Pocket Holster with backing plate tutorial?

[RyanWyvern]

Hello Everyone,

 

I did a cursory search and didn't see this topic specifically so apologies if it has already been asked.  Are there any tutorials, video or otherwise, paid or otherwise, on doing leather pocket holsters with the backing plate?  Thinking for cargo pocket.

 

Thanks,

Ryan 

[JLSleather]

Wow.. NOBODY?@!   No WHY-tube movies er NUTHIN'?@!  Maybe I should MAKE this one... prolly should ask that soft boy what i should CHARGE fer it

Wait... that's worth a double   

[RyanWyvern]

I wondered if you'd chime in seeing as you appear to be the gold standard on these.  I started prototyping something out on my own.  Going to use some 5-6oz herman oak and I don't want to waste any.  This is for a glock 43x and he doesn't want to wear it the proper way.  Wants the backing plate against the leg instead of facing out just to make sure the gun stays oriented correctly in his cargo pocket. (not worried about printing)  To add to the complexity there is a weapon light on the front so the opening at the end of the barrel is much bigger than is typical and also means i cant do any molding around the trigger because the weapon light will bind up coming through any trigger molding on draw causing a tougher draw.  From a quick mockup out of leather i can see im going to need to add a reinforcement piece along the slide as well. Any other considerations I should take into account?

[Dwight]

For all my pocket holsters, I use 5/6 oz veggie tan, . . . and before I use it, . . . I roll it tight against a 3/4 steel rod, . . . up and down, . . . right and left, . . . turn it over, . . . do it again.

It "limbers up" the leather, . . . making it somewhat pliable.

Then I just put two pieces together, . . . rough side out, . . . slip the gun in, . . . mark for cut, glue, and sew, . . . and get it on.

For the backer plate like you are talking, . . . I'd just run the front an inch long, . . . turn it under, . . . and rivet it to a piece of stiff 5/6 and cut it to be somewhat smaller than the pocket.  Two rivets at the bottom and one in the center at the top.

Oil the two pieces for the weapon, . . . hair side only before you put it together, . . . you'll have a holster that will work for years, . . . should never be a problem re holstering if you cut the outline tall so his index finger can find the outside of the holster as he slips it in.

May God bless,

Dwight

[RyanWyvern]

Thank you Sir!

 

[JLSleather]

18 minutes ago, RyanWyvern said:

seeing as you appear to be the gold standard on these. 

Well, I'm confident I make a good one, but I'm FAR FROM the only one, so ... maybe bronze?

18 minutes ago, RyanWyvern said:

... just to make sure the gun stays oriented correctly in his cargo pocket. ..

So basically he wants an OWB with no belt slots?  5/6 sounds a bit light for something that size, honestly.  Even just a bump up to 6/7 adds much strength without adding much bulk.  You want a holster, not a pocket protector   particularly if you're relying on it for orientation.

29 minutes ago, RyanWyvern said:

weapon light on the front so the opening at the end of the barrel is much bigger than is typical and also means i cant do any molding around the trigger

sew in a "stop' at the bottom. Make the holster 3/8-1/2" long on the bottom end, and sew a 3/8" wide strip of heavy leather inside the mouth.  If'n a fella wanted ta git fancy, you could put a tension adj screw along there somewhere it won't catch.

30 minutes ago, RyanWyvern said:

going to need to add a reinforcement piece along the slide

Ordinarily, I would put a "reinf" and the "plate" on opposite sides of the weapon.  But since you have this spec, you'll want them on the same side.  That "reinf" is also a "push-off" for easy out, so for me (RH) its' on the left of the slide, BODY side of the holster.  Which in your case is going to be the side with the "plate", so you might consider a couple "shims" to jack out (level) the holster a bit in the pocket.

Back ta work ...

 

[RyanWyvern]

For the hole in the end I was just going to bring the stitch in a little but at the nose to narrow it up.  Anything wrong with doing that?  I could totally stitch a piece in there though. 

