Advice for IWB tuckable holster.

[mosldent]

Hi everyone. I've posted some pictures below of my first holster. It is made for a ruger sp101 w/ 3 1/16 in. barrel. It is a flat backed IWB holster made specifically for the summertime so I can carry concealed with a tucked in shirt. Please share your advice with me. I welcome any and all critique and criticism as I will be making another holster just like this one for my wife starting here in a couple of days. She has the same gun, only with the 2 1/4 in. barrel. I'd like to incorporate any changes mentioned by you'all in her holster to make it the best possible.

The only real complaint I have so far is that I didn't think about the J-hook attachment being more toward the bottom of the hoslter to facilitate better tucking of the shirt. In the next one I build, I'll change the pattern so that I can attach the J-hook to the holster with one of the bottom holes. A special thanks to boomstick for advice on how to attach the j-hook. It really made a BIG difference in how well it tucks.

As you can see in the picture, there is only one j-hook showing while wearing the holster. The hidden one fits right under my belt buckle. I've always liked carrying in this particular position and this hoslter is no different.

Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance.

Edited April 24, 2008 by mosldent

[Shorts]

You did a nice job on that. Did you attach the J hooks with chicago screws? What I find interesting in making holsters is not so much cranking them out in numbers, but actually refining a pattern to fit and function well. Very nice

[mosldent]

Did you attach the J hooks with chicago screws?

Actually I was initially going to use chicago screws until I came across another thread posted a while back:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2443

I did exactly as boomstick said to do in his post, except I used a 1/8 in thick nylon washer instead of a rubber washer. I couldn't find any rubber washers at the local hardware store thick enough to do the job. I also just used the flat backed t-nut since I didn't want the pronged version to rub against my stitching. With the combination of the lock washer and the nylon washer between the j-hook and leather it leaves the perfect amount of space to tuck a shirt.

[tbird911]

Hey man,

Great holster. I have an SP101 myself and just bought a holster and made one myself. I wet molded the holster that I made and hand boned it, but it's not near as well formed as yours... I have seen others with similar results. ewould you mind sharing the specifics on how you are getting that done? I'm assuming vacuum mold or something--?!!?

Thanks in advance

Tbird

Edited April 24, 2008 by tbird911

[Shorts]

Ah I see. And I read that post - where is my memory going these days?

[mosldent]

Hey man,

Great holster. I have an SP101 myself and just bought a holster and made one myself. I wet molded the holster that I made and hand boned it, but it's not near as well formed as yours... I have seen others with similar results. ewould you mind sharing the specifics on how you are getting that done? I'm assuming vacuum mold or something--?!!?

Thanks in advance

Tbird

Tbird,

Since I built a flat backed holster, I only molded the front piece. I used 8 oz veg tanned leather. The leather itself must have been real high quality, because it molded very well. I basically ran it under hot water until it was soaked, let it dry until it became cool to the touch, then began to mold. I stuck the pistol on a towel on a counter and put the leather over the top of it. I used several different things to mold...the rounded end of a ratchet, screwdriver, etc. I just started with the higher parts such as the grooves in the cylinder, the space between the cylinder and barrel, and the grooves in the barrel. After they were good and molded, I moved down to the other parts such as the trigger guard and the outline of the pistol. I let it dry on the counter overnight with the pistol still in the molded piece with two heavy weights on the leather where the clips attach to keep them from curling upward. Then I sewed the two pieces of leather, slightly wet down the molded piece and did some more finishing molding with the pistol in the holster. I let it dry again with the pistol in the holster.

Nothing fancy I guess, but I did get the leather from a custom leather worker here in town and I really think the quality of the leather had a lot to do with how well it molded.

[tbird911]

Tbird,

Since I built a flat backed holster, I only molded the front piece. I used 8 oz veg tanned leather. The leather itself must have been real high quality, because it molded very well. I basically ran it under hot water until it was soaked, let it dry until it became cool to the touch, then began to mold. I stuck the pistol on a towel on a counter and put the leather over the top of it. I used several different things to mold...the rounded end of a ratchet, screwdriver, etc. I just started with the higher parts such as the grooves in the cylinder, the space between the cylinder and barrel, and the grooves in the barrel. After they were good and molded, I moved down to the other parts such as the trigger guard and the outline of the pistol. I let it dry on the counter overnight with the pistol still in the molded piece with two heavy weights on the leather where the clips attach to keep them from curling upward. Then I sewed the two pieces of leather, slightly wet down the molded piece and did some more finishing molding with the pistol in the holster. I let it dry again with the pistol in the holster.

Nothing fancy I guess, but I did get the leather from a custom leather worker here in town and I really think the quality of the leather had a lot to do with how well it molded.

Thanks for the feedback-- that kind of info is exactly what I was looking for . . .

[mliebs8]

That's amazing for your first holster, it looks great. My first holster looked like a first holster.

[Srigs]

That's amazing for your first holster, it looks great. My first holster looked like a first holster.

Mine was not very ideal for my first. Much better now.

[mosldent]

The first pictures I posted on this thread are of a holster I built for myself. I just finished a similar holster with a few improvements for my wife's gun. Some of the changes I made are:

1- A wider gap between the pistol handle and top of the holster.

2- A longer piece of leather on the tab where the rear clip hooks on to the holster...this made a big difference on the depth the shirt can be tucked.

3- Made the tabs where the clips attach a little less wide to decrease the overall width of the holster.

The first picture has the two holsters side by side, the most recently finished one is on the right.

I am having one minor problem with these holsters and would like everyone's advice. When re-holstering the gun, the front side of the cylinder hangs up on the upper outer lip of the molded portion of the holster (the reinforced part). I initially molded this so that it didn't catch. Is there a way to get around this? Any advice would be appreciated.

[Jordan]

You may be able to wet and roll the leather away into a sort of a lip. They both look great to me

[Shorts]

I am having one minor problem with these holsters and would like everyone's advice. When re-holstering the gun, the front side of the cylinder hangs up on the upper outer lip of the molded portion of the holster (the reinforced part). I initially molded this so that it didn't catch. Is there a way to get around this? Any advice would be appreciated.

Hmm, interesting. Thinking it over, it seems that even trimming the height on that front area would still catch, as the cylinder, regardless of the height of the holster would still have to pass by the edge. Just taking wild stabs, what about molding the shape of the cylinder into the area it hits?...extend the cylinder mold all the way to the top (I realize that option may decrease retention a bit. Another idea, add a slight cant to the holster. I have found on a holste I made for the Springfield that the gun catches the lips of the holster upon reholstering. I've found it a bit frustrating as it's dinging up the leather pretty good. I think it is doing that because that holster does not have a cant to it, at least, not as much as others I have made.

Just throwing out random ideas.