olliesrevenge

Beautiful holster Chris, your detail molding is perfect IMO. I'm assuming that since the thread is not dyed tan that you dip-dyed the leather pieces before sewing. My experience has been that if I dye 1st it is much more difficult to get really good detail in the wet molding / detail process - would you mind sharing the secret? Of course if I'm wrong in my assumption that you dip-dyed before sewing it up -- and you actually dip dyed after sewing --than I'd love to hear how you kept the thred from being dyed. Thanks for posting & Take care

I have a similar issue. I own a HK USP .40 Compact -- and my brother in law owns a HK USP .45 Compact. If you examine the chart below of the HK USP compact dimensions for the various calibers -- you will see that the 9mm and the .40 are identical -- and the .45 appears to significantly differ only in barrel length and overall length. The height won't matter because that is only influenced by grip length (I think). IMO, the most important dimension -- the width -- is the same for all three. Anyway my plan is to make a holster using my USP .40 compact as a mold, and leave about 1/4" excess length without "curling / molding" the leather around the muzzle end. I think this will probably work -- although the glitch I am worried about is difference is the location of the thumb safety and the slide stop (if any) If I finish in a timely manner and get feedback from my bro in law, I'll post again. In the meantime I'd love to hear about it if anyone has used the USP compact 9mm / .40 as a mold for the .45. Take care. Dimensions-- 9 mm x 19 .40 S&W .45 AUTO Overall length-- 6.81 in. 6.81 in. 7.09 in. Overall height-- 5.00 in. 5.00 in. 5.06 in. Overall width-- 1.14 in. 1.14 in. 1.14 in. Barrel length-- 3.58 in. 3.58 in. 3.80 in. Sight radius-- 5.35 in. 5.35 in. 5.83 in.

I Luv it! The holster & the gun. CZ represents (arguably) the biggest bang for the buck in the entire handgun universe. It still amazes me how cheaply you can pick 'em up for in the private sale market. Don't let the folks over at the CZ Forums see that holster, you'll get pestered with a bunch of requests Apparently there is only a few quality makers out there who do CZ.

Ive never had my paws on a 37 or it's mag, so I cant go over 99% certainty. I buy stuff from these guys all the time... Lone Wolf Distributors Inc. 57 Shepard Road P.O. Box 3549 Oldtown, ID 83822-3549 Telephone/Fax: Phone: 208-437-0612 Fax: 888-279-2077 http://www.lonewolfdist.com/Content.aspx?PAGE=Contact%20Us ...they WILL know the answer, and they are super cool. I'm sure they'll be happy to help out a fellow "wolf" on the phone.

Mexican carry TWO Desert Eagles?! ... Like... at the same time? That's the most "straight up gangsta" thing I've ever heard! I imagine at least one advantage of Mexican carry with the BIG DE is that the barrel is so long you don't have to worry about it pointing right at your "junk", since the barrel must extend down past that point. Of course, on 2nd thought, if you are big enough to Mexican carry twin Desert Eagles your junk is way bigger than my junk, and might still be downrange of the muzzle!

I just re-read this, and the "Desert Eagle" part sank in. I sold an AR on SeattleGuns.net about a year ago, and advertised that I'd make the buyer a free holster along with the deal. When a buyer finally turned up, lo and behold he had a Desert Eagle he wanted a holster for. I tried to make an Avenger style holster for it, but was ultimately unsuccessful, and wound up making him a holster for a different gun. In a subsequent ad for a different rifle, I offered a free holster for any "reasonably sized" handgun! The biggest challenge I had with the DE was due to the relative thickness of the slide at the bottom near the trigger guard, and due to the triangular profile of the slide. The slide is thick & the trigger guard is thin, & I had much difficulty getting the leather to make the transition well to "work into" the trigger guard recess to achieve good retention. I just couldn't create anything I was happy with. Because of the triangular profile of the slide (thin at the top and thick at the bottom) any attempt to tighten things up at the bottom forces the gun forward - cramming the front sight into the leather fold at the front of the holster. The usual remedy for this is to use sewn in sight channels to brace the slide to the rear and create a channel for the front sight to travel in when the pistol is drawn. The problem here is that the triangular profile ( ie. thin at the top) doesn't allow much surface for sight channels. FWIW, those were the challenges I had with the monstrosity known as the "Desert Eagle"! If you successfully create an IWB holster for yours please post pics. Good luck! Lance

