Holster Fit Problem

[bill2000]

A couple of a years ago I bought an OWB holster for my Smith 1911. The holster came in and is very nice. As expected with a new holster fit was very tight.

Put the gun in the holster for a couple of days being sure to remove and re-insert many times. Still too tight. Wrapped the gun in a plastic bag and put it in the holster for a couple of days. Better but still couldn't draw. Not even close.

Tried the bag again and left it for a couple of weeks. This seemed to do the trick and the fit was tight but usable. Didn't use the holster for a couple of days and when I tried it again I was back at the start. I'm talking about being unable to get the gun out unless I remove the holster and use both hands!

Any thoughts from you gurus before I pitch this beautiful holster into the nearest lake?

 

[ContinentalOp]

I haven't used it, but there's a product called Leather Lightning from holster maker Mitch Rosen. It's applied to the inside of the holster and it's supposed to help drawing from tightly fitted holsters. It might be worth a try.

 

[crazyphil]

You didn't say, but I am assuming it is an all leather holster?
I have had this problem a few times and what I have done has worked each time: Run a pan of warm water with a little bit of dishwasher detergent in it. Soak the holster real good. Rinse it off. Wrap the gun in Saran Wrap and stick it in the holster. Let it
set until completely dry. Polish the outside and spray the inside with silicone. Do a hundred draws. Wear it around the house drawing occasionally. Don't throw it out.

 

[326MOD10]

While I have never had a holster fit that tight I have had some that took some work to loosen up.

I have used the Mitch Rosen Leather Lightning before and it does make for a smooth draw from a leather holster. Not sure what it is made of but it slicks up the inside of the leather and when I have used it I have had no problem with any adverse effects on the finish of the pistol/revolver or to the holster leather.

While I know it has been a while since you purchased the holster you might contact the maker and see what they would suggest. Also one of the leather workers, that post here often, may come along and offer up a solution as well.

The other issue would be if the holster was made specifically for your particular pistol? If not there could be slight differences in the model they used to craft the holster that could be causing the problem.

Good luck.

 

[bill2000]

Thanks for the responses so far guys. Yes it is an all leather holster. Maker was Nick Matthews who has gone off the radar screen. Too bad, he did nice work in spite of my problem.

I'm leery of the immersion in water solution just yet but maybe something to slick it up inside. I'll look at Mitch Rosen's site.

"The other issue would be if the holster was made specifically for your particular pistol? If not there could be slight differences in the model they used to craft the holster that could be causing the problem."

Hadn't thought of that but I haven't heard of anybody else with a leather holster problem for a S&W 1911.

Any other ideas? Don't worry, won't be throwing it away. Cinch up the belt, wear a protective cup and do 300 curls a day.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Understanding the nature of leather and the process of holster forming might help.

Leather is a naturally fibrous material made (for the benefit of those of you from Boulder, Colorado) from the hides of animals by a process known as tanning (use of tannins from tree bark to cure the hide and make it usable for various purposes). The tanning process results in removal of practically all natural moisture.

When made into a holster the leather is wet-formed and molded to the shape of the intended handgun. While wet the leather fibers can be stretched, modeled, and compressed considerably. As the leather dries the leather fibers tend to contract, essentially attempting to return to the natural relaxed state. This can have the effect of reducing internal dimensions of the holster.

Newly made formed leather holsters can be expected to require a period of break-in use. The holster will conform to the belt and body profile of the user as well as fully conforming to the handgun. These processes will always include some degree of stretching as the belt loops respond to belt tensioning and the holster pocket is affected by the body and its movements during use. Other factors play a part as well, such as exposure to body heat and humidity during the break-in.

If the holster is produced in such a way that it functions without break-in then the initial break-in period (a week or two) will result in a loosened fit. If the holster is produced in such a way that it is a very snug fit then the break-in period will result in a final fit that should be serviceable for the lifetime of the product.

