tight holster

C

curly45

New member
Would like sugestions to loosen a new holster and smooth the inside of the one I just bought. There are a couple of places inside where the thread is not smooth and I would like to know if there is a remedy. I intend to carry in the aiwb position ( about 2 oclock) this is a new AGUA holster fits my SR9c well but very tight any info. appreciated. Thanks:confused:
 
People with more experience will chime in. It sounds like the holster is leather, and for leather a quick fix is to soak the holster in water, wrap your pistol in thin but strong plastic, and shove it into the wet holster, to the position you think is right for the pistol. Let the holster dry. It should fit just right. As for rough spots, try rubbing a little paste wax on them. After you do the wet molding, of course. Good luck with all of it.
 
I have used Silicone spray to allow smooth withdrawal until the holster shapes to the gun over time as it is worn. The silicone spray will dry in a few minutes and will not harm the leather of the holster. Assuming it is a leather holster, do not use any oil...it will cause the leather to lose shape.
 
Some folks do not recommend using water on leather. A few years back I bought a western type holster from the NRA Store for a Ruger Blackhawk that was much too tight. I wrapped the revolver in layers of paper towels and forced it into the holster and left it for several days. Better but still too tight. I determined where the tightness was and added more paper towels in that area and left it again for several days. After repeating this process a few times all is well. It took a few weeks but the leather is fine.
 
A leather holster CAN be put into warm water, for about 45 seconds to wet it, wrap firearm in some saran wrap, or plastic wrap, and gently form it to the firearm, the back of a spoon works good. Generally speaking, anything that won't hurt the living animal, - won't hurt the leather. Heat, can hurt the leather, be careful when drying it, - a blow dryer set on low setting will help, but not to close for too long a time, - even this can burn the leather if you leave it for too long, a little too warm. Holster and knife sheaths are both usually wet-molded like this for a custom fit. A friend just re-formed a holster of his doing this and had excellent results. I've made both holsters and a bunch of leather sheaths using water - this is called 'casing' the leather. It's the way it's DONE!
 
"A leather holster CAN be put into warm water, for about 45 seconds to wet it, wrap firearm in some saran wrap, or plastic wrap, and gently form it to the firearm,"

"this is called 'casing' the leather. It's the way it's DONE!"

This is correct info,,,
The trick is to not get the leather too wet.

Nothing is gained by "soaking" it until it's soggy!

Wrap the gun in Saran wrap,,,
I like to use about 6-8 feet of it,,,
You want it to bulk up a bit more then the pistol.

Gently mold the leather to the gun,,,
Personally I don't use anything but my fingers.

Take the gun out and reinsert it several times,,,
This forms the holster to allow for an easy draw later on.

I don't recommend using any heat at all,,,
More often than not this will cause the leather to shrink.

You can put the holster with the gun in it under a fan,,,
But again I have seen even low heat settings do bad things.

Show some patience and let it dry for a full day with the gun in it,,,
Then for another day without the gun in it,,,
Again, a fan helps the drying process.

I've seen guns rust up by putting the gun in before the leather is completely dry.

I've been making holsters and saddle gear for over 40 years,,,
This is the technique that has always worked for me.

Aarond

.
 
The advice I have always read, and followed, is to put the gun in a single plastic bag such as a kitchen food storage bag, insert the gun into the holster (pushing it all the way to where it's supposed to ride), and leave it for a week. That has always worked for me. No water involved.

To curly45: Who makes AGUA hosters? Was that a typo for Tagua Gun Leather Company? If so, their leather holsters are well "boned" to the shape of the gun. I would be hesitant to use much (or any) water for adjusting the fit.
 
I make all my own holster and for some friends.
When they come out a little too tight, I use a spray bottle and spray the inside of the holster till it gets somewhat soft and then wrap the firearm with two or three layers of plastic for more room, and insert into the holster. When the holster is semi dry and stiffens up, I remove the firearm so that it can entirely dry inside.

I molded a holster made for a shield to fit a Glock 20 this way.
 
As mentioned, assuming it's leather, wet forming is fairly quick and easy. It works best on an unlined holster. No heat or fans required. Just run it under the tap, hot or cold water, then stick the firearm in, with or without plastic wrap, and let it dry naturally. Over night is enough time.
"...paper towels..." Are designed and made to absorb and hold water. They won't help stretch leather, that as it dries, shrinks and forms to the firearm.
"...make all my own holsters.." Ditto. Belts and assorted pouches too. Can't imagine buying a holster. snicker.
 