This is how I learned to build that type... (thanks woolfe) http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=22992&st=0&p=147075&fromsearch=1entry147075

IMO, taking a 30,000 foot view of the law that applies here reveals it to be typical nanny state, Simon says legislation that mostly serves to turn otherwise honest people into felons. However, if a BATF agent ever got involved, it's likely that he would have a different opinion than mine. It is kind of fascinating that Samuel apparently is a LEO. If it was me that posted that, I might decide that now was a good time to use the "edit" button if it's still available. In fact, if the mods wanted to be real friendly, they might decide to make that original post go away. In this political climate, it wouldn't be totally shocking if words written in an Internet forum were used as evidence.:poofan:

Max, I really like how you constructed your holster, with the outer piece lined and the inner piece w/ grain side in. Very cool, it makes a lot of sense. I guess you could call it "semi-lined" ? I've never made a lined holster, and I've always been curious about the work flow when stitching the lined piece. I guess you obviously first stitch across the top and bottom before gluing? Which would necessitate precisely lining up the top & bottom stitch lines with where you want your slide side & trigger side stitches. Is that right? Thanks for sharing

I hear you Mike, personally I don't have a problem carrying IWB in a holster that collapses when the gun is drawn. My buddy is in a unique situation, because I made him a really rigid "practice holster" that carries virtually identically to his primary holster, so he can practice to his hearts content with the benefit of one-handed re-holstering. But the bottom line is that there are some shooting schools out there teaching that this is important, so the demand is there. In addition, a good number of people these days are getting their "practice" shooting IDPA, and using a non-collapsing IWB (if you choose to go IWB) holster in that sport is really convenient with the SO standing over your shoulder, and I imagine it would reduce the possibility of a DQ due to sweeping your weak hand while it is holding open your belt during re-holstering. Another downside of "collapsing" IWB's is that some untrained shooters (unfortunately I have even seen LEO's that fit this description) have a tendency to want to angle the muzzle in to their body to wedge it into the holster, thus sweeping their hips. Like you implied, ultimately it all boils down to training, and understanding your gear. Strangely enough, I have yet to make myself one of these ultrathin IWB's. I should probably give it a try! FWIW

About a year ago - After reading Woolfe's reinforced mouth IWB tutorial, I took a crack at my 1st IWB holster. I made it for a buddy's CZ P-01 out of 4-5 oz Wickett & Craig (pic below), the belt loops (6-7 oz) are it's thickest leather component. I wasn't happy with the aesthetic appearance of it , it's thin enough to be easily pressed flat near the muzzle between index finger and thumb, and the reinforcement is only marginally effective at preventing collapse when the gun is drawn. He swears by that original thin one though, he says it's the most comfortable IWB he's ever owned; more so than any of the 3 IWB's I've made him since then, even more comfortable than the difficult to make "flat molded" IWB I made him. The P-01 in that that holster is his everyday carry rig, go figure.

