40Rock2

Intersting, I just made a holster for a GP100 using a Rings for the mold. The gentleman tried a SW K frame in it and it fit quite well but a bit looser than the GP100. I also use the same pattern for the N frame with a slightly bumped out stitch line.

Come on Red Cent, I thought I saw you post recently that you are making flat back holsters. What's a guy have to do to get some pointers?

Thanks, I have never tried vacuum forming but I do have the equipment for that. I will give that a try.

So I would like to try making flat back holsters and I am not sure how. Recently I have been playing around with making the front piece larger than the back piece. This forms a pocket which helps but does not get me all the way to a flat back. -Do you mold/form the entire front half first? If so do you use a press? if so what type and thickness of foam? -Do you use an oversize cut out of the gun to press around the form? -If the front is molded first can you stitch on a walking foot machine? Any Help would be greatly appreciated. Tony

I agree about the stitch line being key to retention. I also find that the molding gives the maker additional control of retention. Be careful about molding above the cylinder as it gets tight real fast. I like the trigger gaurd molding to give me the click in and our feel.

I have had great luck just building them like pretty much the same as my semi-auto styles. I will add that as a pistol instructor, I am a stickler for just the right amount of retention. The draw must be smooth and fast but the gun must stay in during daily activities and simulated hand to hand/grappling.

I just stand at my workbench and use a bench vise to hold my work.

Thanks for the feedback. When using 2 pieces of 1" thick gum rubber (one on top one on the bottom) do they squeeze down around the gun enough that they touch each other? I am trying to gauge how far I should be pressing. Also the stuff I got felt very hard to the touch. I could not deform it at all between my thumb and forefinger. Does that sound right? I ordered mine from Grainger. It was 1" thick 40 durometer gum rubber. http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Rubber-Sheet-1XWD4?Pid=search

I have been waiting for this to come up again. All of my forming has been done bu hand so far. I want to get into press forming so I ordered the 40 durometer gum rubber. I found it to be much harder than I expected. I was afraid to even try it for fear of crushing my blue gun. I also would like to use actual guns and this stuff just seemed to be way to hard. Are my concerns unfounded?