I just received my El Paso Saddlery Dual Duty I bought for my Remington 1911 R1 enhanced.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/16...rnment-leather

As with any new holster, it's tight. I worked it around for about 30 minutes inserting and removing the firearm, loosened the retention screw and was finally able to get the thumbsnap engaged. However, the firearm is "canted" in the holster with a fair amount of pressure to the bottom front of the barrel. I think things will be "OK" but it is slightly pushed out of the form marks for the slide.

It's been really hot and humid the past few days so the holster is fairly pliable after it's multi-day venture in the US mail

Should I continue to stretch/seat the firearm in the holster without the thumbsnap or just leave it to sit overnight securely snapped in the holster?

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Really? U saw it in Wikipedia?

Every time I buy a new lined Bianchi holster, I have the same problem. Just stick the gun in there and let it sit in a drawer for a while. The leather seems to "learn" how to do right after a little practice.

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Dr. B

The best way i've found to ' break in ' a (good) new holster is many, many repetations drawing and presenting the gun with the gun on the belt, of course.

Place the gun in a plastic bag, place the gun with bag in holster, fasten the strap and leave overnight. The bag will prevent moisture in the leather from damaging the gun.

I wrap my pistol in waxed paper and leave it in the holster for a couple days.

i do what buckeye does.
works good.

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susie

I'm quite serious about this. Why not buy a Kydex holster in place of a leather one. I've never known one to need breaking in. I understand the love affair with leather but every leather holster I've ever bought required "breaking in."
That said, put the pistol in a thin (a pair you seldom if ever wear)
sock and shove your empty pistol in it and leave it over night. Repeat a few times if needed.
If you intend to carry concealed a pretty leather holster?
Even my OWB Keydex holsters are okay with me.
Good luck with that holster. If its the correct size for your pistol,
you will eventually get it right.
Poli Viejo

THANKS for the replies. I've done the wax paper, bags, ... successfully in the past as well.

This holster is particularly tight precluding the addition of ANY extra bulk!!! I suspect because it's billed as a "government 1911" formed holster and the Remington R1 enhanced, like many other 1911 variants, has its own minor quirks in dimension and/or contours!!!!

I could have posed my question better. I had to press the firearm into the holster so tight to get the thumb snap engaged that I was afraid of deforming it around the slide area.

I can now report that after only a few hours snugly snapped in, all seems to be acclimating like a fine pair of new shoes It's not ready for "wearable use" as I still need to struggle a bit to re-snap after removing but it is already improved!

I really like the quality of the leather used by El Paso Saddlery. This is my third!

THANKS again!

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Really? U saw it in Wikipedia?

Kydex has no soul, no character. It takes no real talent to mold a piece of plastic. It's just a plastic widget, vacuum- or pressure-formed like a car part.
A leather holster is a creation. It's a work of art. It has a "feel" to it like nothing else. It's like wearing a masterpiece.
Carrying a firearm in a finely crafted holster used to be part of something like a ritual, with inserting the gun for the first time to breaking it in, to finally wearing it like a cherished piece of clothing. Now, with these instant plastic monstrosities, it's like strapping on a plastic soda bottle and jamming your gun in it.
No soul, I tell ya. No soul.

I have and like holsters in kydex, leather and nylon. It just depends on the gun, the holster and how I plan to use/wear it that determines the material. For polymer pistols, I have no problem using kydex, etc. and have a kydex IWB for my Smith 642, which works beautifully.
My most recent leather holster was an inexpensive lined Triple K pancake with thumb break for the Governor and in spite of wrapping and inserting the gun after wetting the holster numerous times with both water and a leather break-in liquid, which did help but until I started wearing the holster on a daily basis around the house, it never did fit to my satisfaction. After several days of wearing, it now fits perfectly. It was an exercise in both patience and frustration but I guess the bending and stretching of the leather while actually wearing it did it.

As some of you know, I make gun holsters, and the way I do it is simple. Always better if the holster is a " tad " to big when you get it. Leather will shrink a bit, and will then fit perfect.

Problem is when people want a plastic fit in a leather holster. Plastic is a mold---leather is pliable.

Thank you,

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Henry

Haven't seen a carved Kydex that I like so far. I'm developing a thing for carved leather lately. Larry