# Holsters



## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

Holster makers mold the leather over aluminum forms that have the exact shape of the weapon for which the holster is being made.

Do the gun manufacturers sell these forms to the holster makers or do the holster makers have to have them made themselves?


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

You can always buy a "bluegun" for this purpose as well. Not sure about the aluminum molds. 

I'm making my own kydex holsters now and I just use the gun/magazine that I want to mold. No real harm comes to them as long as you don't get the kydex too hot (which it never needs to be heated that hot anyways for forming).


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

zhurdan said:


> You can always buy a "bluegun" for this purpose as well. Not sure about the aluminum molds.
> 
> I'm making my own kydex holsters now and I just use the gun/magazine that I want to mold. No real harm comes to them as long as you don't get the kydex too hot (which it never needs to be heated that hot anyways for forming).


Leather holsters are done differently. They wet the holster and manually press in the leather and then they let the leather dry with the mold in place. This would be rough on steel guns.


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## zhurdan (Mar 21, 2008)

Ahhhh... makes sense. The blue guns would still work though.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

There used to be a company which supplied accurate aluminum casts of guns to holster makers. I don't know whether the company is still in business.
Blue guns will work, but may not be as accurate, or, indeed, accurate enough to make a properly fitted holster. A good holster should be a very close fit.
When the aluminum cast, or an accurate blue gun, is not available, it is perfectly safe to use the gun itself...if you do it correctly. The incorrect way is to wrap the gun in a plastic bag, since that will result in a loose holster.

If you are interested in making a properly fitted leather holster, you can PM me for specific information and directions.
If you are merely curious, please don't bother, as it is a lot of material to type out from memory.


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## Packard (Aug 24, 2010)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> There used to be a company which supplied accurate aluminum casts of guns to holster makers. I don't know whether the company is still in business.
> Blue guns will work, but may not be as accurate, or, indeed, accurate enough to make a properly fitted holster. A good holster should be a very close fit.
> When the aluminum cast, or an accurate blue gun, is not available, it is perfectly safe to use the gun itself...if you do it correctly. The incorrect way is to wrap the gun in a plastic bag, since that will result in a loose holster.
> 
> ...


There is still someone out there. See this note: Side Guard Holsters Blog - Holsters for Real People » Blog Archive » New Gun Forms for Side Guard Holsters


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## aryfrosty (May 15, 2008)

*Molding*



Packard said:


> Leather holsters are done differently. They wet the holster and manually press in the leather and then they let the leather dry with the mold in place. This would be rough on steel guns.


I asked a holster magician about that once and he told me that he would take the gun he was making a holster for and put it inside a baggie and suck the air all out of it. Then he could leave the gun inside the holster long enough to take a set without hurting the gun.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

If ya gotta use plastic, I'd try Saran Wrap: It's thinner.
In any case, oil the heck all over the gun first.
And wet the leather with rubbing alcohol: It dries more quickly.


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