[JLSleather]

19 hours ago, RyanWyvern said:

Anything wrong with doing that? 

Uh, kaint see why there would be.  YOUR show, Boss   

You didn't say what type of light, so tough to say how to go.  LET US KNOW what you end up doing (we dont generally object to pics, neither).

[RyanWyvern]

excuse the roughness of this as it is a prototype.  I already have several changes I am going to make to it, but concerning the reinf plate I am referring to that like that runs down the slide labeled reinf.  There will be a separate (pocket shaped) backer as well, but I was thinking about reinforcement for the leather along the slide. You also get a good idea of the weapon light size in this and can see where i want to bring the stitch in to add a bit of a s "Stop" at the end of the barrel but I am kicking around the idea of adding a plate because that could look really nice. 

[JLSleather]

Aint that backards?  Is this fer a 'lefty'?  I thot the guy wanted the "plate" on the BODY side. Ah.. pay no attention - I'm prolly not seein' it right.

[RyanWyvern]

It is.  I made the prototype prior to him telling me he wanted it wrong sided.  ill just flip the pattern.  I am making enough changes that this pattern won't get used in its current state anyways but yet itll be flipped

[JLSleather]

35 minutes ago, RyanWyvern said:

ill just flip the pattern

But NOT the "reinf" eh?  He'll still be right handed

 

[RyanWyvern]

I tried to talk him out of it.  Wants the backing plate against the leg.  The reinforcement piece on top I am free to change.  Do those typically span both sides of the slide in something like this?  All I am adding it for is to add rigidity to the leather that covers the gun. 

[Dwight]

Ryan, . . . quite honestly, . . . you are basically going about it ALL wrong.

1.  A pocket holster has to be "floppy" to a certain extent, . . . as you never know what position the leg will be in, . . . the garment will be in, . . . or how you are going to have to stick your hand into the pocket to retrieve it.  Making a hard holster for  pocket carry is asking for your customer to rely on something that has a very strong propensity to get him shot barn yard dead while he is attempting to retrieve his weapon.

2.  Here is a picture of a revolver pocket holster, . . . sewn in front, . . . but only contact cemented in the back.  This allows the holster to "adjust" to changing garment conditions if necessary, . . . and will open up a slight bit if somehow it gets bound up, . . . probably won't happen, . . . but beats the heck out of not being able to get the weapon out.

If the customer wants a plate on one side or the other, . . . put the plate on with a couple of hand stitches at the top and the bottom, . . . OR, . . . a rivet at the top and one at the bottom.

One of the sad things about the holster industry as a whole, . . . WAYYYYY to many makers have forgotten that the holster is a tool that is fully necessary to function or it should be tossed in the trash.  Far to many makers out there are more committed to the  looks of the final product than they are to the function.   You seem to be heading down that road, . . . and I hope you get off it.  

Learn to make functional firearm accessories,  . . . then later you can detail them.  Your customers will appreciate you much more for a plain holster that they love to use . . .  than that fancy piece of crap they paid good money for and is in the drawer with the rest of the "has been" holsters.

May God bless,

Dwight

[RyanWyvern]

Thanks for the feedback Dwight.  Maybe I haven't represented what I am doing effectively.  

I had picked up some 5-6 oz for the project that is "floppy" IMO.  I didn't have any intention on making it hard.  Ignore the trigger moulding in my photo as that was just me goofing around with the prototype.  

As to the "plate" I was going to attach it either with stitching or screw posts similar to JLS's pocket holsters.  The oddity with this one is that the user wants the "plate" to be between the gun and his leg as opposed to facing out. My understanding is that the plate is typically carried away from the leg so that it prints like a wallet.  In this case the user isn't worried about printing as this will always be carried in a cargo pocket.  

