I live on a farm in S.C. where it gets pretty warm and humid and any sort of outdoor physical labor results in lots of sweat. I always carry some sort of handgun while doing farm work and don't have to worry about concealment. The handgun is used for coyotes and armadillos.

In past summers I have worn a Glock pistol in kydex holster. This arrangement is pretty sweat proof but I don't shoot the Glock very well. I would like to start carrying my 686+ 3" but don't want to carry it in kydex and don't want to get too much sweat on the S&W. Any and all advice appreciated.

I think short of a full flap holster some part of the gun is going to be exposed to sweat, so I would opt for a nice comfortable-for-you leather holster and regular gun wipe-downs, especially under the rubber grips if your 686 has them.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

For quite a number of years now, I've been carrying my stainless steel J-fames IWB in Milt Sparks VMII's which have "horsehide" on the side of the holster which rests against my skin. It's my understanding that horsehide, while not "sweat-proof" is more "sweat-resistant" than other types of leather.

When cleaning, I also remove the grips and apply a light coat of RenWax with my fingers to the backside of the grips and the grip frame and then re-install the grips without wiping the RenWax off of either surface.

This has worked well for me...YMMV

What do I do about sweat soaked leather? Are some designs better than others for this? I like pancake type holsters but the backside of the holster gets soaked in short order. I wish I could find a leather holster with some sort of plastic belt attachment system. I wear a Next Belt and it gets soaked.

What do you do? Use padded fabrics which have been around now since early '80s. The chest setups such as the one I did for Bianchi Holster called the HuSH would also keep it away from your waistline where you carry other gear, and it comes/came with a removable flap. For revolvers only as I recall (I'm old, don't remember everything any more).

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

I completely understand what you are saying. This last summer I was carrying my Colt Commander 1911 and found that the insides of the pistol had some light rust on it the day after I was working out in the yard. It blew me away. I never had that problem before and switched to kydex.

I found that I didn't have a problem with the kydex maring my gun. I thought it would but it didn't.

So, it has worked for me.

I personally don't own one but have been looking at leather lined kydex. I would think this would be as sweat proof as possible.
good luck finding an answer to your question.

Have you tried a hybrid paddle holster? The paddle is plastic and sits between your body and pants. The holster itself is leather. They aren’t great for concealment but are super comfortable and keep the leather and firearm from accumulating sweat.

SVT28

The paddle design is a good idea for that application. I have a Galco marked FED 248 on the back. Beautifully made holster and is workable if you wear any sort of reasonably sturdy belt. I used to use it with a couple different pistols and was always pleased with it. As SVT28 says, it’s main drawback is it does not conceal well, but that was not a factor for me.

I have same problem in Central Texas. To preserve holster, I wipe it down with leather conditioner once a week and then good cleaning with saddle soap once a month.

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V/r,
Markham

I used to carry a 686, trust me it's going to be miserable no matter what you do. The gun is so heavy I left it at home more than I carried it, which is why I switched to a J Frame. If you are set on carrying the 686 there are a couple of options that were more tolerable for me than others and believe me I tried a lot of holsters to make it work.

Kramer IWB sheepskin, sheep is naturally moisture wicking and comfortable for IWB. This is the only IWB holster I can recommend for a gun the size of the 686. You will have to clean it monthly but it won't ruin the finish of the horsehide.

Galco Fletch: OWB is just more comfortable with a gun the size of 686. Of all the holsters I tried this one was the best in terms of comfort, though concealment usually required a long button up Hawaiian shirt or Linen.

Had I kept my 4" 686 the last thing I would have tried would have been a shoulder holster but I admit I never tried that so I cannot say whether that would have improved things. Best of luck, and I hope you figure out what I could not. Now I happily carry an 11 oz J Frame in a Kydex pocket holster which is much more convenient and comfortable.

MTR Custom Leather has 686P listed on their site, and has some options worth considering.

That said, considering the 686's empty weight at 36.8 ounces and a length of over 8 inches, I'd stick with the Glock while working around the farm.

I carried a Model 19-4 on-the-job for 24 years that weighed 30.5 ounces and was an inch longer than the 686, so from my experience I'd opt for a lighter weight and shorter firearm for my farm yard choice.