Having read your post and follow-up comments it appears to me that, while you have had this holster for some time, the holster has not yet received a thorough break-in. This is best done by simply wearing the holstered handgun for several hours each day over the course of several days. Break-in can be accelerated by placing the unloaded handgun into a plastic freezer bag, then forcing it into the holster and leaving it overnight. You can also leave the plastic bag in place while you wear the holstered handgun around the house for a few hours each day, and that helps in stubborn cases (remember the effects of body heat, belt tensioning, etc).

Vegetable tanned cowhide is capable of stretching at least 5% in all dimensions in response to pressures applied, moisture exposure, and heat exposure. If you are willing to commit 4 or 5 hours per day over the course of 3 to 5 days you should be able to complete a good break-in and start to experience the performance potential of your holster.

Best regards.

 

[Harkrader]

Without seeming as though I'm trying to put words in the mouth of the gentleman from "LoboGunLeather", I think he is saying "go slowly."
I hate to admit it but I've significantly degraded the performance of a leather holster by trying to stretch it too fast. I don't know of a way to shrink it back.

I've found that seemingly small differences in a gun's shape can make a big difference in fit. I know this restates the obvious, but rails change everything. Even a holster made to fit, for example, a S&W with a rail, will likely not fit a Sig, with rail or not. Finding a holster for my Sig Scorpion Carry has been a trial. The one I found is a one-gun holster.

My Sig 1911CA-45-BSS ("Commander size") does not have a rail and STILL doesn't fit holsters that are fitted for other 1911s. Kydex ones are impossible to swap.

Don't get me started on the differences between the earlier Sig 226 and the new ones.

The "E-Series" S&W 1911s don't fit the holsters my early Sc can use.

Anyway, I'm deferring to people like the gentleman at "LoboGunLeather." One thing I don't see he mentioned, and that probably means "go slower," Galco says that once a gun has been put into the freezer bag and pushed into a tight holster, they say to wiggle it around a bit to encourage stretch.
I'd say: Do it slooowly!
-SD

 

[bill2000]

Having read your post and follow-up comments it appears to me that, while you have had this holster for some time, the holster has not yet received a thorough break-in. This is best done by simply wearing the holstered handgun for several hours each day over the course of several days. Break-in can be accelerated by placing the unloaded handgun into a plastic freezer bag, then forcing it into the holster and leaving it overnight. You can also leave the plastic bag in place while you wear the holstered handgun around the house for a few hours each day, and that helps in stubborn cases (remember the effects of body heat, belt tensioning, etc).

Vegetable tanned cowhide is capable of stretching at least 5% in all dimensions in response to pressures applied, moisture exposure, and heat exposure. If you are willing to commit 4 or 5 hours per day over the course of 3 to 5 days you should be able to complete a good break-in and start to experience the performance potential of your holster.

Best regards.

Thanks for your thorough reply Lobo. Much appreciated. Is it normal for the holster to revert back to its too tight condition after successful stretching with the bag method for a couple of weeks? Fit was perfection after that. The gun was left in the holster without the bag afterwards and was too tight again after a week. Are you familiar with the Mitch Rosen product mentioned? How about a wax applied to the interior?

 

[Aticus]

I won't quote Ray's answer on this thread but I will say that whenever he answers a question about holsters I learn something. His answers show a man who is knowledgeable and can pass on that knowledge in a manner we can all understand.

Thanks Ray for your time here it helps us all.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Thanks for your thorough reply Lobo. Much appreciated. Is it normal for the holster to revert back to its too tight condition after successful stretching with the bag method for a couple of weeks? Fit was perfection after that. The gun was left in the holster without the bag afterwards and was too tight again after a week. Are you familiar with the Mitch Rosen product mentioned? How about a wax applied to the interior?

Break-in requires the full combination provided by wearing the holstered handgun for several hours at a time over the course of several days. This exposes the holster to your belt, your body profile, and your pistol in combination to allow everything to fully conform.