All of that being said I don't have a desire to make something that is unsafe for the user, but I am thinking the concerns you expressed are more a symptom of my failure to effectively explain what I am doing more than the actual design.  Maybe I can draw something up that will effectively communicate my thoughts. 

[RyanWyvern]

Again apologies for the crudeness of the drawing.  Backing plate would ride between the leg and the firearm with the idea being that it would fill the cargo pocket and keep the weapon oriented correctly in the pocket.  Again this is only going to be used in cargo pockets.  Thoughts?  I am not trying to question your expertise but I want to understand why something like this could be dangerous.  I am struggling to see how he would fumble for the firearm. I wouldn't think the draw process would be much different than JLs's design but maybe I am missing something.  I

[JLSleather]

1 hour ago, RyanWyvern said:

Wants the backing plate against the leg.  The reinforcement piece on top I am free to change.  Do those typically span both sides of the slide in something like this?  All I am adding it for is to add rigidity to the leather that covers the gun. 

If teh guy wants the "backing plate" on the inside, let him have it that way -- don't matter.  

But my point was, you want to NOT change the reinf piece... he'll still be right handed.  You are correct -- it's a STIFFENER.  I generally lay out the "stiffener" to become also a PUSH OFF (unless, like this project, sometimes it's requested diffrnt).  So his thumb still gonna be LEFT of the slide, no matter where you put a "backing plate".

And while you certainly can run this 'stiffener" around the whole slide, I don't see it necessary in most cases.

SHOOT .. you postin whilst I'm typin'...  gimmeaminute to do something that sketch

 

[JLSleather]

Is he going to SEPARATE the "plate" from the holster?  I mean, as in removable?  Cuz if he's gonna use this plate ALL THE TIME, then it's efficient cost and time to simply SEW THROUGH both layers of the "holster" AND the "backing plate" all at once.  Lay in on where you want it, sew the whole thing solid.  Will keep it from flexing / rotating.

Where does your pistol fall on your drawing?  That Glock is 5" tall... is your plate gonna be the whole width?  Or does the grip stick out past the plate?

If he's right handed, you'd likely want the "reinf" piece on the OTHER side (which is a better way of saying what i was  trying to describe before).

 

 

[JLSleather]

This is ROUGH... video thing I tried but didn't like, left handed holster for a guy not left handed, and trying to hold the camera and stay out the lamp all same time

S T I L L ....  give a guy an idea how easy this should SLIP off

Okay, that's not going well. -- I just send it to ya

 

 

 

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by JLSleather

[RyanWyvern]

I believe I understand what you mean about the reinf piece.  I am trying to to call it plate to limit confusion.  The grip is going to fall outside of it a bit but I didn't want to run the backing plate too close to the maximum size of the pocket for fear that it would be very hard to get the whole thing in and out of the pocket. He doesn't plan on separating the plate at this time.  I have tried to convince him to allow me to make it detachable so he has the option to run it correctly but so far no success. 

[JLSleather]

12 minutes ago, RyanWyvern said:

I have tried to convince him to allow me to make it detachable so he has the option to run it correctly

good thinkin'  

This aint a 43x, but it is for a glock.- actually bigger'n the 43x.

Guy WANTED "full cover" panel on the OUTSIDE. 

But point here is, if he wanted panel to the INSIDE, that wouldn't change the position of the "reinforcement" piece.  Still needed to be under the RIGHT THUMB (a guy could learn how to use the pinky, if he cared to -  just most people have stronger and more coordinated thumbs.

 

 

With yours, you likely wanna make a "lefty", then just put the "reinf piece" on the OTHER side.  

This puts your "backing plate" on the inside, lets you attach it flush (though you might want to add a "shim" under the screws / stitching / whatever to give him room for grip.

Back to workin' ....

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by JLSleather

[RyanWyvern]

excellent!  Thanks for all of your help.  

[RyanWyvern]

[JLSleather]

Is that sewn on?  Looks like ya gotter

 

[RyanWyvern]

yes sewn.