Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Worn Holsters

For those out there that DO carry concealed, and have for a good long time.

How quickly do your holsters wear out?



Let's say you have a IWB holster. Inside the waistband. There isn't a lot of stress on the belt loops but maybe a snap would fail and you'd need to repair that. Maybe sweat is making the leather all oogy. Ok, I can see replacing it for those rare issues.

The front sight might wear a groove on the inside, eventually.

How quick does a shweaty back impact a holster's ability to do its job for you people living in hotter climes?

I'd suppose the biggest issue would be the holster just stretching out from being wrapped around a hard piece of metal that is removed from it daily. I have leather shoes that are whole, but the leather has stretched a bit and they don't fit as well anymore. A holster should hold the gun snuggly, for safety, and not let the firearm work it's way loose.

Am I worried about nothing? Does this just not happen?

If it does happen after a few years/decades, how do you know it's now time to break in a new one? Who has had to replace a favorite, daily, holster?


I hope decent holsters just last a good long time.

And i try to get decent holsters, damn the price. I hear too many stories of boxes of unused low quality, unsatisfactory, holsters.

6 comments:

PolyKahr said...

TBolt,

In my (limited) experience, holsters tend to last for quite a while, but do eventually become floppy. I was talking to Wild Bill, of the same gunleather manufacturer, who told me that keeping a coat of neutral shoe polish on holsters and belts would help their longevity.

I find that belts, on the other hand, tend to become somewhat worn after 3-4 years of continuous use. But belts are under more stress.

Regards,
PolyKahr

Anonymous said...

They should last the rest of your life as long as the stitching holds out.

Anonymous said...

Like everything else, buy quality and it will last.

I have 3 IWBs for my 1911s - all made by Milt Sparks. I have worn one DAILY for over 7 years and it still does the job.

Anonymous said...

When I started carrying,back when I was 21 I bought two guns,a Glock and a 1911 to carry,with IWB for both. I am 36 now. The Glock got a Don Hume and the 1911 got a G&G Crown Royal. I still have both and are in great condition. If you take care of them,they will last a long time and take care of you.

JB Miller said...

Buy quality and it will last a lifetime.

jon spencer said...

Holsters are like boots, skimp on quality and things wear out much quicker than expected and hurt when worn.
Do not be afraid to pay for quality, it is much less expensive in the long run and usually it does not even take much of a run to expose junk.