The Brigade M11 you posted pics of is a great type of holster, but it's not flat on the backside, with the outer piece molded around the gun. Here is a great how to on how to build that type of holster - http://leatherworker...=1 For a truly "flat molded" holster - like in the pics attached below... I recommend using a non premium piece of leather to mold around the gun first as a research piece. The reason for this is that you will likely want to make changes to the upper edge contour, particularly around the trigger guard. area. Make it a bit bigger than you think it will likely need to be. The easiest way, IMO, to do this is to lay the gun on a wooden surface (I used a small piece of 2x12), and just use tacks to hold the wet formed leather down around the gun. You could get away with just using a piece of lathe and a couple of c-clamps to hold down the top of the slide edge, but if you try to use a scroll saw cutout 'negative mold' to clamp down the trigger guard side I almost guarantee you wont like the contour of it once you butt it up to the outline of the gun & molded leather. Just use tacks on the trigger side for starters. Cut the research piece as necessary (likely around the trigger guard) during the initial molding to get it to fit just the way you want. Let the research piece dry while still molded to the gun, then draw some outlines on it with a sharpie or other pen where you want the stitchlines to be. Then untack it, re-wet it, flatten it out, and let it dry once again. You now have a template for tracing your actual leather workpiece. For the actual assembly you now can stitch the straight slide side stitch line and then use a 'negative mold' for the trigger guard side (that you created from the sharpie drawn trigger side outline on the research piece). Then once it's dry you can hand sew the trigger guard side. Be aware that using the 'negative mold' on the trigger side will likely create some unwanted impressions in the leather if you butt it hard against the "wall" of leather on the trigger side outline - I recommend backing it off just a bit in size and using a ball stylus for final molding on the trigger side 90 degree crease. If you take detailed notes during the research piece phase; specifically about how far the molded outer leather has to "bunch up" in order to form around the gun, it is possible to use that information during the final build to completely sew the holster before doing the wet molding. This is only necessary if you are machine sewing, though, because it is impossible (as far as I know) to machine sew the trigger side after molding and get the stitch line butted right up to the 90 degree crease (even when using a left or right single presser foot). I hope that's as clear as mud - good luck!

Holy 'run on sentence' batman! I think I might have an idea of what you are trying to do but I hesitate to address it 'cause I feel like there is a good chance I might be wrong. There is alot of help to be had here, but I have a respectful suggestion. In order to access the help here you will need to take some time to more clearly articulate your question. Maybe a pic of what you currently have - and also a pic of what you want to wind up with (they could be captured or linked to from a holster maker site, etc).

You're right. I even knew about this common misnomer and still got it confused. At any rate, at least were on the same page for what it means. It's good to see confirmation that it is only the grip length along the bullet axis that is different, as I may need to build a holster for a 21SF in the near future, and I own a G20 to use for molding. As far as the rails go I think I'll be safe using the G20 with standard Glock rail for making a holster for a Glock with a picatinny rail, there just wont be molding depressions in each picatinny notch when the 21 SF gets holstered. Although using a picatinny railed pistol as a holster mold for a pistol w/ standard rail might result in too tight a fit. That's my thought anyway. When you said that 10mm and .45 ACP were the same OAL that sounded wrong and prompted me to look it up. I load for the 10mm but not for .45, & I was curious more than anything. Not only were you right, but the max COL for .45 is actually longer than for 10mm, 1.275" vs 1.260 according to LEE's 2nd edition. Go figure. I would have expected the 10mm to be longer than the .45 to about the same degree the 9mm is longer than the .40. (1.169" vs 1.135"). Take care

+1 to what woolfe said & linked to. Just to add a little something though... A 9mm Glock mag will fit into a .40 cal, or .357 Sig Glock pistol of equal or smaller size (and vice versa), but just out of curiosity I did some measurements with my calipers awhile back. I found a small (but consistent across a decent sample size) difference in size between 9mm & .40 mags. Note: Height was measured from the tip of the forward end of the mag follower to the underside (not the very end) of the base plate (i.e. the dimension of interest to a holster maker). 9mm Width - .9" Length - 1.309" Height - (G17 = 4.4") (G19 = 3.9") (G26 = 3") .40 S&W Width - .9" Length - 1.3" Height - Same as for similar 9mm frame sizes Although the difference is arguably insignificant, the .40 mags are slightly smaller in length (the bullet length dimension). With that in mind, I use a .40 mag (G22) for all standard frame Glock mag pouch making. I just drew two silver sharpie lines on it that correspond to the smaller mag sizes. On the .45 GAP and .380 pistols, I am 99% sure that they are the exact same size as their 9mm, .40, and .357 Sig counterparts. They are pretty rare though, especially the .380 which isn't sold in the US. If you ever get a holster order for one of those pistols, mark it on your calendar, cause it likely will never happen again. The G29 & G20 are the exact same size as the G30 and G21, respectively. I am also 90% certain that the .45 ACP SF "slim frame" models only differ in the length of the grip (i.e. the bullet length dimension), and that all other dimensions are the same. Thus a holster made for a G21 or G20 should fit a G21 SF (and vice versa) FWIW Lance

