Mitch Rosen holsters

[flintsghost]

A lot of leather holsters are like that. I have several Mitch Rosen holsters as well as K L Null horsehide holsters and a few Milt Sparks holsters. Even Galco is that way when new. I learned to use a heavy zip lock plastic bag around the pistol/revolver and force the gun in as far as it is supposed to go and then just leave it to sit for a couple of days. For a few minutes every evening, I will use my wifes hair dryer to warm it up which helps the leather expand and get to where it needs to be. This has always worked for me. I think it is the norm with a brand new holster. Most holster makers use "forms" of the weapons made of cast aluminum or iron to mold the holster to fit in the first place. As these wear the new holsters are tighter and tighter when new. That's not all bad however. It just is a fact of life.

 

[PauldL]

I've got some Mitch Rosen Leather Lightning.
It is good. I used it on my Alessi Shoulder Rig.
Also gonna use it on my Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake Holster when it gets here. It really slicks the inside up.

 

[sipowicz]

sipowicz - I just happen to have a pull-through by Alessi. Shown with
my Model 10.

I still have my 40 year old shoulder rig Lou dyed black and added the second generation harness after I sent it back to him some 20 years ago.

 

[Onomea]

I like Rosen's 5JR, a pancake, and have three. One for my Colt DS, one for my M65 and one for my 640-1. They're tight, but I had no problem seating the guns when they were new. In fact, I don't notice any difference in tightness of fit between when they first arrived and now. Maybe it's more of an issue with semi-autos than revolvers. DS and M65 shown below.

 

[hfb606]

This works!

When breaking in a tight holster, I have put the gun in a plastic bag, then put the gun in the holster. That little bit can help stretch the holster.

Mitch Rosen makes a great holster.

Tim

I have many Mitch Rosen holsters. The above technique worked perfectly for all of the holsters. Use a Ziplock freezer bag and leave the gun in the holster for several days.

 

[crazyphil]

If you get Dillon's Blue Magazine many of the holsters offered are made
by Mitch Rosen. I had a 5JR president from them and it was a good
holster.

 

[Aircrewman]

Lots of very good advice for the new holster(s)..... but in my experience, nothing beats use. Regular use. Gun in, gun out. Wear the holster everyday. Gun in, gun out. Regular use will wear the holster in. And the results will be good.

 

[Whit]

Apologies to the original poster, don't mean to hijack your thread. Any of the Rosen users out there utilize the Express holsters? How do they compare to the "regular" line? Thanks for relating your experience with either or both.

 

[Onomea]

Whit, I recall reading on Rosen' site that, per Rosen himself, there is no difference in retention between his Express line and his regular line. He says the difference is cosmetic, that some customers prefer the look of the boning, which takes skill, time and effort.

I am one of those customers willing to pay more for the boning because I like the look, but would feel very confident buying his Express line if I felt like saving some bucks.

I also think we've had forum members posting here expressing satisfaction with Rosen's Express line.

 

[Whit]

Thank you, Onomea. I too read that info on the Rosen site. Just curious if users concurred with Mr. Rosen's assessment. Like you, I like the boning, but given that nobody but me is going to see it, saving $70 might buy a little more ammo…if anybody has any!

 

[scattershot]

FWIW, the holster they sent the first time was the wrong color. The replacement is the correct color, and is not quite so tight. Great customer service, by the way. This was an Express line holster. I would buy another one.

 

[Goblin]

You didn't mention the gun model, but I ordered one for a Ruger Max 9 and it locked into the holster. Took a long time to get it loose inserting stuff in there while pulling on the gun. Then I noticed the ejection port has super sharp edges that are causing the problem. I have a return authorization to Ruger to have them check it, but I haven't shipped it yet. A kydex holster probably wouldn't have that problem.

 

[Welderzero]

Mitch is finestkind and I have a couple for my gubmint models but in the last few years I've transitioned to Crossbreeds for daily carry.


I utilize the Rosen holsters for special events when I'm carrying my barbeque guns.

 

[Baxter6551]

DO use the plastic bag method as mentioned by others here. That method is recommended by the top holster makers including my favorite Kramer. In my opinion DO NOT wet or try and remold the holster. The professionals at Mitch Rosen have already done that. I have no experience with the wax paper or leather lightning methods but they both sound like a good alternative. A quality leather holster requires proper break in and repeat practice draws. Both your gun and holster will thank you for your patience down the road.

 

[dirty & hairy]

No doubt about it, fully boned Mitch Rosen holsters are beautiful. I've owned several in the past but they were sold / traded with the guns. If you are impatient like I am, and if the holster is going to be concealed anyway, there is no beating the express line.

The UPL-EXP holster shown below with the Shield Plus in it is very tight. The JR5-EXP shown was just right as delivered. This is not the first time an Upper Limit was tight for me, both boned and express. Maybe they are supposed to be extra tight? I love the Upper Limit holster BTW. At first I tried to make it work at 3:00 but it just didn't feel right. Then I tried 2:00 like the tap dancing girl in the video on the Mitch Rosen website and it made sense. It rides high and tight at 2:00.

The ammo pouch shown with the SP101 in the JR5-EXP is not a Mitch Rosen product.

 

[brians356]

I like Rosen's 5JR, a pancake, and have three.

I'm thinking of a 5JR for my Hellcat Pro. Seems the only place you can buy them is direct from Mitch Rosen. Is that the case? (With DeSantis a hefty discount under MSRP is available through 3rd party vendors.)

Brian
-

 

[Onomea]

Brian, I've only bought direct from Rosen. There are some on eBay, but I did not see any for your pistol when I had a quick look just now.

 

[CH4]

I have two. While they are stiff, I didn't need to apply and lube/conditioner or use plastic bags; conversely, one of my 1911 holsters from Warbird Leather required all the above.