Storing pistols in holsters

[Juiceharp Jen]

Ive read of concerns regarding some holsters losing their shape if stored without a pistol or some kind of shaper inside.  I've also heard of blued pistols losing their color from being stored in some holsters.  I want to store mine and my BF's stainless pistols in our high quality JM-leather holsters.  Mine are brown leather and his are black.  Any reason not to do that?

[Dantankerous]

You might have trouble with rust on blued and CCH finished guns stored in leather. Especially Rugers with their faux and crappy fake CCH. Stainless guns, generally no problems at all.

 

 

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Generally not a good idea to stor the pistols in the leather holsters. 

 

If you need a "shaper" for the holster (most do not, but some do) use an appropriate sized ball such as a tennis ball.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Shotgun Boogie also makes some really nice holster formers.

 

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

PLUS ONE to EVERYBODY who says "DON'T DO IT".  Rust never sleeps and lurks inside holsters.

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

I have stored stainless Ruger .22 in holster since about 1986.

Should start rusting soon.......very soon.....

Blued, no.

Best

CR

 

[John Henry Quick]

Don't.   I shove longneck beer bottles into my holsters and I have never had a problem with them collapsing when trying to return the gun to the holster at a match.  Also,if you spend a bit more coin, you can get holsters from Mernickle and others that are steel lined and will never lose shape - I used those when I still shot suppository guns and they're great.

 

 

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

Ya beat me by 10 minutes John Henry. I was told about the beer bottle holster trick over the summer and it works just fine. Plus you can always tell the wife, "Honey, I need another 12 pack of those holster forms. Seem to have misplaced the ones I had. Ice cold, please."

[Ron "Ironhead" Smith]

I just stuff some wadded up old socks in them.

[Rye Miles #13621]

What about new holsters??

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

1 hour ago, Juiceharp Jen said:

Ive read of concerns regarding some holsters losing their shape if stored without a pistol or some kind of shaper inside.  I've also heard of blued pistols losing their color from being stored in some holsters.  I want to store mine and my BF's stainless pistols in our high quality JM-leather holsters.  Mine are brown leather and his are black.  Any reason not to do that?

Don't-

Put a tennis ball in each holster, and the guns in a soft case.

OLG

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

Check out the toy section of your local big box retailer.  They will probably have some cheap foam balls that will work just fine.  There is not enough room in my gun safes for all my leather and guns.  Tennis balls work fine too.  Check around tennis courts and you may find some discarded ones for free.

[Lawdog Dago Dom]

Rye, mine were brand new, from Rodek Leatherworks in Springfield, IL.

 

Bottles worked just fine.

[G W Wade]

I cut 1 3/4  in wood dowels to cylinder length, then attached a wood drawer pull.  Quick sanding and a coat of wax  your ready to go.   GW       PS. that's for Ruger NMV.  

[Rye Miles #13621]

11 minutes ago, Lawdog Dago Dom said:

Rye, mine were brand new, from Rodek Leatherworks in Springfield, IL.

 

Bottles worked just fine.

Thanks

[Dantankerous]

Make sure you don't get too technically correct and use a Colt 45 malt liquor bottle for a Ruger New Vaquero in 45 Colt. You will need a new holster if you try that.

 

[Slowhand Bob, 24229]

Do not store your guns in holsters.  I have had several folks tell me about it causing rust on their guns and one in particular who claimed the practice rusted his brand new Ruger OMV the very first night he had it.  I never recommend stuffing balls into leather, seen more than a couple of really nice looking holsters that developed that little round pooch from this practice, the dreaded pregnant holster look!!!  If your holster really needs a bit of extra breaking in AND you want to protect the gun and leather from each other there are a couple of tricks that will work.  First buy some fake guns, two common ones used by holster makers are the aluminium ones or the solid plastic ones.  Both are used by many holster makers for the wet fitting process.  I really liked the aluminium  versions as put out by Duncan Customs (best of my recall). 

 

Another trick I used for when I couldnt get an exact match for the real gun was to make a custom fit plastic jacket for the real gun this protected the leather from being marred by the fitting process and should help protect the gun as well.  To make the pistol jacket use an old one gallon plastic jug, commonly used for grocery store milk or bottled water.  Cut the bottom out of the jug and trim out that portion that contains the handle and the mouth.  Next split down the jug body between the handle cut out and the bottom which will allow you to work at getting the plastic worked into an almost flat sheet.  Next I use a Sharpy Pen to outline my gun, that portion below the grip, onto  the plastic.  Now go back and add another line, all the way around the previous one, to enlarge the first sizing by about a half inch.  With a bit of wrapping and squeezing you will now have a very thin shim that will keep that gun and holster from doing things that they shouldnt while being fitted.  