Putting the pistol into a plastic bag and stretching the holster for a week or two, then taking it out and leaving it to relax will not have the same effect as a proper break-in cycle of use.

I have not used the Mitch Rosen product (although I am sure it is every bit as excellent as their leather products), and I don't ordinarily recommend any treatment for a holster's interior. But in very stubborn cases I have found that a VERY LIGHT APPLICATION of wax lubricant to the interior can improve the draw. For this I recommend a light plastic wrap (Saran Wrap or similar) over the unloaded handgun, then a VERY LIGHT APPLICATION of neutral shoe polish or Johnsons Paste Wax to the plastic wrapping, then working the wrapped pistol into the holster. The wax will be taken up by the leather fibers at points of contact and remain there as a lubricant to ease the passage of the handgun into and out of the holster.

I must stress that this is a relatively extreme solution and should not be done on a regular basis. Again, we are talking about VERY LIGHT APPLICATION of WAX, not oils or other agents that will impregnate and soften leather, overcoming the forming work and leaving the leather limp and useless.

A final note to deal with 1911-style pistols in general: Things were relatively simple from 1911 through about 1980, with every pistol produced by every manufacturer (9 total manufacturers, plus subcontractors for parts) on government contracts having the basic requirement of absolute interchangeability of every part. Production tolerances were pretty much absolute within a certain range. A Colt Model 1911 US Army made in 1917 would accept replacement parts from WW2 production Colts, Remington Rands, Ithacas, and Union Switch & Signal pistols without a quiver. Then in the 1980's everything changed. All patent protections were gone, all licensing arrangements were gone, all military contracts were history. EVERYBODY STARTED MAKING 1911-STYLE PISTOLS, and nobody seemed to care about "mil-spec" dimensions. Different slide profiles, different dust covers, different barrel-slide lengths, different sights, different controls (safeties, slide releases, tangs, you name it) became the norm rather than the exception. There is no such thing as standard dimensions anymore. A dozen companies are producing 1911-style pistols in a hundred different varieties or more, not to mention the custom shops turning our infinite varieties to suit any whim.

In the shop I have half-a-dozen dummy guns for the various 1911's. In my personal collection I have 29 pistols dating from 1914 to present day. There are still many production pistols that I cannot match in every dimension or feature. Then there are the after-market parts and accessories to deal with. Calling a production pistol a "1911" no longer means very much.

Best regards.

 

[bill2000]

Thanks Ray! The time you took to answer my questions is greatly appreciated. I never gave a thought to all the possible variations in 1911 design but of course you are totally correct. I'll start wearing the holster around the house and see how it goes. To be continued...

 

[flyrobb]

I remembered this thread from a while back and wanted to tell you I got a bottle of Mitch Rosen Leather Lightning to use on a holster I was having trouble breaking in and it works!

Mine is a pancake, made by our very on Lobo, for my G19. Love the holster but VERY tight fit, even after having and wearing it for quite a while. Did the plastic bag thing, more that once. It was to the point I quit wearing it, which I know is counter productive to breaking it in. After applying the Rosen product, 2 applications, it made the draw MUCH better.

Now I do think since the product made the draw easier I started wearing it again hence helping the loosening process in that regard.

Not sure how your it's going with your holster but it might be worth a try.

 

[woodentrout]

This may help with a holster that's still too tight...

Hi, thought I'd add some pictures here showing what I tell my customers about breaking in their holsters that are really tight, and here are directions to go along with the numbered pictures. (NOTE: I am a little OCD, I like to cut my freezer bag to fit, then reinforce the muzzle end of the bag with tape as shown in Step #3)

#1) You'll need the following: Your gun, holster, paper towels, freezer bag, scissors, packing/shipping tape.

#2) Cut a piece of towel large enough to wrap around the slide from muzzle to rear sights.

#3) Lay your gun on the freezer bag, bottom edge along the bag bottom, mark below bottom of slide, draw a line, then cut out that corner of the baggie. Take your towel and wrap the gun as shown and put into the piece you have cut out. Tape the muzzle end to reinforce as shown.

