather swelling.

HorseHide;
It is less absorbant than cowhide. It doesn't soak with sweat as readily. I have no other knowledge of it. I haven't seen it available for purchase except in small sections called horse butt. I have never tried to set it or mold it, so have no knowledge as to how well it holds stiffness or form when used as a holster. I have seen some horsehide holsters, but they were limp and didn't hold shape. I have a small strip of horsehide on my Mtacs on the inside to keep me from sweating on the holster.

Personally, I prefer the wax/balm, but I don't do competition draws. The acrylic seems too rigid and too much like plastic or Kydex.

These are just my opinions.

[glbedd53]

I have heard that horsehide is less abrasive to a gun finish but for some reason it seems most holster makers don't offer it. Makes me wonder what the down side of it is. I don't have to put that gun in a holster and I guess the smart thing is just to not ever do it.

[The Annoyed Man]

One of the holsters I own is a Galco Royal Guard. It is made from horsehide, but it is rough side out. When I ordered it, by phone, I asked why it was rough side out. The sales person told me that it was because the rough side would trap grit and eventually mar the finish of a pistol. I asked why horsehide and not cowhide, and he said it was because in this application, the horsehide was actually stiffer, so the holster would wear longer. It is a VERY stiff holster. It also has an extra band of leather around the mouth of the holster so that it doesn't collapse after the gun is drawn, making it easier to safely reholster.

I eventually stopped using it because it doesn't fit my body type too well. It fits a 3" Kimber, and it kind of rides up until it almost comes out from behind my waistband. I am fairly certain that if it were made to fit a longer gun, say a 5" 1911, it would work just fine for me. But as you can see from the pictures below, most of the gun's weight is actually outside of the holster, above the line of the holster's mouth, so the whole package doesn't stay in place very well, particularly if one is "horizontally challenged," as am I. Add to that the fact that the belt loops are fairly close together, and the problem is just accentuated. In any case, it is a very well made holster (and at a little over $120.00 it was very expensive too). Here is are a couple of pictures of it that I took this morning:




It retains the pistol very well, it's just that my body doesn't retain the holster very well.

I would be willing to bet that if my gun were longer, or I were skinnier, the rough side out leather would actually help the holster to stay in place better.

[glbedd53]

Is that a OWB or a left handed IWB? Or could it work either way?

[The Annoyed Man]

Is that a OWB or a left handed IWB? Or could it work either way?

It's a left handed IWB. It would definitely not work as an OWB holster.

[WildBill]

I have always heard suede and horsehide but I want some other input. Not just material but maybe something to spray or apply to the inside of a holster.

I have a horsehide holster by High Noon. It is similar to TAM's. High Noon does not recommend spraying or applying any substance to the leather. IMO. a holster should be made to be used a received from the manufacturer. Spraying or applying oils or other materials may soften the leather and will degrade the holster.

P.S. It seems that many of the newbies think that leather holsters should be soft and pliable like a good leather jacket. That is not the case. They are made to be stiff and non-pliable for a reason.

[The Annoyed Man]

P.S. It seems that many of the newbies think that leather holsters should be soft and pliable like a good leather jacket. That is not the case. They are made to be stiff and non-pliable for a reason.

Absolutely. The stiffer the holster, the better it will hold your gun, including retention from "awkward" positions, and the safer it will be to reholster your gun after drawing it.... ....hence the popularity of kydex as a holster material. But Kydex isn't friendly to gun finishes, and some may not like the way it feels, hence the need for stiff leather.

BTW, as regards preserving the finish... if you actually carry your pistol with any regularity, it is going to get some holster wear, regardless of what the holster is made out of. I finally resigned myself to that fact and was able to put it out of my mind. Guns can be refinished, but it is a lot harder to do when it has fallen out of your flimsy holster and hit the pavement real hard, putting deep scratches in the metal.

[glbedd53]

Yep, I've always avoided carrying any of my blued handguns in holsters for that reason and I guess I'll just keep doing that. It's a series 70 made in the early 70's and it's still in great shape so it would be dumb to mess it up. I do like to shoot it but I think I'll just keep shootin it at the range. Thank yall for the help.

[AddyLO]

the rough side is on the outside on IWB products so that it will grip inside your pants a little better than a slick-sided holster would.

Maybe I'm confusing the definition of "inside" and outside", but it's exactly the opposite on a horsehide Supertuck. The rough side rides against your body, with the smooth side against the gun (and your pants).

[MoJo]

Inside/outside of a holster refers to where the pistol goes. Rough outside means gun goes against smooth leather and vice versa.

[AddyLO]

Oops! Thanks for the clarification. Guess I was looking at it more holistically than holsteristically.

[RiverRat]

[quote="The Annoyed Man"]One of the holsters I own is a Galco Royal Guard. It is made from horsehide, but it is rough side out. When I ordered it, by phone, I asked why it was rough side out. The sales person told me that it was because the rough side would trap grit and eventually mar the finish of a pistol. I asked why horsehide and not cowhide, and he said it was because in this application, the horsehide was actually stiffer, so the holster would wear longer. It is a VERY stiff holster. It also has an extra band of leather around the mouth of the holster so that it doesn't collapse after the gun is drawn, making it easier to safely reholster.

quote]
Thanks for the comment. I have only seen a couple of revolver holsters in horsehide and was impressed. One was as limp as a sock. Is the horsehide sealed on the inside? Just curious??

I won't expect the roughout to be sealed if you are using it IWB for friction inside your pants.

[Skydivesnake]

My shiny-side-out concealco sticks to my skin in the same way that a leather car seat sticks to your legs on a hot day. It stays still much more firmly than the rough-side-out concealco I have for another gun.

I lined my holster with "Poor Man's Kydex" - available in the dairy section of your local grocery store :-) It stops the perspiration getting to the gun and the finish is holding up better than my previous gun (same model) in the same holster.

But generally, I accept a bit of holster wear on my gun in the same way as oil residue on my spanners :-)