Scoped Revolver Help

[Boriqua]

Hey Everyone!

Someone has asked me to make them a holster for a Scoped revo. I hate admitting defeat and saying no before I give it a shot but ... I cant see how this works. Perhaps one of you fine fellows can give me some help. I have attached an image and a link to the type of holster they are looking for. The link holster looks like just a doubled up piece of leather around the scope opening. I cant see how that would be rigid enough to hold the gun should the strap be undone.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/dangerous-game-shoulder-rig?a=511482

I found another pic with a similar design which looks far more sturdy but what is the material they are using for re-enforcement and will that gun stay put in there if the strap is undone? My thought was I could glue a piece of leather around the opening for the scope and then use another wider piece that would then be sewn around and over that piece. It would then have a similar appearance to the one below as the glued piece would actually be inside the final sewn piece but is that going to make it rigid enough. It also looks like it might be bent rod in the pic but its hard to tell.

I may pass on the gig but I would like to try it just for my own conquest!

[dirtclod]

I've done a couple of holsters that used a scope. One i made like Al Stholman did the rifle scabbard where it covered the scope and one where the scope was in the open. On the one where the scope was in the open i stopped the slot cut out at the base of the scope mount. In your picture i see that one goes on down father. I'm guessing they want to be able to fit a lot of different scope mounts. On both of them i put a starp on the holster like in your picture.As far as i know neither one of them ever had any problems with the pistol staying in the holster with the strap undone. But the strap shouldn't be undone unless their going to shoot. In your picture it looks like they may have something under the top piece where it doubles by the scope.

[JLSleather]

Definitely something sandwiched between the layers of leather. Plastic, kydex, wood, rawhide, sheet metal...

[chiefjason]

I used metal pallet strapping. It was solid. FWIW, be very careful of the leather thickness if you pull it up close to the scope mount. I nearly had to scrap this one, but caught it while molding and was able to press the leather down to make room.

[Boriqua]

I used metal pallet strapping. It was solid. FWIW, be very careful of the leather thickness if you pull it up close to the scope mount. I nearly had to scrap this one, but caught it while molding and was able to press the leather down to make room.

That is a nice looking rig there Chief! Thank you for sharing. Do you have any pix of the back that you would you be willing to share?

I have some flat spring steel that is about 3 inches wide. Its about as think as Pallet strap but more rigid and springy. Going to do a quick test with it between leather to see how it works.

[chiefjason]

Got lucky, I do have some. I didn't think I took any. And thanks. FYI, the leather wraps around the mouth on the bottom and a separate piece runs up the front. If you look close you can tell the metal strips are pulling the leather out on the back pic. It was really stiff. I think I used a 1/2" strip. You can see the scuff on the top pic where the scope was REALLY tight. lol

Edited September 25, 2015 by chiefjason

[Boriqua]

thanks for the heads up on the thickness Chief!! Dont know if I would have thought about it .... of course until after I spent a week making the holster and then seeing it didnt fit ...ugh. I will be sure to post my holster to the thread and any new findings for anyone else that wants to give one of these a shot as soon as I am done.

Alex

[Boriqua]

Well as promised I am back to report. I have learned so much here I want to give back when I can in whatever small way. I landed up using a 1/8 inch steel rod. I picked it up at home depot and it said something like welding rod or such. It was in their bin of steel extrusions and if its important for anyone to know exactly I can certainly take a look the next time I go to see how they labeled it. It was tough stuff and tough to bend but a little hammering, a needle nose and a channel lock and I got it into shape readily. I tried Brass rod first but it was a bit soft and didn’t fill me with confidence.

*Note!

When you bend the rod to go around the front remember the whole ID and OD thing. My first piece I measured and bent off of my flat template and of course it was to short. Once you bend the leather around the curve it will eventually be the rod bend has to grow to accommodate it. I know better but just had a brain fart.

I was sure to round the ends so they wouldnt want to poke through the leather or stitches. It is actually bent on the narrow side as it goes up the holster. My biggest fear when I took on the project was worrying what would happen if the strap came undone. With some designs I looked at it appeared the gun would just fall forward. Not so with this holster. The gun stays put as if it were a full holster with the strap on or unsnapped. It does make holstering at the moment a 2 handed affair but I imagine with the gun in the holster and some time it will work itself out.

I used 6/7 ounce on the outside and 4/5 ounce as my liner and as the cover for the rod. Stitching around the rod was a bear and impacted how my stitching looks. What I did was curve my holster when I glued in the liner so I wouldn’t get wrinkles on the inside. I then sewed the entire inside of the rod cover. With the rod bent in shape I squeezed the holster tight and slipped the rod up from the bottom along both sides until it was seated. It was a challenge and I landed up having to tap it with a hammer and ice cream stick to get it seated in the last 1/2 inch. Once it was settled up into the top I sewed all along the outside edge of the rod cover with a couple of curved needles.

One of the criteria for this piece was that it stay as narrow as possible. I added the welt to open the form and keep the holster rigid but I ended it about an inch from the bottom so you could kind of cantilever the gun in. I dont know .. I was thinking to hard!

The gentleman I made this for is a big guy. 6'2 and probably about 300lbs. He told me that last year he missed out on an elk he could have taken with his handgun because the rig he had was so large and obtrusive he had left the hand gun home that day. He wanted something that would move with him when he went elk hunting this year. He told me part of his adventures involved getting on and off ATV's and into and out of trucks. I came up with this kind of drop rig with a "D" and tie down. The gun now moves freely along his leg with no binding and he can bend, ride and everything else without being impeded. I used all brass hardware and it has a pull the dot fastener on the strap. Anyway .. thought I would come back to post some of the issues and the final design in case anyone else wants to try it. I dont know that I made the be all and end all but if anyone has any questions feel free to ask. I dont think I will be doing one of these again but I am glad I took it on. I hate saying no to a challenge!

There are many more pix here. Hope it gives someone inspiration to make a better one!

http://www.boriqualeather.com/Leather%20holster%20revolver%20w%20scope/

Edited November 4, 2015 by Boriqua

[chiefjason]

Nice work. That rod gives it a very interesting look. I like it.

[mattsh]

Awesome job!