This is exactly right. You might shoot it better but the likelihood you carry it all day every day as a true EDC is doubtful. There is no doubt the stopping power and accuracy of the 686 are the stuff of legend, but I'll take the small gun I have on me over the 686 I don't want to carry and have to go great lengths to conceal when I do.

Thanks for your excellent replies. I think that I will get a paddle holster with a plastic paddle. The Galco looks great. When it really gets hot, I will switch to the Glock. Maybe more range time will make the Glock more of a friend to me.

Here’s my Paddle Holster.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

I carry my 686+ three inch often in SW Mississippi in a paddle holster. Weight is not an issue for me. I just clean and wipe it down regularly. The sweat and oil are tough on the cartridges too. If you don’t shoot them up regularly then change them out regularly.
Good luck!

Hugh


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I reload so shooting up my "carry ammo" is something I do regularly. I use a cast lead hollow point at 1100 FPS out of the 3" barrel. The 686 is very easy to shoot well and has to be the best timed and tightest revolver I have ever owned.

My main purpose for carrying a handgun is pest control. The armadillos dig holes in my roads and there are way too many coyotes. My wife thinks I should worry more about self defense but the farm is in a very low population area. Open carry is just fine where I live but I need to be able to hit at 50 yards or more. I have thought about putting a rifle rack on the tractor but stopping the tractor and reaching up to get a rifle would take too long. Also if I am chainsawing or otherwise on foot, the revolver just works better.

I might just carry my Glock pistol when it's just "sweat city" or I am bushhogging the roads and carry the 686 the rest of the time. I am not young and I might as well enjoy the 686.

I also dislike kydex and am surprised it gained traction with shooters.

You'll find the stainless in the 686 is pretty rust resistant, so I'd not worry much about that aspect and just go with leather.

My first thought was that's a valuable gun to be knocking around the farm doing chores. Designed for power and concealment. Neither seems to fit your requirements. Ability to hit coyotes and armadillos at 50 yards and quickly deployed (not on the tractor, with you all the time) is a tough set of requirements. I would struggle with the longest barrel pistol I have to do anything other than 'scare' a critter with a pistol at those distances. Something with a buttstock on it would be much easier to use, but hard to have on your person without becoming a burden during chores. A long barrel stainless single six in 22 Mag or 32 Mag in (Red's suggestion) a Cordura flap holster would seem to best fit the stated requirements. The issue of having the gun on your person while you do rough work, and having it useable enough for anything further than nearby targets is a tough one.

Sounds like one of those surplus swivel holsters like the cops used to wear would fit the bill. (It would look cool, too.)

Here on our Central Ky cattle farm, it's a Glock and Kydex, because it is an extremely durable combination.

That said, most of the equipment also has a long gun rack on it. There are a lot of options for low cost rifles that I don't feel bad about having rattle around on a tractor/ATV. The savage axis, tc compass, ruger american type rifles all come to mind. One of those in .223 with a no/low magnification red dot optic zeroed at 50 yards works well for varmints out to 200 yards.

I like Red Nichols about those padded fabric Bianchi holsters. I might try that.

Others are reacting to the idea of sweaty leather as a self-evident problem. You are a hard workin' man, and all respect to you. I maybe got my holster sweaty a couple of times in summer. One time, wearing a 'belly band" type holster I got some surface rust on my Model 457, which at the end of the day, wiped off easily enough. The blue on that model is ridiculous, so I got the slide done with "cerahyde" by CCR in Gray TN which solved that problem. The anodized aluminum frame was unaffected. Are you concerned about rusting the gun or about ruining the holster?

I never store my gun in a holster. The leather does hold moisture and can rust the gun, but I never saw that with stainless. Model 686 is stainless. I think my leather holsters have picked up some oil from the surface of the gun maybe?

I have a Model 696 which goes in a Bianchi #7L. I have soaked that one through in the rain before to no effect. I did check the gun at home after and no problem that I can remember. I have soaked my belt with sweat many many times but not the holster. Now I am going to look for that.

