Hey, i know that wear is normal in time, but i am looking for ways to reduce holster wear on my new 92fs. I got a safariland leather holster, since the inside has some suede in it. Any toughts on this? Do people here just say the f*** with it and use their pistols without giving this any tought?
Reducing holster wear?
- Thread starter MartyK2500
- Start date
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
Oil is actually not a good idea, and with the beretta being a painted/baked finish with an aluminum slide it is not necessary.
Oil will hold dirt and crap, which is what actually wears the finish on the gun. The smooth kydex, or even inside of a leather holster should not wear much if there is no dirt, or grime.
Keep everything dry and as clean as possible.
Oil will hold dirt and crap, which is what actually wears the finish on the gun. The smooth kydex, or even inside of a leather holster should not wear much if there is no dirt, or grime.
Keep everything dry and as clean as possible.
Mine draws better after i frog lube the outside which i do but I see your point.
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
Any holster will wear, and some finishes show faster then others. Ruger and springfield bluing seems like it's painted on, and thin at that. Some of the baked on finishes wear like , well, steel. Stainless just develops polished points where it rubs.
Leather holsters wear the least, and lined ones are the best of leather. Kydex wears quickly, and injection moulded holsters seem the worst as they are a softer plastic that tends to be subject to particles getting embedded in it.
my 2 cents on holsters.
IPSC style comp holsters have virtually no contact on the gun, so wear all but not at all.
If you want to keep it pretty, don't shoot it from a holster. If your gonna compete, look at holster wear like proof that your learning something. A guy with a shiny wear free gun hasn't practiced enough. In the end, if your competing with it, it's a tool. Take care of it, but don't baby it.
Leather holsters wear the least, and lined ones are the best of leather. Kydex wears quickly, and injection moulded holsters seem the worst as they are a softer plastic that tends to be subject to particles getting embedded in it.
my 2 cents on holsters.
IPSC style comp holsters have virtually no contact on the gun, so wear all but not at all.
If you want to keep it pretty, don't shoot it from a holster. If your gonna compete, look at holster wear like proof that your learning something. A guy with a shiny wear free gun hasn't practiced enough. In the end, if your competing with it, it's a tool. Take care of it, but don't baby it.
+1 Cocked&Locked, i couldn't agree more. In my case i am still practicing and do not wish to try out ipsc before 2013. My range demands that shooters have holsters, so that the firearms do not lay on tables unatended for. Since it's for carry between table and target, it's mags out and hammer down.
As for competing, i am not sure my 92fs is worthy of something serious, as i did not follow any competition yet. If i should compete, it could be worn down to bare metal and not care, but for the moment i wish to keep it in good shape. Easier to sell this way too in case i should want to switch for something different.
As for competing, i am not sure my 92fs is worthy of something serious, as i did not follow any competition yet. If i should compete, it could be worn down to bare metal and not care, but for the moment i wish to keep it in good shape. Easier to sell this way too in case i should want to switch for something different.
- Location
- Niagara Region, Ontario. For now
Yeah, my bad.........
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
To minimize wear, a leather holster can be blocked. Soak the holster in water until completely saturated; dump it in the sink and go watch a movie on TV. Place the gun in the holster, and work the leather with your fingers forcing it to conform to the shape of your pistol until if forms a perfect contour of the gun. Allow the holster to partially dry (overnight will do) without moving the gun. Remove the gun from the holster and allow the holster to fully dry, depending on the humidity it could take a day or two. The holster now forms to your pistol so it won't slop around inside the holster and wear off the finish. If the gun spends a great deal of time in the holster and you become aware that the holster has stretched and the gun becomes too loose, the blocking can be repeated without harm to the leather.
If it's a Safariland I doubt the soaking technique will work, as the body of their holsters are not made from leather. They are a synthetic material with the suede-like material bonded to it. You can warm the holster up with a heat gun or hot hair dryer and form-fit to your gun, or you can try rubbing some paste wax (the stuff for floors) into the suede to reduce friction.
If you really don't want holster wear, don't use one. All guns drawn from holsters will have wear on the finish. They're tools. However if you really want to maintain the finish on your gun, don't holster and don't shoot it either, since it will wear finish on barrel.
Once you accept this, just shoot and have fun!!!! Don't worry about the finish.
