Molding Around The Safety For 1911 Holster

[mncarpenter]

I always mold the sweat shield around the safety in the cocked and locked position, I assume others do too.. have a customer that claims his Wilson Combat holster will snap his safety on if he forgets to. i went to the Wilson website and saw no such claim, and told him so. I also told him I wouldn't under any circumstance, make a similar claim, whether the holster actually did it or not. I make my IWBs with 8/9 oz Herman oak, and use a press to do the majority of the molding, following up by defining the lines somewhat with a modeling tool. Even with 8/9 oz leather, the sweat shield is still flexible enough I would have a hard time imagining it actually flippin' the safety on. Has anyone managed to accomplish this and would it even be desirable? I'm looking at it from a liability standpoint, I sure as hell don't want to be responsible for someone else not engaging their safety... I carry a 1911 and have never had the safety flip off, partly because of the molding and partly because of a pretty positive safety. I must confess, I do check the damn thing on occasion!

[Shooter McGavin]

I also mold pretty heavily around the safety of a 1911.... the extended ones at least. While they do manage to help prevent an unintended safety disengagement, I would never go as far as telling people it will flip the safety on for them. Even if it happens to do so.

[Mudruck]

Yea, same thing here. I mold around the safety on a right-handed holster quite a bit to hold it in the cocked and locked position. No way in hell am I ever even going to mention that it would do anything to setting the safety on or off.

I also mold pretty heavily around the safety of a 1911.... the extended ones at least. While they do manage to help prevent an unintended safety disengagement, I would never go as far as telling people it will flip the safety on for them. Even if it happens to do so.

[ironhead13]

Just my opinion..... but would find it very negligent to rely on a holster, especially a leather holster, to minipulate the safety to

However, one thing I've been interested in is the Spetsnaz holsters for Makarov models. But Im sure they are all plastic/kydex whatever. Probably the best idea for a holster as if removed downward, it not only goes safety off but racks one in the chamber. So you can carry a dead mans gun without it truely being a dead mans gun. But that has nothing to do with this post I suppose.

[Lobo]

For those who haven't noticed, 1911-style pistols are being manufactured by dozens of companies throughout the world, and there is a wide range of variations in just about every aspect of these pistols including the thumb safeties. Adding in the huge variety of aftermarket and custom parts, there is no end to the variations that might exist on a pistol that could end up in any given holster.

A holster formed to fit a specific pistol, and specific thumb safety lever, might work well with that specific pistol. Any other pistol used with that holster might result in any number of results, and there is no possible way of predicting what those might be.

I suggest that some caution is advisable in what is offered and represented to the public.

The following excerpts are copied from my website:

Lobo Gun Leather products are intended for use only with unaltered and unmodified handguns in the original condition, as delivered from the manufacturer!

Handguns that have been modified IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER (including but certainly not limited to trigger shoes, custom triggers, extended or oversized safeties) MAY BE UNSAFE IN ANY HOLSTER!

OWNERS OF CUSTOMIZED, ALTERED, AND MODIFIED HANDGUNS ARE URGED TO CONSULT A CUSTOM HOLSTER MAKER TO PRODUCE PRODUCTS SPECIFICALLY FITTED TO THAT SPECIFIC HANDGUN!

SAFETY FIRST.

SAFETY LAST.

SAFETY ALWAYS.

YOU ARE THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFE USE OF FIREARMS AND ACCESSORIES!

HANDLING, CARRYING, HOLSTERING AND DRAWING HANDGUNS ARE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES THAT SHOULD BE ENGAGED IN ONLY BY THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THOROUGH TRAINING IN ALL ASPECTS OF SAFELY PERFORMING THESE ACTIVITIES.

LOBO GUN LEATHER MAKES HOLSTERS SUITABLE FOR USE ONLY WITH STANDARD HANDGUN MODELS, AS MANUFACTURED. USE OF ANY HOLSTER WITH ANY HANDGUN THAT HAS BEEN ALTERED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO ONES' SELF AND OTHERS.

FIREARMS, PROPERLY HANDLED AND USED, ARE MERELY TOOLS WITH WHICH TO ACCOMPLISH TASKS. WHEN IMPROPERLY HANDLED OR USED THERE IS ALWAYS A POTENTIAL DANGER OF DEATH, GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE..

USE OF LOBO GUN LEATHER PRODUCTS IS ENTIRELY BEYOND ANY CONTROL OF LOBO GUN LEATHER, CORYCO LLC, AND ALL OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS OF SAME. THE USER BEARS FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL RISKS OF LOSS, INJURY, OR DAMAGE CAUSED BY ANY USES OF OUR PRODUCTS.

ANY LEATHER HOLSTER THAT HAS BEEN DAMAGED OR BECOME WORN TO A NOTICEABLE DEGREE MAY BE UNSAFE FOR FURTHER USE AND SHOULD BE RETIRED OR DESTROYED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTS.

[JoelR]

Forgetting? Inexcusable!

Ironhead: long discussion of that particular holster on The High Road. Still don't like it - too much to go wrong and you are working against to many forces in a LOD situation. Just my $0.02.