At the Bill Rice Ranch in Murfreesboro, I was on a trail ride with a youth group which was wrangled and led by a real bowlegged OK cowboy. On the hottest day of the year he was wearing a black wool Stetson. I asked what gives and he explained it to me. He showed me the hatband and it was soaked with sweat. Once that hatband is wet, "I will never get any hotter," no matter how long he works in the sun. "But why black?" He likened it to the Arab tribes that cover themselves with black wool for protection. So, for thirty years now I wear a black wool hat to work in the sun, and it works.
My wife hates it. She does not believe me. She thinks she will find my body out there one day.
"Why do you have to do this when it is so hot??"
"Honey I'm fine.."
"Are you drinking enough?!?"
Now she's got to go get me a water bottle, so I can kiss her and thank her for lookin' out fer me.
I am going to tell her, when she finds my body dead of heatstroke, don't forget to check for any rust on the gun :-)

Kind Regards!
BrianD

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696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

Firearms generally are tools. The use described is very clearly of that nature. When carried regularly, there are things that can happen to the firearm, and there are various options for addressing those. One of the best is kydex. A quality kydex holster is well worth the $$ as a general rule, and the emphasis on tradition and looks is simply not a responsible choice.

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NHI, 10-8.

My 2¢ and what works best for me day-in-day-out in the sun belt....

A cool-max t-shirt and a Galco Royal Guard horsehide IWB rig. I find this combo works best for comfort.

If I'm awake, this tool is on my side.

Yep, even cutting grass, yard work, digging ditches, whatever, it's there. I just wear a loose button-up shirt over it.




Before bed, I remove the pistol from the holster so it can breathe and dry out under the ceiling fan (summer). Often times the holster is wet from body sweat.





There's no telling how many miles are on this holster. Still offers a fast draw and functions like new.

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Death? Smile back...

What works for me in hot, dusty, sweaty weather is the Safariland 7378 7TS holsters. They come with the paddle back installed and include the belt back (including hardware/tool) for user to install if that is what is wanted. Maintenance is simply cleaning with warm water. The 7TS material (not Kydex) does not require a liner, as it won't scratch gun finishes. Their older 6-series holsters are Kydex and had a liner to avoid scratches. The liner could pick up dust/debris and scratch.

Safariland makes the 7TS series for semi-auto's such as S&W, HK, SA-35, Glock, 1911's and more. One of these pistols should give you the accuracy you need for your pest de-population needs. Holster retention is excellent but quick with the ALS system.

Horsehide leather is lighter, thinner and more dense than cowhide and therefore makes it much more sweat and water resistant. Horsehide is my holster of choice for over 30 years. Despite what some say, quality Horsehide is a far superior product to Cowhide and all I'd ever buy.

Yes - it is more expensive, but IMHO not enough to mater.

BTW I am NOT a Kydex guy!

So I think I know why my holster and gun does not get sweaty. It is the wax on the holster. I put that on to shine and make it look better but it also keeps it dry.

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696-6906-457-38-3913-CS40-411

Thinking outside of the box here, but to help mitigate the problems of sweat beading on your firearm I recommend wearing lightweight, breathable clothing that wicks away moisture. That might help a bit with the combined suggestions replied to your post.

Take a look at the Crossbreed Max Slide.

Best,
Gary

As much as I dislike them, if concealment is not an issue on your own property, Nylon holsters might make sense. They are sweat resistant, weather resistant, inexpensive and lightweight. I have never used one for belt carry, but a search might be in order. Cheap enough to try I suppose.

I’m working on the farm here (south central KY) in the summer where it’s very hot and humid. l carry a 3” model 60 owb in an ancient galco closed bottom holster with a thumb break. First round is snakeshot, followed by four light .357’s. After a heavy day I’ll wipe the revolver down with an oily rag. Leather is usually treated with a conditioner once/yr. I don’t leave the pistol in the holster overnight after a sweaty day. Done this for 20+ years with no issues to date.

I hate the feel of kydex, and I don’t like plastic guns😏. Stainless is pretty durable and easier to maintain than blued steel.

Of course the image is of a pancake holster not a paddle. I mention this because that pancake will of course absorb sweat because leather is porous unless very well coated by the holster's maker, and one wouldn't want to buy a pancake while believing correctly that it's the divorced paddle that stops sweat absorption.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

How about a snap-off type holster such as the Hunter brand. You are not looking for concealment, nor do you need speed. Just get a traditional sportsman’s holster.

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