Once you accept this, just shoot and have fun!!!! Don't worry about the finish.
Gundoggy, yeah i know it will use in time, this is my first pistol and i am acting a little overprotective with it. Kind of like the first time you get a new car. Now my new trucks do not restrict me from doing anything, heck my 2010 f150 is all scratched and bruised up. I now change them every 4 years anyways. So i will have to act this way with pistols i intend to use hard, if ever i get a collectors one i will minimise range use.
Here is my holster by the way. Been out 3 times now and the safariland seems to be gentle with my pistol so far. I have to admit they havent got the good looks of these tacticool holsters out there
Here is my holster by the way. Been out 3 times now and the safariland seems to be gentle with my pistol so far. I have to admit they havent got the good looks of these tacticool holsters out there
I tend to agree that it looks a lot more like a plastic cored holster with thin leather or fake leather as a lining. The inside looks like it's got some glued on suede liners. I've got a duty style revolver holster by them and it is clearly far too stiff to be simply leather Your holster seems similar but intended for the Beretta.
About the only thing you'll need to do with this style of holster is use one of the brass brushes to occasionally brush out the inner suede liners gently but firmly enough to dislodge and sweep away any grit which may get embedded in the leather. It's not the leather liners that are the issue, it's any grit which ends up held by the leather.
For obvious reasons you should also not put the holster where it will be exposed to dirt. This includes the typical range bag used at competitions which seem to get lots of dirt from being carried around and generally get lots of dirty stuff put into them. A separate bag such as a sturdy zip lock or similar bag to keep the holster in when not on your belt would not be a bad idea if you're worried about all this wear issue.
About the only thing you'll need to do with this style of holster is use one of the brass brushes to occasionally brush out the inner suede liners gently but firmly enough to dislodge and sweep away any grit which may get embedded in the leather. It's not the leather liners that are the issue, it's any grit which ends up held by the leather.
For obvious reasons you should also not put the holster where it will be exposed to dirt. This includes the typical range bag used at competitions which seem to get lots of dirt from being carried around and generally get lots of dirty stuff put into them. A separate bag such as a sturdy zip lock or similar bag to keep the holster in when not on your belt would not be a bad idea if you're worried about all this wear issue.
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
Now those are two damn good ideas....I'm normally running late, and digging thru a drawer with about 40 holsters in it trying to find the right one for the gun of the day.......maybe i could make a designated "holster pocket" on my range bag....
and never mind brushing out the holster, i should brush out said range bag....i just can't walk past good brass without scooping it up and dumping it in the first handy conveyance (ie my range bag usually)
I hear ya C&L... Oh DO I hear ya! ! ! 
I too feel the need to be an exemplary club member by cleaning up all the abandoned brass that I can as well. And since it's wise to recycle in this day and age of non waste I feel it's only being a good citizen to bring said grungy brass home and clean then reload it just so I can do my part and pick it up yet again from the range grounds.
All of which has the effect of transferring a goodly portion of the actual range to my range bag oddly enough.... I could plant things in there and get a good crop at some times.
I just wish folks wouldn't shoot so much of that useless .40S&W. It's JUST the wrong size which leads to me including too much of it with my 9 and .45 picking....
I too feel the need to be an exemplary club member by cleaning up all the abandoned brass that I can as well. And since it's wise to recycle in this day and age of non waste I feel it's only being a good citizen to bring said grungy brass home and clean then reload it just so I can do my part and pick it up yet again from the range grounds.
All of which has the effect of transferring a goodly portion of the actual range to my range bag oddly enough.... I could plant things in there and get a good crop at some times.
I just wish folks wouldn't shoot so much of that useless .40S&W. It's JUST the wrong size which leads to me including too much of it with my 9 and .45 picking....
Cocked&Locked
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
I hear ya C&L... Oh DO I hear ya! ! !
I just wish folks wouldn't shoot so much of that useless .40S&W. It's JUST the wrong size which leads to me including too much of it with my 9 and .45 picking....
Indeed! they should ban the mongrel cartridge.
I've got about 1200 of them i'm still trying to give away....
- Location
- your wife knows...
The Safarilands are a laminate with leather on the outside, a plastic core and suede on the inside.
Graphite powder will stick to the suede and smooth the draw, helping with holster wear.
Graphite powder will stick to the suede and smooth the draw, helping with holster wear.
