A few years ago I was invited to a gun nut/knife knut event in rural Arizona. Open-carry guns were to be the order of the day.
Well, I didn't have a holster. Plus I wanted to bring along two different guns, one so small I was worried that even holstered, it would be too easy belt-length for a jacket to swing down over it and get me in legal trouble. Given my lawsuit adventures, I couldn't risk that.
I had some good leather laying around, some black leather stain, leather lace and a few silver decorations that I'd planned on using on something else - they were on sale at a local leatherworking supply place (Tandy Leather in San Mateo, Calif).
Net result after a few hours:
Big = J-frame size .38spl, Charter Undercover.
Small = 4-shot .22Mag Freedom Arms SA minirevolver, 1.5" barrel.
It may not be obvious, but there's a strip of leather with a hole in it that hangs on the minirevolver's hammer. In turn, it's attached to a length of 1/4" bungee that runs down along the mini's topstrap. That way, you can yank the "retention" off pretty quickly, not speed-draw grade of course, and until then it holds the mini in securely.
I was originally going to do the same for the .38, but I got the tension high enough elsewhere that a straight upward draw was secure enough.
The back side shows the belt slots and some extra lace tied back there just as extra in case everything needs to be re-tensioned.
The two silver medalions cover the tension lacing tie-downs.
It works really well
. I carried it a few weeks ago at a plinking session at a friend's ranch with some invited local activists...it always gets some commentary . Won't be of any tactical use once I score CCW but it'll be handy for range qualification time and such.
Who else does strange homebrew holsters?
Jim
Well, I didn't have a holster. Plus I wanted to bring along two different guns, one so small I was worried that even holstered, it would be too easy belt-length for a jacket to swing down over it and get me in legal trouble. Given my lawsuit adventures, I couldn't risk that.
I had some good leather laying around, some black leather stain, leather lace and a few silver decorations that I'd planned on using on something else - they were on sale at a local leatherworking supply place (Tandy Leather in San Mateo, Calif).
Net result after a few hours:
Big = J-frame size .38spl, Charter Undercover.
Small = 4-shot .22Mag Freedom Arms SA minirevolver, 1.5" barrel.
It may not be obvious, but there's a strip of leather with a hole in it that hangs on the minirevolver's hammer. In turn, it's attached to a length of 1/4" bungee that runs down along the mini's topstrap. That way, you can yank the "retention" off pretty quickly, not speed-draw grade of course, and until then it holds the mini in securely.
I was originally going to do the same for the .38, but I got the tension high enough elsewhere that a straight upward draw was secure enough.
The back side shows the belt slots and some extra lace tied back there just as extra in case everything needs to be re-tensioned.
The two silver medalions cover the tension lacing tie-downs.
It works really well
. I carried it a few weeks ago at a plinking session at a friend's ranch with some invited local activists...it always gets some commentary . Won't be of any tactical use once I score CCW but it'll be handy for range qualification time and such.Who else does strange homebrew holsters?
Jim