I recently re-read Bill Jordan's 'No Second Place Winner' and he suggests substituting alcohol for water if you prefer to re-for a leather holster. I've not done either and am just offering up an expert's words. I'm sure he meant isopropyl and not bourbon.
 
Casing there leather in water is done to prepare the leather for tooling.

Once the holster is constructed, it can be wet formed to the revolver/pistol just as described above. Spray your firearm with a light coat of oil, place in something like a bread bag. Submerge the holster under warm water for 30 seconds or so - you want it pliable but not so water soaked - shove your pistol in and let it set until the leather is dry. You can also finger form the holster to the pistol during this process if you want to. Once the holster is dry, use something to replace the oils lost in the leather - mink oil, leather conditioner, your choice.

I do this all the time on holsters I make for revolvers or semi-autos. I use top grade vegetable tanned leather NOT chrome tanned leather. Wet forming has been probably since the day Adam and Eve ordered the first apple pie.

The stitching should be done with waxed linen thread or similar. If you have some of the stitching that is pronounced, before you slide the pistol in to let the holster dry, use something smooth - a spoon, piece of deer antler or similar and burnish the stitching carefully - then push the pistol in to wet form.
 
Most professional holster makers today recommend wrapping the gun in a plastic bag and inserting it in the holster.
Let stand over night then check.
If it's still too tight add another bag and give it another night.
Letting it stand for a week is not necessary and may stretch it too much.

Wetting a holster to mold is how it's done.......... to a NEW, unfinished holster.
Once a holster is finished, it's not intended to be re-wetted and re-molded because it usually has some oil applied and a surface finish added which will make re-molding it difficult.

Holster leather cannot shrink, it can only stretch, which means that when you re-mold it you're stretching the leather, and there's a risk of it stretching too much in the wrong areas.

Leaving a gun in the holster until it's dry or nearly dry runs a high risk of it stretching too much.
Again, since holster leather can only stretch, there's no way to shrink it if it comes out too loose, and you'll have ruined it.

Most all modern holster makes recommend using NO oils or leather dressings on a modern defense type holster.
They almost all recommend using a neutral shoe polish wax or Johnson's Paste Wax.

The answer to smoothing up the inside of a holster is....use the holster, it'll smooth up as it's used.
If you just must do something, "Leather Lightning" from Mitch Rosen is about the only thing most makers will recommend, and not all of them.

https://mitchrosen.com/products/additional-products/
 
I use the 'put the gun in a single plastic bag. Voila two days in the bag and the gun is much easier to draw and without hurting the leather.
 
As mentioned already, Mitch Rosen sells a product called "Leather Lightning" to slick the inside of a tight holster to make it easier to draw. He makes the claim that it is a surface treatment only and doesn't soak into the leather or alter the fit

I prefer using a product like this that makes the interior slicker than any process that tries to actually loosen the holster or stretch it. My feeling is that the holster is made to fit the gun and stretching or loosening it is undoing that fitting process to some extent or another.
 
Thanks to all who responded to my post about a tight holster very much appreciated. To Agulia Blanca The spelling was in error it is a Tagua holster. Before using water I placed a strip of material over the pistol and pushed it into the holster (dry) annd left it for a couple of days. While it is still snug it no longer is difficult to draw. Thanks again to all who replied.
 
I've never had that problem with Galco Fletch or Milt Sparks OWB holsters. In any event I think inserting ang removing the gun from the holster over and over will do the trick.
 
And then I noticed you asked about smoothing treading. That should flatten when wet forming the thing.
"...into the holster (dry)..." That doesn't do anything. When you wet leather it stretches then shrinks as it dries. Dry leather does nothing.
 
T. O'Heir said:
"...into the holster (dry)..." That doesn't do anything. When you wet leather it stretches then shrinks as it dries. Dry leather does nothing.
Click to expand...
Then why does leaving the gun, wrapped in a freezer bag or two, in the holster for a couple of days result in the gun then fitting in the holster?
 
its leather? You're in S.Texas?

I'd think there would be a saddle & tack shop somewhere not too far away...

If you want "professional leather worker's " advice bet you'll find it there.

Just keeping the gun in the holster for a while can do wonders for a tight new one.

I see you've already got the fix underway.

Have fun!
 
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