IWB appendix carry

[DoubleKCustomLeathercraft]

This is my first IWB appendix carry holster. Sig P365 X Macro with a foxtrot 2R light. In the three years of don't business here in Montana, this is only the second IWB holster I've been commissioned to make. The first one was a beautiful single clip for a fullsize browning high power to carry in the 4 o'clock position. This one came out looking great, but.... IT'S A FAILURE. Yes I'm posting my fail in showoff to make a point. 

 

The gun, and light combo fits great. The holster is comfortable except for the left side (right side in picture). Apparently I make the corner a bit too sharp. That's not where the real failure is though. 

 

Today I got a dreaded text. The magazine button gets pushed and his magazine popped out in front of customers. He works behind the gun counter at a big retailer. There's two things wrong here.

 

First, that's definitely something you don't want to happen in front of someone, especially in a retail setting. It not only tells everyone "Hey, I'm carrying a concealed weapon!" but it also looks bad on the company that employs him and the maker of the holster (me) 

 

Secondly, and this is the most important part of being a holster maker, failure such as this cannot be tolerated. That could end up extremely bad in a situation where he may actually have to protect himself. The mag could be in the gun, but not in battery and if he had to defend himself, it could be a death sentence. As a holster maker I have to take into consideration that this holster may have to save a life, it must function 100% correctly. It's a crushing feeling, but a good lesson. I'm glad it's only been a day and he figured it out before he actually needed his firearm. 

 

I will be making adjustments to the pattern and of course making him a new holster. Its unfortunate that this does happen occasionally. Especially when is outside my specialty. I'm not experienced in IWB holster design. 65% of my business is shoulder and chest holsters, with 20% pancake style holsters and the last 15% misc holsters, knife sheaths and other projects. 

 

I'm sharing my failure for others to understand. We're not perfect all the time and we have to fail to learn. I have about 4 or 5 holsters that were just not the right fit, either too tight for the weapon, or the wrong balance. This though, is my first actual failed design. I've already discussed with him where the flaws are. I'll make it work right, and I won't be charging anything extra. This is 100% on me and not the customer's crazy ideas. 

[Mablung]

First, thanks for sharing your failures—we all learn that way.  On that note, do you mind showing pictures of where the mag release sits and describing what you think causes the issue, as far as design goes?  I do a little bit of holstermaking (for myself only, so far) and would like to see so I can avoid similar issues.

[DoubleKCustomLeathercraft]

11 hours ago, Mablung said:

First, thanks for sharing your failures—we all learn that way.  On that note, do you mind showing pictures of where the mag release sits and describing what you think causes the issue, as far as design goes?  I do a little bit of holstermaking (for myself only, so far) and would like to see so I can avoid similar issues.

I've asked him to send me a pic of the gun itself in the holster so I can see exactly what's going on. I didn't have any cell service yesterday since I went fishing. Hopefully he sends me one. Then I can get a better idea of what is causing the mag button to be pushed. My wooden mold gun i made for the project fits right and the mag release shouldn't be getting touched. When I find out more, I'll post it. 

[DoubleKCustomLeathercraft]

12 hours ago, Mablung said:

I do a little bit of holstermaking (for myself only, so far) and would like to see so I can avoid similar issues.

He sent me the picture this morning just after I responded. It's kind of what I thought. The sweat guard on the backside is just wide enough to catch the mag release button. You can see it in the picture. (I can't get the right picture to upload) It's really a simple adjustment on my pattern, and the problem is fixed. I'll also make both top corners where the clips are a larger radius so he's not feeling the pinch from such a sharp corner. 

I based my pattern off of the pancake style holsters. What I didn't take into consideration is the fact that the OWB pancake holsters are...outside the waist band. They're flexing in a completely different manner. If this holster was made to be a pancake style it most likely wouldn't be hitting the button since it would sit a little flatter, and tighter to the belt. Hope this helps. Show us some pics if/when you get one made. 

 

Edited Saturday at 03:33 PM by DoubleKCustomLeathercraft
Uploaded wrong picture, and can't get the right picture to upload.

[AlZilla]

Blue Guns, Dummy Guns and purchased patterns only get you so far. Nothing beats real world testing and evaluation.

Maybe this is a good reason to buy one of every gun for which you're asked to make a holster.  

[DoubleKCustomLeathercraft]

2 hours ago, AlZilla said:

Maybe this is a good reason to buy one of every gun for which you're asked to make a holster.  

