Holster making

[Sparky68]

I have been fortunate enough to use the actual weapon when making a holster. Now I may have to consider "dummy" guns. It seems that blue guns, red guns or multi molds are the top ones. 

Which do you prefer/use and why?

Thanks in advance!!

[Northmount]

 

@Sparky68 Moved your post to Holsters, etc.
Tom

 

[Dwight]

Blue guns have served me quite well for over 10 years.  

May God bless,

Dwight

[Sparky68]

Thank you Dwight. Do you have any problems with them breaking or wearing any detail off? I read an article on kydex holsters and someone mentioned those as cons with blue guns. I know it's a different molding process, just curious if you've experienced anything like that.

[Dwight]

I made a few Kydex holsters, . . . basically soften / melt the plastic in a sheet and drop it on top of the gun or mold,  . . . it something near instantly hardens and then you simply take a pair of shears, . . . cut off the excess, . . . sand the edges, . . . put it together.

I'm sure that in time, making a number of holsters in kydex would affect the blue mold as it is plastic as well.

I began this leather holster stuff back years ago, . . . just got kinda serious about it in '05 or '06.  None of my blue guns have ever let me down in the detail, etc.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Lobo]

Plastic breaks if enough pressure is applied. Plastic wears when enough abrasion is applied. Nothing lasts forever unless it is a government program funded by tax money.

Yes, you can expect some wear and tear when using dummy guns in the holster shop, and eventually you will have to replace a piece to get back into the groove for production. This is especially true if you use a press (pneumatic or hydraulic) for your forming processes.

But it is much better to snap off a trigger guard of a Rings Blue Gun than to do the same thing to a Glock, Sig, Springfield, or other actual handgun (those with plastic grip-frames anyway). That is when the real tears start flowing.

When I started making holsters in 1972 things were pretty simple; about a half-dozen handgun manufacturers each making about a half-dozen models. By the time I retired in 2015 there were over 70 dummies in my shop and the gun safes held nearly 100 actual handguns; dozens of manufacturers each offering dozens of variations, and something new coming on the market every few weeks. It can be a challenge keeping up with everything! I regularly had customers requesting holsters for guns I had not heard of before. Always have to make decisions about which to go for and which to pass by, and the dummy makers are almost always a year or so behind the curve of public demand.

I remember when Colt, Ruger, and a couple of others offered dummy guns made up from scrapped parts, non-functional but externally a perfect match, usually a frame/receiver with barrel, etc, taken from rejected parts bins and welded up for the holster makers to purchase for a few bucks. Haven't seen that for a long time.

Sig USA used to offer anything in their product line to recognized holster makers for distributor cost (less than wholesale), but you still have to have a federal firearms licensee receive the shipment and do the transfer legally, so the cost is much more than any dummy gun.

Being a retired cop, I have taken advantage of Glock's law enforcement sales program, typically 10% off. My local FFL knew I was purchasing for use in the shop and had a copy of my sales tax license, so I saved the taxes on each deal also.

During my final several years in the business I would usually purchase about one new gun every month, as needed to stay current, and the costs were considered as tax deductible business expenses. After retirement those handguns were fully depreciated business assets that could be sold with the proceeds reported as long-term capital gains (recovered depreciation) which provides preferential tax treatment.

Maybe something to think about. What other business allows you to grow a gun collection while writing off the costs as business expenses?

[chiefjason]

I think I have about one of every maker of molds out there.  They all work.  Generally I buy from Bluegunstore because Rob has been great to deal with over the years.  I use Holstersmith when I can't find it at BGS.  The vast majority of mine are Rings or Holster Molds, with a few Cooks, Duncans, Asps, DIY's, and small time makers thrown in with the real guns.  Cooks has gotten good at picking the oddball stuff no one else it making.  

[Sparky68]

Thanks lobo and chiefjason! Certainly some things to think about. Didn't really think about the tax angle. 

I'm not yet really at the volume to require to much but I certainly would rather break a dummy than a real one. For the cost it's definitely one less headache.

[rickybobby]

I have dummy guns from every maker including aluminum ones from Duncans and Boise Foundry

The most consistent in size and durability are Rings Blue Guns.  

 Of the 300 or so I have 90% are Blue Guns. Lately I've been expanding my Revolver selection all have been Blueguns

Hope this helps