Wallet Holster Questions

[jpsjewel]

I'm planning on making a wallet holster but have some design questions:

My plan is to have a flat piece of leather as a backing to give it the "wallet" shape and then a wet formed piece in the front to hold the pistol. I want to use a fairly thin piece for the back panel so it isn't so thick when it's in my pocket. But I'm concerned that if I build the whole thing and try to wet form the front, the back panel will warp out of shape.

I'm not sure if you can wet form a single piece of leather (I'm new to this and have only wet formed one holster after I sewed it)). But I assumed that you'd have to have two pieces sewn together to get the leather stretched properly and help hold the form while it's drying.

Any thoughts/suggestions on the best way to proceed?

[Penden]

What I'm imagining is that you can either use a stiffener when you mold such as the plastic they sell to keep purses stiff or you can make a regular molded holster and then affix a flat, hardened or stiffened piece after the molding part is finished. I am not an expert in molded pocket holsters but I would imagine that it is more desirable to have it molded to both sides of the gun on the inside of the holster.

[pete]

I have made 4 so far for me and 3 folks with Ruger 380's and Kel-Tec's.(It fits the same for both!)

I cut the back piece and entirely finish it. Then I cut the front, sew the long side, wet and fold it over the gun while pulling, stretching and bone-ing. I gently remove the gun and let it dry completely so it keeps its shape.

Then I re-insert the gun, press the edges against it as I stab my awl marks (vertically) into the cutting board. Remove the gun and stitch.

It's how I do it and it works fine.

pete

[Jim March]

One point...if it's possible to fire the gun with the wallet around it, you've just run up against US NFA1934 rules and made an "any other weapon - disguised weapon" that needs special paperwork and a $200 tax stamp. Some states then have more limitations or in some cases bans.

If however the gun has to be pulled out of the holster in order to fire, you're fine.

[jpsjewel]

One point...if it's possible to fire the gun with the wallet around it, you've just run up against US NFA1934 rules and made an "any other weapon - disguised weapon" that needs special paperwork and a $200 tax stamp. Some states then have more limitations or in some cases bans.

If however the gun has to be pulled out of the holster in order to fire, you're fine.

Thanks for the info. The trigger will be completely covered so the gun would have to be pulled to shoot. But, it's good to know what the laws are.

[jpsjewel]

I have made 4 so far for me and 3 folks with Ruger 380's and Kel-Tec's.(It fits the same for both!)

I cut the back piece and entirely finish it. Then I cut the front, sew the long side, wet and fold it over the gun while pulling, stretching and bone-ing. I gently remove the gun and let it dry completely so it keeps its shape.

Then I re-insert the gun, press the edges against it as I stab my awl marks (vertically) into the cutting board. Remove the gun and stitch.

It's how I do it and it works fine.

pete

Thanks! It's for the Ruger .380 so I'll let your previous experience guide me.

[Jim March]

Yeah, only reason I mention it is NAA's forced recall of wallet holsters some years back that featured a hole in the middle where you could get to the trigger.

[Penden]

I just happened to read about a tried and true method in a book today.

Take a block of wood bigger than the piece you need to mold and take some small nails or tacks. Brass tacks won't leave black marks but you can do it either way if you are careful. Mold the leather over the item and tack it down in the crease around the edges as you go. You should be putting the tacks where you will later end up sewing, so black marks there don't matter. So you are tacking the leather to the wood. Let it dry and tada that part is molded and can be removed from the wood, trimmed, and sewn to a flat leather back.

[Bronson]

or you can make a regular molded holster and then affix a flat, hardened or stiffened piece after the molding part is finished.

That's what I did...works just fine.

POCKET HOLSTER

Bronson