Breaking in new holster?

[treebeard]

I thought this might be the forum to ask what is usually done to break in a new and little stiff holster. I have a double loop
Holster that was made for a Colt 1873 style revolver for which I now have a revolver. The fit is tight and I suspect it will
Gradually conform more closely to the firearm as time goes by. However the question that came to mind is it common
To use some type of softener to speed the process? The holster is about 25 years old and has had no maintenance
Or use in that time.

[Major 2]

Pick up some Lexol Leather Conditioner

wrap your gun saran wrap . warm the lexol by putting the spray bottle in hot water. Spray the inside holster liberally and slide the wrapped gun in to the holster , work the gun ( wiggle ) a little bit, then allow the the gun to sit a few hours , in the holster.

Remove the gun, and let the holster dry a few days , it will fit like a glove.

the same can be done with warm water, but you have to condition the leather after, I'm saving you a step and giving the 25 year old holster a healthy drink it probably needs at the same time....

[Coffinmaker]

My method is quite similar to Major 2.  If your going to shoot CAS, and you want to get your chosen pistol out and on target clean and
smooth, the LAST thing you want is a SOFT holster.  You actually want the holster to hold it's shape and allow the gun to come out
quickly and smooth. 

When I run into a tight holster, I use a funky shaped piece of stiff leather that sorta approximates the shape of a gun, it's stiff and about
1/8 inch thick.  I stick the piece of leather into a ZipLoc bag along with the appropriate type gun (gun lightly oiled).  I then well wet the
INSIDE of the holster with hot tap water, stuff the bagged gun in, wiggle it a bit to seat it and let it set until dry.  DO NOT DRY under a
hot light bulb.  Usually, I let it dry 2 days.

Coffinmaker

PS:  I am not, Never have been, Never will be, Don Not claim to be a Leather Worker.  Wouldn't be caught dead in a Holiday Inn Express.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy
I wrap a piece of 2-3 ounce leather around the cylinder and force the gun into the bucket, I push it in as far as I want to be when the leather forms to the gun the holster is made for and let it stay in the holster until the fit is where I want, ( smooth but not too loose), but most my forming and  fitting is done while wet molding after the holster is completed and before final finishing...hope this helped, we makers all have our ways...

tEN wOLVES

[Red Cent]

I make speed rigs for SASS shooters and others. Two ply totaling 14 ounce. The holster pouch is rock hard. The holsters are thoroughly soaked in water and then the mold gun is placed in the holster. Dry for two days, one day gun in, and one day gun out. The other parts are stiff but flexible. The SASS shooter needs a modicum of retention when he/she makes a draw. The holster must maintain the open pouch for reholstering while on the move. Cowboy Fast Draw requires the same except no retention is needed. Matter of fact, the holster is made to be able to cock the gun in the holster.
When I send a customer his rig, I will have explained the holster will be tight at first. I advise them to wear the guns when and where permissible and flex the guns a little once in a while. If there is a stubborn holster, I tell the customer to take a very damp rag and stuff it into the holster so that the leather gets wet where the indentation of the cylinder shows. After a few minutes remove and holster the gun, wrapped to protect if they so choose. Again they need to flex the holster with the grip of the gun once in a while.
My holsters and belts are thoroughly oiled and conditioned when finished. They may like a very light wipe down with NeatsFoot Oil once a year. Very light.
Coffinmaker, a lot of us use a drying box with a couple of light bulbs for heat. 

[rickk]

Apply lots of Neatsfoot Oil.

There is a video on holster making done by John Bianchi... one of the great ones.

He heats up about a quart of the stuff and soaks a new holster in it.   I personally wont go quite that far (because I don't have a place to heat it up actually), but... that gives you some idea has to how much it takes.

[Cliff Fendley]

All good ideas but it depends on if you still want it stiff or whether you want it more pliable. Lexol, Neatsfoot oil and some other conditioners will soften the leather and make more pliable as the OP asked.

If you want to keep it stiff but looser wet it and put a gun in it to mold it, use a larger gun or spacer to make it looser if that's what you want. A Ruger Old model Vaquero works well to make a looser fitting holster for a SAA or New Vaquero.

[Red Cent]

Bianchi does not soak the holster and belt. He dips it. Still excessive in my opinion. Got the DVDs.

[Massive]

Ideally someone who wants a loose rig should specify that at the outset, but obviously that isn't where we are.

If the holster is properly formed in the first place it may not require much to make it loose, I would not be using hugely thick pieces of leather to blow it out.  I can sometimes get away with a layer of plastic.  Particularly worry about customers playing with that kind of thing.

My preferred method of blowing the doors down is not to swell the pistol dimensions a lot, because that can affect the welt adversely.  As mentioned I use a light covering to the mold then insert it carefully and press the welt together just to the interior side the holster.  The stretching occurs by closing the welt.  I use water to stretch, and replace the oil as required.   

[treebeard]

Thanks for all the excellent suggestions. I decided to try Major2 Lexol suggestion. I will try to
Post a picture when it is finished.

[Massive]

The OP asked whether there was some process to soften the leather to speed up the process of breaking it in or loosening it.  That is a big deifference between that and softening the leather permanently, which is not generally desireable. I haven't used Lexol, so I don't know whether it softens leather permanently. There seems to be a difference of outcome suggested in the thread.

[Slowhand Bob]

I found that a good method for protecting the full grain leather liners from the gun while while doing some of the initial fitting is to insert a slick plastic spacer between the two materials.  My favorite spacer material was the plastic used for water or milk jugs.  I would cut these out with large scissors and for them around the gun with a hot air gun.  Insert the plastic liner into the holster first and then have at inserting the gun in and out as forcefully as necessary without the usual worry about damaging the full grain leather liners.  These liners also protect the new leather fro scuffs or scratches when inserting any other large fitting sticks or tool handles for stretching. 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I found that a good method for protecting the full grain leather liners from the gun while while doing some of the initial fitting is to insert a slick plastic spacer between the two materials.  My favorite spacer material was the plastic used for water or milk jugs.  I would cut these out with large scissors and for them around the gun with a hot air gun.  Insert the plastic liner into the holster first and then have at inserting the gun in and out as forcefully as necessary without the usual worry about damaging the full grain leather liners.  These liners also protect the new leather fro scuffs or scratches when inserting any other large fitting sticks or tool handles for stretching. 

This is a great idea. Thanks for that.

[Beard111]

Sorry for the necrothreading but this article sums up the whole break-in + care phase of leather holsters.
Maybe someone will find it handy https://www.craftholsters.com/leather-holsters-break-in-care-a18

[Marshal Will Wingam]

It's a fine addition to the thread. Thanks.

Welcome to the forum.

[PJ Hardtack]

Recently I purchased leather 1911 holsters from De Santis and Galco. They both advise putting the gun in a freezer bag, jamming it into the dry holster and leaving it overnight.

[greyhawk]

Thanks for all the excellent suggestions. I decided to try Major2 Lexol suggestion. I will try to
Post a picture when it is finished.

My guns live in their holsters 24/7 - for storage I make a little shaped sock thingy from cotton flannellette, soak it in 30 grade engine oil, remove the excess till its almost dry, that stops any rust from starting on the gun from the chemicals in the leather, keeps the holster from shrinking tight - but its not oily enough to softten the leather. Works for me.
Holsters are formed wet with the gun wrapped safe in cling wrap - dried for a couple days like that then dried more empty. I treat em with some stuff that came from my leather carving days   one of those water soluble glossy finishes I think Fiebings