Aha. My problem is that it had been awhile since I studied how this thing was constructed. Watching this video refreshed my memory though - ... and I remembered my initial plan of using a metal roller belt buckle (with the prong removed) for the loop. My plan is to just Duracoat the buckle black since I too am more interested in simply making a functional sling than a historically accurate replica. Another guy who makes these is in Hawaii, and unlike the Turner site he shows close up pics- http://www.lestam.com/ Thanks for the refresher!

I ordered from Brownells a couple months ago, searching their site for "sling hooks" found it for me... (Correct me if I'm wrong , but you are using the terms "loops", "hooks", and "frogs" interchangeably, right? I think I'm addressing the correct item) http://www.brownells...LUS_SLING_HOOKS ... although I see they are currently out of stock, they might point you to their supplier if you called. Ohio Travel Bag has sling hooks in their catalog as well, but they are brass colored (not sure if they are real brass), are constructed of lighter gauge metal, and only have two rivet holes. I can tell by looking at your shotgun butt stock shell carrier (awesome work BTW) , that you will want the heavier Brownells item. They are quite thick and rugged. I would've already used mine to make a 1907 but the sheer number of holes to punch has me procrastinating on that one. I need to make a jig for punching the holes uniformly and then I'll be in business. Hope this helps, Lance

That's really nice. I saw your other thread on this from back when it was just a gleam in your eye. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=17195 The belt is veg tan folded flesh side out right? About 5/6 oz?

Judging by the high quality of your work, you are catering to a discriminating kind of holster buyer. They will notice - guaranteed. If I was the customer I wouldn't mind getting an e-mail w/ a pic of the item, and being given a choice between a do over or a small rebate on the imperfect item.

It is possible to build a flat molded holster without going the old school route of casing, and wet molding the outer piece (& using tacks to hold it down, etc ) before hand sewing it onto the back piece. I did it as a matter of necessity because I'm using a machine to sew and it wasn't possible to get the stitch line as close as I wanted to the outline of the gun (particularly on the trigger guard side) with the machine since the stitch line is butted up against a "wall" of leather. The trick is to cut the outer piece of leather larger (significantly so) than the inner piece, since it is the one wrapping around the gun. It is a tricky process to get just the right amount of leather bunched up on the topside when building a holster this way, and if you decide to try it, be warned - heartache awaits you (don't use your prime cuts of leather for starters). I'm hesitant to post a "formula" for doing this, because each gun is different; a Glock will require more "excess" leather on the topside than say, a 1911. If you don't mind holes cut in the outside of your holster, you could go the "Aker" route and make a relief cut in front of the trigger guard that will significantly reduce the geometric complexity of finding the right amount of "excess" leather, as it allows the outer molded piece to simply fold down 90 degrees at the triggerguard and the dust cover. If you study the holster on the front page of this site... http://www.akerleather.com/ ...you'll get the idea. If you just want to build one of these and you are hand stitching, my advice is to go old school and take Pete's advice. If you want to build a bunch though, and / or you are machine sewing, it might be worth it to "do the math". Believe it or not, the Glock 19 holster in the photo's below was glued up, and stitched on my Tippmann Boss before wet molding. The mag pouch was built the old school way where the outer piece was molded first, allowed to dry, then stitched to the inner piece.