 

PS: this plastic jacket can also help with some other unique issues while fitting holsters, make one for each of your pistols, they are cheap enough.

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

Honestly, as a leather maker, I haven't seen that many well made holsters that need to have anything stored in them to retain their shape.  If the holsters are heavy enough leather, and, have been properly wet fitted, simply store them somewhere were they are not going to get flattened and not exposed to big changes in humidity or temperature.

 

Our stuff is hanging on a couple of hall trees near my gun safes.  It's also important to make sure they don't get squashed in the car going to and from the shoot.  Our hats and leather are always on top of everything else when we travel. 

 

[Possum Stu]

I use lacrosse balls, and push them in just far enough to keep the holsters open. I like the fake guns idea even better though. I never store my guns in their holsters. 

[Trailrider #896]

2 hours ago, TN Mongo, SASS #61450 said:

Honestly, as a leather maker, I haven't seen that many well made holsters that need to have anything stored in them to retain their shape.  If the holsters are heavy enough leather, and, have been properly wet fitted, simply store them somewhere were they are not going to get flattened and not exposed to big changes in humidity or temperature.

 

Our stuff is hanging on a couple of hall trees near my gun safes.  It's also important to make sure they don't get squashed in the car going to and from the shoot.  Our hats and leather are always on top of everything else when we travel. 

 

+1 TN!  While the tendency for a gun to rust left in a holster will depend on (a) the climate you are in...worse in damp climates than dry; (b) the type of tanning used on the holster leather.  Never use chrome-tanned leather for a holster! Vegetable-tanned only! That applies especially to any lining materials!  There are varieties of both types of pigskin, for example.  Any maker who knows what he/she is doing will never make that mistake!  Personally, where a customer wants a lined holster, I use nothing but veg-tanned cowhide, smooth side to the gun. 

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

And it's not just the type of leather tanning used, the leather itself will absorb moisture. I hang all our rigs on wooden hat rack pegs in my leatherworking room. Looks cool, and makes it very handy to grab them on shoot day.

[CurlyDrew42]

I recommend Fiebing's Aussie Leather Conditioner for your non sueded leathers too.  Keeps them supple and less likely to absorb moisture.  Everyone has their own leather care regimen, I am certain, but as someone who pounds on dead cow regularly, that is what I use.

[Brazos John]

Don't store rounds in your belt's bullet loops, either.

The brass will corrode green, and will stain the leather.

The rounds will clean up in a brass cleaner, but the leather is stained.

[Bart Solo]

Used to have that problem then I bought holsters from Doc Noper.  Problem solved.  

[Red Cent]

SASS holsters should be rigid. A good leather crafter can accomplish this and balls and bottles are not needed. 

Do any of you stuff a tennis ball in a Kirkpatrick holster? They use kydex in their holsters. Mernickle lines his with metal. Mine could be cracked with a large ballpeen hammer.

And, any "good" holster will not need conditioning for years after the purchase. You paid good money for a stiff competition holster. Don't make it soft with the oils and creams. 

Very, very lightly, wipe them off with EVOO.

 

 

[G W Wade]

Red Cent, I do use Kirkpatrick.  Mine and others I have seen came egg shaped. Impossible to draw and holster. That's when I made the wood dowels to round out the holster to fit the cylinder. Now I store them in the holsters to keep them that way.    GW

[Dantankerous]

I occasionally use my Old West Reproductions Gun Leather by Rick Bachman. It is so much more comfortable than anything else I have and beautiful to boot. Period-correct pre- 1880 and fits my open tops perfectly. However, it does have its drawbacks in our game. Reholstering takes a little bit more mindfulness. The holsters are not rigid and do not stay as open as we need them to when reholstering with any kind of speed. But as long as I'm paying attention there's no problem. I use these for fun matches. Otherwise all my leather is from Rudy Lozano at Black Hills Leather and works quite well. Great customer service too.

 

I have never needed to store a revolver or a tennis ball or a beer bottle or a wooden dowel or anything else in that leather. It retains its shape perfectly all the time.

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

On 11/6/2017 at 6:34 PM, John Henry Quick said:

Don't.   I shove longneck beer bottles into my holsters and I have never had a problem with them collapsing when trying to return the gun to the holster at a match.  Also,if you spend a bit more coin, you can get holsters from Mernickle and others that are steel lined and will never lose shape - I used those when I still shot suppository guns and they're great.

 

 

That could get expensive having to buy new holster forms every time you finish shooting. 

 

Randy

[John Henry Quick]

39 minutes ago, Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903 said:

That could get expensive having to buy new holster forms every time you finish shooting. 

 

Randy

 

 

Yeah, but it's FUN!