Duncan Disorderly Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Are lined holsters better? Worth the extra cost?Is there a way to slick up the inside of a non-lined holster to be as good or nearly so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Yes, yes & not so much ...... :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Howdy, I was told that roughout leather is the least expensive way to get slick holsters. If the rough side is in you want a lining and various skins will be good. Again I hear pigskin is very good and not ezpensive. If you are looking at custom leather, consider a right a left and a crossover holster. That way you can have the option of changing your rig without having an odd looking holster. And if you get a plain belt, you can put slides for bullets, can change calibers add shotgun shell etc. if you get holsters for 5.5 inch barrels they will also work with 4 out to 5.5 inch guns. Happy shopping. BEst CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rusty barrels Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Lined holsters don't hold on to dirt or grit as much as unlined holsters. That pretty important to me cause I don't want to get alot of holster wear on my guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurricane Deck 100366 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Yes, lined holsters are the only way to go! They hold their shape better than an unlined holster as well. Yes, they are worth the cost, no doubt. Chili Ron said it best. Get a left, right and cross holster. Slicking up the inside of a non-lined holster is an arduous task - not easily accomplished. If you have found a set of unlined holsters you like, contact the maker and see if they will make a set that are lined. Stay away from chrome tanned leather for anything that touches metal. (for anything period, really, when it comes to holsters) as the chromium salts will rust a gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Disorderly Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Thanks, that what I thought. Still looking for a supplier..and gonna need patieince..may be Feb before I can get them made and delivered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yusta B. Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Lined holsters don't hold on to dirt or grit as much as unlined holsters. That pretty important to me cause I don't want to get alot of holster wear on my guns. Don't plan on shooting a lot then. Our guns are tools. We use them hard & many of them show it. Nothing like getting the first ding on your $1400 '73 ! Bluing gets worn in gun carts, ejector rod housings get shiny (blued ones) & so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springfield Slim SASS #24733 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 There's lined holsters and then there are lined holsters. In the old days before SASS most lined holsters used some sort of thinner leather for lining, especially pigskin. Nowadays what they call lined holsters are really just 2 pieces of thinner cowhide glued together, making one thick piece, so that both sides are the smooth side. Now, I'm no speed demon but I never have figured out why some guys think they need a really smooth holster inside when from what I can see, most of their gun is outside the holster. As for the rough side not being able to be smoothed down, ya might want to look inside some well used non-lined holsters, ya might be surprised. But what do I know, I prefer the more traditional look and to shoot Blackpowder. Speed is not my first consideration. Nor is keeping my guns looking like they are new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Gambler Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I thought it wasn't lined unless it had something soft on the inside, like suede. That's what I have in mine to help keep the guns from falling out, and hopefully to reduce holster wear on the pistols. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tombstone Tex Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Gotta be honest, I can appreciate what both sides say regarding lining and holster wear. While I completely see that we do use the guns hard, and they do obtain wear and tear, I am also in the camp where I don't necessarily want to put unnecessary wear on any of my guns. Honest wear is one thing, unnecessary is a different thing entirely. In the other gun sports, some people use full kydex, and I have seen finishes absolutely wiped out within 3 matches. I have kydex outer body with lined interior, sure the gun is wearing, but not nearly as fast as the others, and the plus side is that I didn't take a new gun and have it looking like it went through the world wars within 4 months. (slight exaggeration there, but I think you get my point). Onto the cowboy guns, gotta say, I use lined holsters, but my 1 gun in specific has been pulled from the holster so many times, it is starting to fade just right, I'm loving it. It is unavoidable if they will be fired, but it has taken about 2 years to start showing the wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boggus Deal #64218 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Cow Chip, have you talked to Long Hunter's? I bet that unless you want something completely off the wall, they can have you some Kirkpatrick Leather in 6-8 weeks. Not February. And believe me, you can't go wrong with Kirkpatrick leather from Long Hunter's. I've been using it for years and it has worked very well for me and plenty others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M.T Chambers, SASS#76185 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Wear? Nah it's character! This rig is about 4 yrs old - lined and steel reinforced by Rudy @ Black Hills Leather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Veg-tanned cowhide lining inside a veg-tanned cowhide outer layer will reduce wear on a blued gun. I will not eliminate wear entirely. Depending on the design of the holster, the leather must touch the gun at seven to nine places in order to keep the gun from flopping around (which, itself will cause bluing abrasion). Where the gun touches the leather there will eventually be some bluing wear. If you must use pigskin, be sure it is veg-tanned, not chrome-tanned pig! (Personally, I use cowhide to line my holsters.) If you have a stainless steel gun, a lining is really not necessary. As for suede, it acts like sandpaper! It will pick up and retain dirt and grit, which will damage the finish of the gun. If you'd like confirmation, just read John Bianchi's "Blue Steel and Gun Leather" (Can't find the page number right now...sorry. But it's there.) Why did John make suede-lined holsters? Because they asked for them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dubious Don #56333 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Unless you put your gunz in a glass top box and just LOOK at them, they're going to get wear, lined holster or not! Leather is skin; there's a smooth side and a rough side (The underside) Inexpensive holsters have one thickness; they're not very stiff, tend to close up like a clam when the pistol is withdrawn and since they're thin they do not hold their shape very well. Depending on the style, these holsters tend to be floppity and security/retention can be an issue. Make the leather thicker and it's stiffer. Sandwich a piece of steel of plastic (kydex) or steel between two pieces or use two pieces of leather and you have a stiffer holster that will hold its shape better and provide a better platform for draws and returns. Suede or pigskin lining, ostrich or yak leather linings do little to enhance this stiffness. A one thickness holster with such a lining is still going to be floppity. A double thickness holster without the plastic/steel liner, depending