I wish I could buy one of every gun, but that gets too be expensive, not always available and I have a really small shop. 100sq ft floor with benches, a desk and cabinets. Not a lot of space available to hold on my prop guns. I started out with that idea, buy one of every gun in commissioned to build for, but that bit me hard. And I would love to pass the buck and charge the customer for the prop but then that's another $50-$60 on top of what they're already paying. I have quite a few prop guns that I've only used the one time. Ruger 5.7 comes to mind, and I have a couple that's never been used. Coming from CA to Montana changes what's popular or not. I have several for more popular models. I will eventually buy one for the p365 macro since it's becoming a more popular weapon in my area. For the time being tough, the wooden one I made is exact size, width, length, even down to the trigger guard and the angles on the slide and frame. I was a woodworker before I was a leathersmith. That really helps me save a lot of money so I can keep my prices more affordable

[Dwight]

4 hours ago, AlZilla said:

Blue Guns, Dummy Guns and purchased patterns only get you so far. Nothing beats real world testing and evaluation.

Maybe this is a good reason to buy one of every gun for which you're asked to make a holster.  

Actually you don't have to have a real gun . . . but you have to have realistic models . . . or at least stop and look at pictures before you go at the holster.

Simply laying the holster over on it's face . . . and looking at the same side of the gun should have shown the hole that was needed for the mag release.  

I use wooden dummy guns that I've made myself . . . but I am very careful about the mag releases and safeties . . . on wooden guns . . . they are absent . . . on blue guns they are at least visible.  

May God bless,

Dwight

[DoubleKCustomLeathercraft]

 

6 hours ago, Dwight said:

Simply laying the holster over on it's face . . . and looking at the same side of the gun should have shown the hole that was needed for the mag release

Dwight, 

Maybe it's only happening when he moves a certain way. It's not that I didn't put a hole where it's necessary. The very edge of the sweat shield is hitting it. My pattern is off by like a 1/16 of an inch. But then there's also the corner that is pinching his left side a little. I should've put a larger radius on it. 

I should mention that right now he doesn't actually have his light yet, and I made a leather block to fill the void knowing that he's getting the light soon. I've done this a few times very successfully. 

Now that I think of it. I should ask him if he's tried the holster with a light attached. Since he works behind the gun counter it wouldn't be too big if an issue. 🤔 I'll have to mention that to him Monday. 

I appreciate everyone's feedback and insight. I know I still have a lot to learn

[Dwight]

12 hours ago, DoubleKCustomLeathercraft said:

 

Maybe it's only happening when he moves a certain way.

Actually I got a first hand lesson on this problem . . . and it was as you stated above.

I went to a gun shop that was having a big sale  . . .  and holsters were like 50 % off . . . this was before I started making them.

I had been looking for a certain brand of paddle holster for a full size 1911.  He had one . . . and seemed really relieved when it went off the shelf.  It was the color I wanted . . . and everything.

I wore it a couple times out away from the house . . . and one day I grabbed it to go after a coon that was in my chicken house.

I shot at him with the one that was in the chamber and missed . . . but when I went for the follow up shot . . . it just went click.  

As I looked at my gun . . . the mag fell out.  The bandit got away.

I took it in the house to try to find out what went wrong . . . exactly the problem you described . . . the hole was too small.

Now when I do a holster for a semi auto . . . the mag release gets special attention . . . LARGE holes are left so they don't get inadvertently punched.

And please be careful . . . some of them have releases on both sides . . . not many . . . but a few.

Have fun . . . holster making is a challenge . . .  and one I love to work in.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Brooks125]

Thanks for the post, and the transparency. There's always a check list of considerations on holsters:

Cover the trigger guard, DON'T cover the mag release (a PPK looks real interesting), leave a good purchase on the grip (cross-draws are tough).  I have several TRASH CANS full of sketch holsters and screw-ups.  When someone asks why things are expensive, I explain that we have to pay for the mistakes.

That looks like a good design, especially for a first try at something a little outside your wheelhouse.  Let us know how the light works out.  A lot of us avoid those, myself included.  Keep at it!

[bladegrinder]

I use blue guns for guns I don't own, you can see here how the reverse side of the magazine release is visible. the backside of the holster is cut the same way as the front.

The second holster is a S&W Shield. it holds it nicely with no worries about the mag release. I wet form and vacuum my holsters to the gun but that has no bearing on the magazine relase issue.

 

Edited 10 hours ago by bladegrinder
spelling

[bladegrinder]

Here is a Sig 365 inside the waistband holster, in the first pic you can see the mag release, the second shows the mag release clearing the holster.