Too much retention in a holster

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Joined
Jan 2, 2005
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Northern Illinois
Over the years I've bought a lot of holsters, and some of the more expensive ones are well made leather holsters that always start out as way too tight. Some respond to the effort of loosening a bit, so that they still hold the gun but allow easy drawing of the gun, but some seem to resist this loosening. I have a few that while seemingly good holsters, are still a bit too snug for my liking despite efforts to stretch the leather a bit, and make me unsure that I could readily draw the gun in a hurry if needed. This got brought to my mind with a new OTW holster for my Glock 26 that I have the gun inserted right now, wrapped in a plastic bag, to try to loosen the leather. At this point I'm not sure I will be successful, but I don't want to give up on this expensive new holster too soon.
 

Pat-inCO

Hawkeye
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In the AZ oven (Phoenix basin)
First, look at the thickness of the plastic bag. If it is six mil or thicker, just add
another layer.

Be sure you massage the holster, a few times per day, to six or eight times per day.
If that doesn't do it, go to dollar store and get a plastic spray bottle (presuming you
don't already have one) and . . . lightly . . . spray the inside of the holster. Make sure
it does NOT have water that will run out of it. - - - Re-insert the gun wrapped in
plastic.

Presuming it is leather, that will fix it.
 

tunnug

Single-Sixer
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Jan 23, 2010
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AZ
I seem to remember a type of cream type lubricant that some higher end holster makers would recommend using before inserting the gun wrapped in cellophane and leaving overnight to allow the retention without tightness of the new holster, maybe someone will remember what it was, I sure don't.
 

fiasconva

Blackhawk
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Jan 14, 2011
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York County, Virginia
I remember a old holster maker once told me to use a blow dryer to help loosen it up. Warm the holster up with it to loosen the leather fibers and then put the gun with the plastic bag in it with the holster still a little warm. Then let it rest a while like before. Give it a try. It may just help.
 
Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
3,950
Location
Northern Illinois
"get a plastic spray bottle (presuming you
don't already have one) and . . . lightly . . . spray the inside of the holster. Make sure
it does NOT have water that will run out of it. - - - Re-insert the gun wrapped in
plastic."

Thanks for this suggestion. I tried it, and double plastic bagged the gun. After sitting overnight the holster is much, much easier for me to draw the gun, yet still tight enough to give me confidence in wearing it.
 

AzShooter1

Single-Sixer
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Surprise, Az
I make a lot of holsters and try to get them tight enough for retention. If they are too tight I simply put them in a plastic bag, as mentioned earlier, and soak the holster in warm water with a little dish soap in it.

The holster will loosen up if you twist the gun in it a bit. Then will stay the way you stretched it do to the soap mix.
 
Joined
Jan 2, 2005
Messages
3,950
Location
Northern Illinois
How tight do most people need a holster to be? I never use a thumb strap, and want it just tight enough so that the gun does not fall out when I bend over to tie my shoes. I want it to draw easily so that if there is a need for me to draw, I can concentrate on the target and preparing to shoot, not having to worry about the gun being difficult to slide out of the leather. I never have reason to be upside down, so I really don't worry about a gun coming out of the holster by itself.
 
Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
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Location
Greenville, SC: USA
The holster I usually carry with is an inside the waste band leather holster that uses the tightness of your belt to retain the firearm. I more often than not actually have the holster inside the belt of course but outside my pants..
 

Biggfoot44

Blackhawk
Joined
Sep 6, 2009
Messages
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But I Have had guns fall out of holsters , more than once.

Some were unique situiations , but of general interest was the P-90 that was bouncing around the floor boards of Jeep CJ , instead of in the belt slide holster .
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2005
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On the beach and in the hills
Biggfoot44 said:
But I Have had guns fall out of holsters , more than once.

Some were unique situiations , but of general interest was the P-90 that was bouncing around the floor boards of Jeep CJ , instead of in the belt slide holster .

Dropped one also many years ago. We were out in the desert just busting jacks when I noticed it had gone missing. I retraced our route and found it. Never did figure out how the strap came unsnapped.

Today any handgun I use when doing strenuous activity has a lanyard attached. Some of the lanyards are quite elaborate multicolored woven affairs. But I have become very fond of the retracting gear retainer types.
 

173rdLRRP

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 17, 2022
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Location
Colorado
"get a plastic spray bottle (presuming you
don't already have one) and . . . lightly . . . spray the inside of the holster. Make sure
it does NOT have water that will run out of it. - - - Re-insert the gun wrapped in
plastic."

Thanks for this suggestion. I tried it, and double plastic bagged the gun. After sitting overnight the holster is much, much easier for me to draw the gun, yet still tight enough to give me confidence in wearing it.
I believe that Milt Sparks holsters suggests this technique. I have done it with my Sparks holster for 4" SP101z
 
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