This time it's for my 1911's. It's a outside the belt waist holster intended to be used in my IDPA matches.
Picture one is of the two slabs cut to the template I made up and with one side stitched and the other punched and ready for stitching. The two pieces are held together at this point with solvent based "old style" contact cement. And you can see the edge rounding tool and wormies it leaves in rounding over the edges of the leather plates.
Next up is the holster with the completed stitching and showing the clamping cauls made from 1/4 inch plywood that will be used during the molding process along with some sleeping mat foam to squeeze the portions around the trigger guard inwards. This snug fit around the trigger guard does much for gripping the gun securely in the holster and holding it in a consistent position.
Picture 3 is all the goodies staged for the hot water soak and insertion of the gun protected by the plastic bag. I soak the leather in near boiling water for about a minute and a half to ensure the leather is limp and pliable and able to easily stretch to shape. But not so long that it begins to swell. This length of hot water soak also aids in hardening and toughening the leather.
Next we see the gun in place and the trigger guard area cauls and foam lightly clamped by my bench vise. The pressure is so light that I needed to support the butt of the gun with the scrap wood and old scuba weight as shown to prevent it rolling and falling out of the vise. Notice that I've angled the belt flaps so the shape of the back of the holster is closer to what it'll be when I'm wearing it.
Number 5 is the dried leather with gun in place and the belt slots half way through cutting and finishing the edges. Note how the trigger guard area is molded thanks to the use of the sleeping mat foam and clamping cauls.
And finally two shots of the finished holster after dyeing the leather and applying some protective neutral shoe wax inside and out.
Sharp eyes will note now the back plate shape has changed. I'd originally left this rather high and rounded with the idea being to guide the muzzle more easily into the opening and also to somewhat protect the thumb safety from being accidentally moved. But the shape proved to be in the way of my hand when reaching in to get a proper grip for the draw. As shown it now does not get in my way for obtaining a secure grip. But it still helps me with getting the muzzle into the opening and it's still high enough in the right place to protect the safety.
In this first shot it's shown with my CZ75 and holster that I made about 4 years back and which has served me well for my IDPA shooting.
And here it is showing the modified rear plate. If I do another I'm going to play with this one and try to make the back plate shape even a little more extreme to aid with holstering and protection for the safety while not hindering the attaining of a solid grip before drawing.
The holster I made for my CZ was the first leather work project I have ever done. I hope this description will inspire and encourage more of you into making your own firearms gear of this sort. If not in leather than perhaps in Kydex.
Picture one is of the two slabs cut to the template I made up and with one side stitched and the other punched and ready for stitching. The two pieces are held together at this point with solvent based "old style" contact cement. And you can see the edge rounding tool and wormies it leaves in rounding over the edges of the leather plates.
Next up is the holster with the completed stitching and showing the clamping cauls made from 1/4 inch plywood that will be used during the molding process along with some sleeping mat foam to squeeze the portions around the trigger guard inwards. This snug fit around the trigger guard does much for gripping the gun securely in the holster and holding it in a consistent position.
Picture 3 is all the goodies staged for the hot water soak and insertion of the gun protected by the plastic bag. I soak the leather in near boiling water for about a minute and a half to ensure the leather is limp and pliable and able to easily stretch to shape. But not so long that it begins to swell. This length of hot water soak also aids in hardening and toughening the leather.
Next we see the gun in place and the trigger guard area cauls and foam lightly clamped by my bench vise. The pressure is so light that I needed to support the butt of the gun with the scrap wood and old scuba weight as shown to prevent it rolling and falling out of the vise. Notice that I've angled the belt flaps so the shape of the back of the holster is closer to what it'll be when I'm wearing it.
Number 5 is the dried leather with gun in place and the belt slots half way through cutting and finishing the edges. Note how the trigger guard area is molded thanks to the use of the sleeping mat foam and clamping cauls.
And finally two shots of the finished holster after dyeing the leather and applying some protective neutral shoe wax inside and out.
Sharp eyes will note now the back plate shape has changed. I'd originally left this rather high and rounded with the idea being to guide the muzzle more easily into the opening and also to somewhat protect the thumb safety from being accidentally moved. But the shape proved to be in the way of my hand when reaching in to get a proper grip for the draw. As shown it now does not get in my way for obtaining a secure grip. But it still helps me with getting the muzzle into the opening and it's still high enough in the right place to protect the safety.
In this first shot it's shown with my CZ75 and holster that I made about 4 years back and which has served me well for my IDPA shooting.
And here it is showing the modified rear plate. If I do another I'm going to play with this one and try to make the back plate shape even a little more extreme to aid with holstering and protection for the safety while not hindering the attaining of a solid grip before drawing.
The holster I made for my CZ was the first leather work project I have ever done. I hope this description will inspire and encourage more of you into making your own firearms gear of this sort. If not in leather than perhaps in Kydex.
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