Looking at this kind of gunleather is what got me started in this. Top notch work. Your detail molding with this holster is, IMO, about as good as it gets. I'm using a Boss, and I know from looking at Particle's work that a Boss can be tuned to make real nice stitching (although it seems I always fall short of being "extremely" happy with it), but when I see stitching like this I get jealous. You're using a Cobra right? Thanks for sharing, Lance

+1 to the quote above. I wont presume to try and tell anyone how to run their business, but I think alot of the good "one person operation" holster makers undercharge for their work. If you look out into the holster marketplace you can find some interesting comparables that you can use as a guide. For example; there is a certain "Breed" of popular holster out there that consists of a molded piece of kydex riveted onto a slab of flat leather that sells for $70. This particular holster works great & is comfortable, but leaves a bit to be desired in the detail department, with it's relatively unfinished edges and exposed hardware on the back, and is somewhat overpriced IMO. But hey, marketing is half the battle right? Given that precedent (and others), I think $60 - $80 for a well executed leather holster is totally reasonable, particularly if it has features like decorative stamping and the like. I'm not in business (yet), but since I bought a Boss I have cranked out a bunch of holsters for friends, like the two below that I sold for $40 apiece... & I made it clear that $40 was the "Super Friend" price. FWIW

Hi Andrew, Nice 'Hawk and sheath. I have more experience in using kydex holsters and such, than I do with fabricating w/ it, and I have found it to be extremely durable. My guess is that when your sheath fails (probably many years from now), it will most likely be due to hardware failure (the grommets you used to secure the two halves together), rather than to the kydex "loosening up". I like your design, I think it has the advantage of being simple. You say it works great when you rotate it out of it's sheath instead of pulling straight down - if that is truly the case then I'd call it a job well done and move on. "Do you know where I can buy tension screws? " "Tension Screws" are actually a 4 part apparatus. If you try them with your sheath, you'd probably want to ensure that the hawk's blade doesn't touch the rubber "crush washer", or it will obviously cut it. It would add complexity to the design and would be another thing to fall apart or break. If the original design works well, again, I say "why bother"? That said, here is how I construct them... 1) Tee Nut - 8/32, 1/2 inch diameter 2) Flat head 8/32 machine screw (length varies based on project thickness) 3) Finish washer 4) 3/8" Inside Diameter motorcycle fuel line tubing (unreinforced - you want it to "squish") http://www.mcmaster.com/# Part# 90975A012Steel Tee Nut Znc-Pltd, 8-32 Int Thrd, 1/4" H Barrel, 1/2" Base Dia In stock at $6.74 per Pack Part # 91266A194 Alloy Self-Locking Flat Head Socket Cap Screw 8-32 Thread, 1/2" Length, Black Oxide Part # 92918A135Black Zinc-Plated Brass Countersunk Washer No. 8 Screw Size, .53" OD

Nice! Yours is bigger than mine! (unfortunately that's not the 1st time I've ever had to say that... ). I didn't think about belts when I started scabbing mine together, but you gave me some ideas. Thanks for posting this. So you're gonna be in Monroe this weekend huh? I'll look for the Haysholsters setup, and I'll say hi if I see you. I live pretty close to there and was planning on going. -Lance

The lowest my main kitchen oven goes down to is 170, and I stuck a holster in there for 30 min once & it turned out ok. The bottom heating element was the one that did the heating, so I laid the holster on a cloth hot pad and then put that on a cookie sheet, to protect the leather from the hot metal. It looks like the end of yours that got scorched was maybe close to a heating element and took more than it's fair share of radiant heat? Before I built a hot box (which is currently still in R&D mode) I used a small space heater to blow warm air on my holsters to harden them. I probably built 20 like that, they got pretty hard & I never damaged one, so I guess it's pretty safe. The trick is remembering to turn them and "cook" both sides.