#4) Push your gun into the holster. It will be tight and it is okay to exert a lot of pressure. If it helps, you can tap the muzzle end on a surface as you push the gun in.

#5. After you get the gun seated firmly in the holster, it should look like this.


Leave this overnight. If it still needs more stretching, you can add a layer of towels, one at a time, sometimes as many as three or four.

Be patient and go slow, and don't overstretch the holster. As you pull the gun from the holster, also use your thumb on the rear sight to help pull the gun straight out.

Also, break your holster in using two steps: The gun into the holster first. Then the holster and gun to your body.

Give me a call if you have any problems. 406 293-8860

Gary
PICTURES:

<a href="http://s753.photobucket.com/user/GaryCsLeather/media/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/1What%20you%20Need_zpscmg2bi5q.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/GaryCsLeather/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/1What%20you%20Need_zpscmg2bi5q.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 1What you Need_zpscmg2bi5q.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s753.photobucket.com/user/GaryCsLeather/media/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/2Cut%20Towel_zpsgucgeqy6.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/GaryCsLeather/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/2Cut%20Towel_zpsgucgeqy6.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2Cut Towel_zpsgucgeqy6.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s753.photobucket.com/user/GaryCsLeather/media/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/3Mark%20Baggie_zpswwaapbgc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/GaryCsLeather/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/3Mark%20Baggie_zpswwaapbgc.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 3Mark Baggie_zpswwaapbgc.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s753.photobucket.com/user/GaryCsLeather/media/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/4Insert%20Gun%20Into%20Holster_zpsle9qerdo.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/GaryCsLeather/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/4Insert%20Gun%20Into%20Holster_zpsle9qerdo.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 4Insert Gun Into Holster_zpsle9qerdo.jpg"/></a>
<a href="http://s753.photobucket.com/user/GaryCsLeather/media/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/5Leave%20overnight_zpseced0qn1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i753.photobucket.com/albums/xx171/GaryCsLeather/Breaking%20in%20Tight%20Holster/5Leave%20overnight_zpseced0qn1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 5Leave overnight_zpseced0qn1.jpg"/></a>

 

[woodentrout]

Sorry bout those pictures...

I tried but I fell a little short on those pictures.
But if you click on any of the underscored yellow URLs in the "http" mess, it will take you to my photobucket album that has all 5 numbered pictures there.
Oops... darn computers anyway.

 

[wheelgun610]

I tried but I fell a little short on those pictures....

Maybe this is a little easier: Breaking In Tight Holster Photos by GaryCsLeather | Photobucket

Mark

 

[bill2000]

Thanks you guys. I tried wearing it around the house to see if it would help. Maybe I didn't do it long enough but it's still too tight. I've been carrying a different gun lately and haven't done any more with the vise grip holster. I like the paper towel idea and I think I'll try that before shelling out for the Mitch Rosen juice. Thanks to all again for your suggestions!

 

[JB4570]

Before you decide to pitch the holster out, try wrapping the gun with WAX PAPER, then let it set over night, if it's still too tight try several more wraps of WAX PAPER, and this will do the trick, have done this for years and it works Great!

Wax Paper is the ticket! No need for any wonder juice!

 

[bill2000]

Before you decide to pitch the holster out, try wrapping the gun with WAX PAPER, then let it set over night, if it's still too tight try several more wraps of WAX PAPER, and this will do the trick, have done this for years and it works Great!

Wax Paper is the ticket! No need for any wonder juice!

Winner, winner chicken dinner! Wax paper seems to have done the trick JB. Thanks to all of you for your suggestions.

 

[rednichols]

A leather holster that's too tight means the maker has a process problem vs. a design problem. Recently I helped a small maker correct this issue by showing him how to change his process.

Don't accept that a 'break-in' period is a necessary process; a quality maker does all this for you, and any maker who doesn't, doesn't understand his /her processes.