Iwb Holster - Looking For Feedback

[particle]

I don't have a lot of experience with IWB holsters, but was recently asked to build one by an existing customer. It'll be for a 3" 1911. This is my first attempt at this style holster, and I'd appreciate feedback. I built it out of scrap belly leather, so please ignore the lack of edging, burnishing, etc. The snap loops are not attached as I don't have the T-Nuts on hand at the moment.

At first glance, I'm not sure the ride height is right. I feel like it needs to ride lower on the waist line. I think I'd ideally like the top of the belt to be flush with the top of the holster at the trigger guard area, but I'm not sure if that would begin to interfere with a good combat grip on the gun.

I also might trim some of the curve off on the trailing wing - it looks like it might curve outward too far.

Any other thoughts? Thanks for looking!

[Bronson]

First...damn you make nice stuff. Second, it looks like you may be cutting it a little close on the spacing between the grip and the top of the rear wing. I'm currently looking at redoing an IWB holster I made for a friend. It works just fine for my slim girly hands but his manly meat-paws don't have enough room to get a comfortable grip....my holster had about the same spacing as yours.

Bronson

[jlaudio29]

why are the edges not burnished? I think you should have burnished them it gives the holster a cleaner look... Why did you use belly? You know if you use some more premium cut of leather it will be stiffer and better for holster making and will make it come out nicer... hahahaha JK Eric

Ok so the jokes aside. The only thing that i can see is what you have already pointed out about the ride height, i would just move the right wing up about 1/2" to 3/4" and remove a little meat from the left wing.

Watch out that wrap around reinforced throat is addicting!!!

[particle]

Here is a quick photo that I took on my way out the door this morning showing the clearance at the grip area. I'm 6'2" with relatively large hands and I can grip it just fine.

Edited December 30, 2011 by particle

[Big G]

i use cheap belly for my first and second holster when trying a new pattern .. usually get thrown away anyway

[husker]

I'm getting ready to tackle one of these for the first time myself. Looks very good to me, couple questions if you don't mind. Did you have any throat clearance problems doing this on your boss? Thanks, Matt

[particle]

Actually, it was very easy to sew this on my Boss. The hardest part was figuring out how to position all the pieces as I assembled it. It's literally like a jigsaw puzzle... I must have stared at it for 30 minutes trying to figure out the assembly steps! You do have to fold the leading tabs out of the way as you go so you don't stitch over it, which was pretty easy to do with the belly leather but might be more difficult with usable pieces.

I would love to see other's photos of the front-to-back splice along the top of the slide. Do you do anything special there? Or just glue the halves to the reinforcement with the front and back butted up to each other?

If you're lining it - do you line it like you would a Pancake holster, or like you would an Avenger (which would obviously leave a gap between the lining and the seam of the pancake sight channel, but it would reinforce and cover the previously mentioned splice)...?

[Steven Kelley]

One thing you can do to lower the ride height is increase the cant angle. Keeping a gap between the rear wing and grip limits how low the holster can ride. By increasing the cant angle, you increase that gap. When one of my customers requests a lower ride height, I usually go with a 25° cant. That allows the holster to be lowered in relation to the belt about 3/4", while keeping enough gap for a full grip. Obviously, if the customer isn't open to the increased angle, that can't be done. Usually though, once they wear the holster with additional angle, they like it. 25° on an IWB holster is really a good angle for concealment and ease of draw.

[particle]

Good point Steven - thanks! That's part of the benefit of creating a mock-up - it's easy to see where those adjustments can be made and makes refining the paper pattern much easier (at least for me). My customer is coming by my shop tomorrow to look it over - I'll see what he thinks about the increased cant.

[steelhawk]

I like it. That design is one I have been meaning to try as well, just haven't had the time yet. FYI, I use 6-32 T-nuts, #03775. I had the hardware store order a pack of 100 from Midwest Fastener. Lots cheaper then paying .33 for each one.