on the thickness of the leather is going to be stiffer and do a better job. The holster is constructed with the rough sides together so the smooth side is both outside and inside. I've never done any scientific tests as to which is rougher and I don't think the inside of the hide is, its just rough, same density and the chances to hold grit are higher. A suede/pigskin/yak lining might be 'softer' but its also going to hold grit to some degree. The biggest drawback I see to those rough-inside holsters are the little balls of leather that get...everywhere. Slicking a holster has two parts; a holster lined with the aforementioned yak hide is going to be less slick just by the nature of the hide against the gun. Suede and pigskin is sticky by nature. Dry silicone will reduce this but it will still be sticky. I don't use talc, ask someone who does on that. The FIT of the holster to the gun also impacts the 'slick factor'. Some holsters have retention screws. Tightened up the shooter can do a somersault and the guns won't come out. If the tension device is properly located at the bottom of the holster, the first 1/4 inch will be tight then its smooth drawing. Locate that tension device higher up and you'll have to draw the gun out farther to get past the tension. Unless your holster has the aforementioned tension device, once its begun to wear it's going to loosen up. Even with a steel/plastic lining they need to be adjusted from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Back when I was researching my rig, makers told me to stay away from suede as it would hold dust and grit essentially turning the holster into sand paper. they recommended smooth pigskin. This may well be a ford vs chevy thing. I believed them and got pigskin lined El Paso Saddlery rig. My shiny new Mernickle rig is made with the two layers of the holster leather shiny side out with metal in between to hold shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TN Mongo, SASS #61450 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 As a holster maker, I think that a holster lined with good thickness veg tan gives you a much more sturdy holster. Most of us leather makers avoid suede because of the grit and dirt problem already mentioned. Few holsters during the real cowboy days were ever lined. If holster wear really is a concern for anyone I recommend stainless guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lead Ringer Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Life's to short to use Cheap holsters, sketchy guns and crapy ammo😀 I'm having a new rig made by Murphy Leather (aKa: Persimmon Dan) look him up😉 Regards, Ringer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowhand Bob, 24229 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 I have seen holsters that used double full grain leather, inside and out, using 8>9oz and my preference is only slightly lighter at double 6>7oz. And the glue joint actually adds quite a bit of stiffness also. When you get into these weights I do not think plastic or metal indo-skeleton construction is necessary, within the pouch, unless you are really allowing something very heavy or or tight to press on them. I DO like a metal liner in the drop panel to hold those special 'molded-in' positioning curves. The maker can bone the rough side of leather really well using gum trag and get a very smooth surface but I have found these to be less than durable under heavy abrasion. No matter what you use, the leather is not going to stand up well to a sharp edged revolver cylinder. If you have a really nice set of holsters it might also be of benefit to buy a pair of the plastic pistols to keep in them between matches, really beats the heck out of tennis balls. Bunkhouse Leather, in Texas??, has a fair selection of these at reasonable prices. Another trick used by some is to cut a plastic wrap, for the gun, from milk or water jugs to protect the holster from abrasion while working a pistol in and out during break-in or wet molding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan Disorderly Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 Ordered from longhunters, said 2-3 weeks. Kydex supports in them and tension screws so a couple of features I'd figured I'd not get in my price range. And they're lined.Patience is a virtue I rarely have so I'll have them soon enough to maybe shoot a match yet this year. If momma nature cooperates that is.Hoping to drop a few seconds off my time with the new holsters.Next is probably gonna have to be a shot gun belt...and a hammerless SxS..in addition to mo practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Fill 'Em 67797 Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Contact Doc Noper for your shotshell belt. I little more but worth every penny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelby Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Do others use plastic guns to help their holsters keep their shape? If so where do you get them from? I checked out Bunkhouse Leather but could not find a website for them. Thanks, Kelby If you have a really nice set of holsters it might also be of benefit to buy a pair of the plastic pistols to keep in them between matches, really beats the heck out of tennis balls. Bunkhouse Leather, in Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Cent Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 You can get mold guns. We use them to mold leather to the particular gun. You can get them @: http://www.bluegunstore.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelby Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 You can get mold guns. We use them to mold leather to the particular gun. You can get them @: http://www.bluegunstore.com/ I looked on their site but can not find any Western guns. Looking for Ruger New Vaquero. I must be missing something. Thank you in advance for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bama Red Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Here ya go: http://www.bluegunstore.com/SINGLEACTIONREVOLVER51/2BARRREL.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowhand Bob, 24229 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Poke around here a bit to find the gun molds and lots of other unique items for the leather crafters.. Remember that to open holsters up slightly you can add a couple of layers of the plastic cartons as mentioned above. http://www.bunkhousetools.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc McCoy, SASS #8381 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I use KG9 Leather Kote on my unlined holsters, applied with a shotgun mop on a short rod. Slicker than bannana peel in a 3 Stooges movie. Shooting Frontiersman I chose Slim JIm holsters, with lots of extra leather up the sides and around the trigger guard. The total opposite of the photo in post #12. So I really needed some help getting 1860s out of those and this product is it. I bought it from Brownell's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slowhand Bob, 24229 Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Just spotted this from Bunkhouse but find that buying direct is cheaper. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-Action-4-3-4-Holster-Mold-Cast-Resin-Polymer-/381032034869?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58b7477235 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakebite Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 I would rather carry my gun in a bag than in a Pigskin lined holster! Snakebite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelby Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Here ya go: http://www.bluegunstore.com/SINGLEACTIONREVOLVER51/2BARRREL.aspx Thank you, very cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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