Breaking In A Holster?

I don't think soften would be the right term for what I'm hoping to achieve. Mold maybe? A piece of horsehide and kydex as flat as a board doesn't really fit in the pants so well. I'm mainly concerned with the forming a curve in the portions of the leather that the clips are attached to that extends beyond the kydex and leather that the firearm is actually contained in.
 
Well, if the holster doesn't eventually conform to the shape of your body, then eventually your body will conform to the shape of the holster. Same thing happens with hats.
 
The plastic bag is the way to go. Oil the gun real good, leave it in for about three days. You will be good to go. Don't use any kind of oil on the leather! it will ruin the holster, as said in the previous thread.
 
i sprayed the inside of mine with armor all...worked like a charm..didnt stain the leather or the weapon...slick for draw as well...
 
armorall,,,

i sprayed the inside of mine with armor all...worked like a charm..didnt stain the leather or the weapon...slick for draw as well...
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One of the components of Armorall is silicon,,,
That's what made your holster slick.

Not the best thing for leather,,,
But it's not overly harmful either.

People have been spraying holsters with silicon since it became available.

Aarond

.
 
The plastic bag is the way to go. Oil the gun real good, leave it in for about three days.
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That would work if it was an all leather holster and not kydex. He is trying to break in the backing of the holster which is made of horsehide. You could stick a gun in a plastic bag and leave it in for weeks and that kydex isn't going to stretch. The best way is to just wear it around alot, the horse hide I believe is harder than leather so it'll take some breaking in.
 
Wear, wear, wear. Wear it all day, get used to the bruises (they'll go away in a couple of weeks) and before you know it , you'll feel naked without it. It's the only way.
As for the whole reholstering thing, I never understood why holster makers use this as a selling point. I've always been of the mind that if it's comming out, I'm not too woried about putting it back. It's probably going to be on the hood of the car, or on the ground when the police show up. But that's just me.
 
Boatme98, a gun on the ground is a gun available to the proned out BG to grab, during the transition period from when you hear the sirens to when the police are actually in a position to do something.

A gun on the hood of the car might be safer, but you'd really need to make sure it was much easier for you to get to than for the BG... and then you'd risk having the police see you rushing toward a gun if the BG made a try for it.

With the gun in its holster, and your hands up, you present a reduced threat to the arriving officers, while not giving the BG good odds of getting up and taking your weapon before the officers are right there.

So, that's why re-holstering matters to some of us.
 
ML, I'm thinking that my weapon is going to placed down when the blue lights show up. I know I'll be on the pavement with my hands behind my head, but that's the way it goes.
 
Boatme98, that's probably true. Still, you need to be careful of your (and your gun's) position relative to the BG, if the BG is still present.

Me personally, if I still have the BG there, he'll be down on his face, hands and arms out-stretched, and I'll be at a safe distance with a holstered weapon.

I could then just put my hands in the air when the blue lights arrive, and let the police take the gun from its holster or direct what they otherwise want.
 
Theis has a very good reputation. I recommend following his advice and asking him specific questions about his holsters. Horsehide tends to be much stiffer than cowhide, but the horsehide in your Theis holster should bend and conform to the shape of your body where it is in contact in a fairly short period of time. I would NOT put ANY liquid chemical on the horsehide. To get a good fit for your handgun in the holster, try one layer of Saran Wrap (or a similar very thin wrap) around the handgun and keep the handgun in the holster overnight. Unwrap the handgun every day to check it for moisture. Repeat this process until you obtain the fit you desire - hopefully snug but not so tight that it takes two hands to draw the handgun.
 
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To my way of thinking if a new holster needed "breaking in" then it must be a pretty crummy holster. Quality holsters are molded to the gun perfectly. They don't need "breaking in".
 
The molding to the gun is perfectly fine, but I can't imagine you find a flat piece of horsehide in your pants very comfortable.

On the bright side, with use around the house the curve in the horse hide has become more pronounced and the holster fits inside my pants much better now.
 
To my way of thinking if a new holster needed "breaking in" then it must be a pretty crummy holster. Quality holsters are molded to the gun perfectly. They don't need "breaking in".
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You are entitled to your opinion, . . .

Mine is that I as a leather craftsman CANNOT spend two or three days measuring and molding a piece of leather to perfectly match the contours of someone's buttocks, . . . hip, . . . waist, . . . belt line, . . . and extended or lack of love handles.

That is why I rely on a "breaking in" period, . . . where the owner / wearer puts it on, . . . wears it, . . . his body heat and the tension produced by the flexing of the holster on his body, . . . will make that perfect molding.

As far as the "gun" part is concerned, . . . even that need a break in, . . . as no mold that I have is a perfect match for the gun one of my customers owns. They will be close, . . . but not exact, . . . no matter how careful I am in selecting the mold.

I make my own holsters, naturally, . . . and I positively hate breaking in a new one, . . . but I know that when it's done, . . . I'll be more satisfied, . . . and I am, . . . MOST of the time. The other times, . . . wellllllllllllllllllllllll.

May God bless,
Dwight
 
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