Iwb - Sig P239

[BigRiverLeather]

Like the rest of us, you will soon have a large box of holsters that are REALLY nice but can't do much with them :D

I recently did a belt carry pouch for a Sig P238 subcompact. After pouring HOURS into that in design and coming up with a whole new design by the time I was done, the customer decided that that type of carry was not at all for him. I ended up making him an IWB, but I learned a lot about making a pouch and next time I should be able to whip through it fairly quickly.

I don't even feel right selling my prototypes. CCW is a serious matter that should not be comprimised so I just suck it up.

[olliesrevenge]

Thanks for posting again Eric,

I really like the two tone look of the combined 'flesh side out' body w/ grain side out reinforcement piece. For an IWB it makes a huge amount of sense. May I ask how you finish the flesh side? Did you just airbrush your final finish product on at the very end (I'm guessing some type of diluted acrylic)?

[particle]

I'm still up in the air with the best finishes to use. But, someone told me recently that he spoke with Tucker (Tucker Gunleather), and Tucker said he uses CR42 (Leather Sheen) finish spray, which is what Mr. Tucker (Tucker Gunleather) recommended as the sealant and uses on his holsters.

That being said, I took a scrap piece of leather, sanded it just like I did this holster, then coated half with Leather Sheen, and the other half with Satin Sheen. The Leather Sheen, once dry, left barely and noticeable change in color. The Satin Sheen left it quite a bit darker, and seems to pretty much negate the reason for leaving rough-side out.

If anyone has any better suggestions, I'm all ears.

[Rayban]

Particle...I'm about to try my first IWB. You mentioned in your OP that the holster was a little thick because of where you installed the straps. I'm planning on putting them on either side of the holster, on what I call the "wings", as I'll start out with a basic pancake type pattern.

Question about the snaps themselves...are they just your regular line 24 snaps, or is there something special about them.....I was wondering if you could take a picture of them unsnapped so I could get a better visual on how they are installed.

I'm also planning a stop at Cabelas where they have several holsters I can check out.

As always, thanks for your help.......your finishing is of the level I hope to achieve someday.

R

[particle]

Hi Rayban - thanks for the compliments. It occurs to me that I never updated this thread with pics of the final holster I built for this customer.

I used Pull-The-Dot snaps. I believe I remember someone here comparing them to standard line 24 snaps - his conclusion was the PTD snaps are more lose fitting (wobbly when snapped), and overall thicker. Of course, they do offer added security over standard line 24 snaps.

I bought the small T-studs from Lowes, and screws too. I don't have the sizes handy that I purchased, but can look them up tonight if you need me to. I installed the studs between the reinforcement piece and the holster body.

I bought 5-6 oz leather, but felt the leather was too thin, so I ordered some 6-7 oz for my next attempt. This holster was built out of 7-8 oz.

[Rayban]

Just so I get this.....by screwing the snap in, it allows you to loosen it in order to adjust the angles of the straps?

Is that it? (rather than using the rivet fastener that comes with line 24?)

Is this what yours looks like under the snap?

[BigRiverLeather]

I think I can speak for him when I say yes, that is the type of setup he has used, as do I. A #6 T post with the barbs on it goes between the layers of leather before you glue. Some put it all the way through from the back but it looks so much cleaner with the T post between the layers. On his IWB you would not / should not put it all the way through as it would make contact with the gun of course.

The screw I use most of the time is a #6 x 3/8" screw, button head or flat head scew with an allan head if available. I have an assortment of both black and stainless for different applications. I keep some 1/4" and 1/2" around too, as well as #6 T posts without the barbs for certain uses.

You can now easily adjust the angle or replace belt loops for different size belts or if and when they wear out.

[particle]

Everything BRL said is on the money with what I would have said. I have a hard time making a holster with permanently affixed straps that will be subjected to daily folding. Eventually, those straps will crack and fail, and the holster would simply have to be tossed. By using screws, the owner can order new straps when/if it becomes necessary.

BRL - where are you ordering your T posts from? The only ones I've found (locally) from Home Depot are for use with brads - they have tiny holes to nail a brad through - they don't have barbs on them. I have only made an IWB for one customer so far (the one shown in this thread), but he sold the gun that went with this holster so I can't get any long term feedback from him. I assume the contact cement will hold the post from turning for a while, but I'd rather buy them with the barbs for future holsters.

[Rayban]

Thanks guys...on my way to HD soon to see if I can find some.....Lowe's is right across the road...but if there's a place to order them from, I'd like to know too.

Thanks again!

[BigRiverLeather]

http://www.mcmaster.com/#

You can also get your finsih washers there, black, stainless or brass. Brass looks good, but the phillips screw heads strip out real easy. They are your one stop hardware shop