How Tightly Should The Holster Form To The Pistol?

[Kring]

The IWB holster that I just made for my Colt 1911A1 feels a little loose to me. I have a training gun that was meant to teach field striping and such that I have had since I was a kid (non-firing of course) that I used for the boning and shaping. The "dummy" fits quite snugly--I can turn the holster upside down and shake it fairly vigorously and the pistol won't fall out, but the real thing is a little loose. I can upend the holster with the real thing in it and it won't fall out, but a little shake will dislodge it.

Once I put the thing on though, I can jump up and down, do push-ups and jump off of things and the pistol won't move, but I just have a feeling it should fit in a little more snugly. IWB seems to be inherently more secure in that respect, but I was wondering, are there certain areas to concentrate on when boning the holster to get a tighter fit? I keep reading about holsters that are so tight that they are difficult to draw and re-holster the weapon at the start, and require a break-in period.

How can I get my holsters to fit tighter, or do you think maybe my "dummy" gun may be a little oversize? I may have to break out my calipers and see...

[Art]

If it's true IWB, then your belt will determine a snug fit if your original proportions are reasonable. Dummy guns are never exact, except for Ruger dummies that are made from real guns. You can always throw an adjustment screw in if it is bothering you.

Art

The IWB holster that I just made for my Colt 1911A1 feels a little loose to me. I have a training gun that was meant to teach field striping and such that I have had since I was a kid (non-firing of course) that I used for the boning and shaping. The "dummy" fits quite snugly--I can turn the holster upside down and shake it fairly vigorously and the pistol won't fall out, but the real thing is a little loose. I can upend the holster with the real thing in it and it won't fall out, but a little shake will dislodge it.

Once I put the thing on though, I can jump up and down, do push-ups and jump off of things and the pistol won't move, but I just have a feeling it should fit in a little more snugly. IWB seems to be inherently more secure in that respect, but I was wondering, are there certain areas to concentrate on when boning the holster to get a tighter fit? I keep reading about holsters that are so tight that they are difficult to draw and re-holster the weapon at the start, and require a break-in period.

How can I get my holsters to fit tighter, or do you think maybe my "dummy" gun may be a little oversize? I may have to break out my calipers and see...

[horsewreck]

I use the actual gun to shape holsters. Unload gun, Put on a light coat of gun oil, wrap gun in sandwitch wrap, dampen holster,put in gun, shape. On semi auto hand guns I like to tight up (bone) the ejection port pretty well. You may have your stitch line a little far out from the gun, if so is there a place to add a tension screw? I find that if you want a tight boned fit, case your leather overnight before you shape it.

[rccolt45]

I use the actual gun to shape holsters. Unload gun, Put on a light coat of gun oil, wrap gun in sandwitch wrap, dampen holster,put in gun, shape. On semi auto hand guns I like to tight up (bone) the ejection port pretty well. You may have your stitch line a little far out from the gun, if so is there a place to add a tension screw? I find that if you want a tight boned fit, case your leather overnight before you shape it.

When you say case your leather over night, do you mean you wet it let the gun sit in it over night and then bone and shape it?

If so do you have to rewet it?

[BOOMSTICKHolsters]

Howdy, Kring. It sounds like your dummy is over-sized in some (or all) areas. I wouldn't consider it the end of the world if it were my personal IWB holster, but I would purchase a better dummy gun before I made any holsters for anyone else. The leather you use, how you wet your holster and the drying process you choose can actually result in a very tight fit without needing to resort to using an undersized dummy gun to successfully shape a holster (which is how many makers get their tight fit, whether they know it or not).

As far as boning is concerned, the largest majority of retention for a 1911 is achieved in the area behind the trigger guard, the ejection port, and around the protruding end of the take-down lever. That having been said, please understand that the main goal of boning a holster is to get leather in contact with as much of the pistol as you possibly can. Pushing leather against the gun's defining lines isn't done for the sake of looks (well, it shouldn't be anyhow), but for the purpose of creating more surface contact wherever possible, even in the inside curves of the pistol.

[TwinOaks]

... around the protruding end of the take-down lever.

??? Slide stop?

I have to agree with BOOMstick on reasons for boning and molding. My EDC for my 1911 will hold upside down, sideways, jumping, etc., ad infinitum. It's because of the close stitch lines and detail molding to get the leather to grab the steel. Even as secure as it is, a quick tug in the right direction and it draws like silk.

[horsewreck]

When you say case your leather over night, do you mean you wet it let the gun sit in it over night and then bone and shape it?

If so do you have to rewet it?

What I mean by case leather overnight is, wet the leather put the wet leather in a zip-lock bag, let it sit in the bag overnight (the gun is not in the leather), next day take the leather out and let it start to dry. When the leather starts to turn back to it's normal color, put the sandwich wrapped gun in the holster and shape(bone), gentley remove gun and let the holster dry out then check your fit... I hope this is of some help.... sorry I forget to check this topic for several days.......

[1911 Operator]

??? Slide stop?

I have to agree with BOOMstick on reasons for boning and molding. My EDC for my 1911 will hold upside down, sideways, jumping, etc., ad infinitum. It's because of the close stitch lines and detail molding to get the leather to grab the steel. Even as secure as it is, a quick tug in the right direction and it draws like silk.

I have to agree with the red statement whole heartedly. Tension screws will make up for mistakes but when you don't need them, is when your product is really getting good. Early on I was told by someone to stop using rivits and tensions screws, I thought they added design quality...they don't. Use them if you need too, but avoid them when possible.

I use the Real Gun, same method as mentioned, little oil (excess removed) and "press and seal" works awsome. mainly because I don't have many dummies.

I try to error on the side of a little tight, little tight is better than a little loose. But I wouldn't worry, the Belt in this case sounds like it willsave you any potential problems.

[Randy Cornelius]

I don't do a lot of holster simply because I don't like to do them. But my final test is to hold them upside down and shake with the gun in them to see if it will fall out. If it don't fall it passes my test.

I agree with most that has been said.

Randy

[jrvinny]

When I first started making IWB holsters I thought heavy retention was really important. I went overboard because the cheap zero-retention holster with a metal clip I was using at the time made the gun feel very unstable and unsecure. Then I carried and trained with those high retention holsters I made and realized that when your pants are up into your armpits before your gun breaks loose of the holster, it's not very practical or efficient. Personally, I think if your gun stays in the holster when you hold it upside down, even if it feels a little loose, you're good to go. Your belt will increase the retention so it's possible to go overboard with the molding/boning, especially around the front of the trigger guard. I can't overstate the importance of practicing your presentation from an IWB holster to refine your retention (and keep your skills sharp). There are a lot of holsters that look fantastic but are not as functional as they need to be, especially in an emergency situation. Unfortunately, it a trial and error process. I've definately trashed a holster or two during the learning process.