Metal Allergies

[MarcP]

Does anyone else here have an allergy to metal? This happened to me out of the blue last year and started with an itchy rash from my belt buckle. At the time I wasn't entirely sure that it was an allergy to metal, but the first time I conceal carried my Colt Defender last week seems to have confirmed it. I got an itchy rash right where the exposed metal at the back of the grip touched my side.

I bought the gun to carry, as it such a nice size and caliber, but this is obviously a problem. I have been wanting to have some custom work done to it anyway, and I had planed on having the frame coated with black Cerakote which is a ceramic base.

Does anybody have any first hand experience or opinions if this will work?

 

[billdeserthills]

I can offer a fix, same thing I do to keep most of the sweat off my carry guns, I buy a holster with a leather area to keep the gun from touching your side & then I sew a larger piece of leather onto it to really keep my acidy sweat (once rusted a stainless steel gun) off my gun. One holster I use a lot I bought from FIST, it is an IWB small of back holster.

 

[wbraswell]

I know a woman who is allergic to silver.

 

[sipowicz]

It may not be an allergy...it could just be irritation..I have had the same problem with my belt buckle but I don't think I'm allergic to metal...I also wear a thin tank top when carrying IWB for the same reason.

 

[2152hq]

Not all that uncommon for people to have allergic reactions to nickel, cadium, chrome and other such metals. Some have a real problem when they come in contact with nothing more than the plated snaps, buttons and closures commonly sewen onto clothing.

I don't know anything about the Colt but if it's stainless steel, the stainless by it's nature has a high chromium content.

 

[27145]

It is contact dermatitus. I get it from belt buckles, or the jean button. From 20 to 40, I wore a uniform all the time, so i wore t shirts. I first started getting it when I was 43 and no longer wearing t shirts. I think it is something that may come on with age. As you age you become allergic to things you werent before. I noticed if I wore a nickel belt, with a t shirt over the pants I would get that rash. It is like poison ivy. When I started as a mechanic on Harley's, the synthetic oil would cause that rash on my hands. I believe because it has a high zinc content. I would have to wear rubber gloves to try to prevent it. When I was a kid working on my hot rods, I cleaned parts with leaded gasoline and never had a reaction.

Use a t shirt and wear your pants loose. The best thing to treat it is with a prescription from the dermatologist. It is a white cream, but I dont remember the name of it. It clears it up within a day or two.

 

[H Richard]

Contact Ray Cory at Lobo gun leather. He makes several models and can add leather to wherever it might contact you.

 

[MarcP]

Thank you for the replies. I just got my Comp-Tac IWB holster last week, which I really like BTW, for my 1911 Colt and my S&W E-Series,and I also got additional Kydex bodies for my M&P 40c and my Glock 19 so I have options. I have my M&P on right now with no irritation.
I'll probably drop my Colt at my local gunsmith next week to have it coated and see what happens.