Sticky holster

[Skullyville Tom]

I've got a new holster for my Ruger Vacquero, it's very nice but it sticks to the gun like glue, it's very difficult to draw from.  I've left the gun in the holster to allow it to form fit a bit more, I've moved the gun inside the holster around in an attempt to loosen it, and it has helped a little bit. 

What kind of treatment can I do to the liner to make it more slippery so I can draw the gun without pulling the belt up.  I looked around and did a search, the only thing I found was to use Ballistol on the interior, that's fine but I can't find it locally and I've got a match coming up this weekend.

[Flinch Morningwood]

You might try putting the gun in the holster and heating the holster gently with a hair dryer...then work the gun around in the holster - repeat as required... go slow and don't over heat the leather.

...should work.

[Skullyville Tom]

I'll give that a try.

Any other ideas?

[Flinch Morningwood]

As a followup, you may want to wrap the gun with something that won't melt (Tin foil, newsprint, etc) and wrap that with masking tape while you do the above. 

That little extra thickness will help stretch the leather as well, even when the gun is just sitting in the holster as you heat it.

Good luck!

[Slowhand Bob]

Tom, could you give a quick description of the holster?  Is it lined, if so what with, is the gun just about as hard to shove in as it is to pull out and last does the gun drag very far or does it break free and come on out after some effort to get it moving?  If you have a combination of two or more problems we gots to get past them all.  In my opinion, some lining materials seem to stick worse than unlined holsters would and add this to a poor fit or mis-fit holster and you could have the problem you describe.  Who made the holster and was it actually made for your gun? 

[Skullyville Tom]

It's a custom made 1890 Original from El Paso Saddlery for a Ruger New Vaquero, I didn't order a lining but the one they sent was lined, I don't know what the lining is, but the fit is quite tight, It's easier to put the gun in than to take it out.  Most people say it should be tight when new since it will loosen up with use. It's a great looking holster, and I like it, but it really holds onto the gun, after it's out an inch or so it lets go..

[Marshal Will Wingam]

It sounds like a good holster for wet molding. That should make it fit properly and work the way you want.

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,5106.0.html

[Trailrider]

This sounds like the holster has been partially moulded to the gun, but the ejector thumbpiece and/or the recoil shield behind the cylinder, or possibly the front sight, or some combination of all of them have formed pockets in the leather, trapping the gun.

Go to your local hardware store and buy three pieces of hardwood dowel rods: one 7/8" dia.; one 5/8" dia. and one 3/8" dia., and some medium coarse and fine sandpaper.  Round the ends of each of these using the sandpaper (or a medium rasp, followed by the sandpaper).  These will be used to help form the holster properly.

Take a ZipLok plastic baggie, place the gun in it and wrap it tightly around the gun.  Wet the leather by running the holster under luke-warm tap water for a minute or so, smoothing out any droplet or dribbles so the holster doesn't watermark.  Insert the gun into the holster and gently form it, twisting the gun slightly.

Take the 7/8" dowel and push it down into the holster clear to the end.  Use the 5/8" dowel to form a trough from the place where the ejector thumbpiece stops UPWARD toward the top of the holster. You may need to do the same at the inside of the seam with the 3/8" dowel.

Next, check the fold where the holster body becomes the skirt (if there is one).  If the fold is trapping the recoil shield, take the gun out of the holster, noting where the cylinder contacts the fold. Take the gun out, insert the 7/8" dowel, and laying the holster on a hard, flat surface press down hard with the side of the dowel.  You may need to actually bend the bend around the dowel or by hand.

Work slowly.  You can always repeat the process, but once the leather is stretched significantly, it'll be tough to shrink it back.

Reinsert the gun (in the baggie) and allow the holster to dry for about two hours or so (depends on you climate).  Work the gun in and out, and reuse the dowels if necessary.  Then remove the gun and allow the holster to dry overnight with the gun OUT of it.

After the leather is thoroughly dry, you can give it a LIGHT application of Lexol Leather Conditioner.  DON'T overdo this!

Hope this helps!

[Skullyville Tom]

Great suggestions, thanks!

I had noticed it was tight around the ejector housing, you could actually see the leather being pushed out to some extent when the gun was in place, so we definitely might be onto something there, but will try all of these suggestions.

If anyone has any other ideas, I would like to hear them!

[RattlesnakeJack]

Talcum powder shaken into the interior of the holster, and worked around a bit, has been known to help ....

[Slowhand Bob]

Tom, an inch or more of drag is a pretty serious amount but it sounds like you got some great advice on wet fitting.  El Paso has a great reputation but I'm not sure what to say concerning the order mix-up, perhaps the wrong gun size was subbed by mistake???  The only thing I will add is that fancy tooling does require care when wet to avoid damage.  I like to wet from the inside and stop short of water bleeding to the surface before I'm through.  I sometimes tend to be a clutze and need to take all the precautions I can!

[Will Dearborn]

Hey, pards...

THanks for the good tips.  I bought a nice leather holster on ebay.  It only ran me ten bucks, belt included... so I wasn't expecting much.  It's black, holster permanantly attached, .45 cal loops, etc.  It ain't perfect, but it'll be good for practice, and when it's raining or snowing and I don't want to take expensive leather into the deluge.  OR to pass off to the next new guy who's starting CAS....

Anyway...  it needed to have a little more clearance for the cylinder, as, since it's permanantly sewn on there's little clearance.  I bagged the Vaquero, rolled up a piece of leather and wrapped the cylinder where I wanted the holster to flare a little more, and rolled the top of the wet holster over by hand.  Took it outside and hung it over the fencepost in the sun.  In and out of the sun for a few hours.

Works like a charm.  I didn't use any dressing on it, because I didn't have any and I'd like to see how it does without.

Thanks again,
Long days and pleasant nights,
Will

[Skullyville Tom]

Looking at some of the suggestions have helped out a lot, I found the main cause of the problem is the ejector housing.  The holster had been wet molded to some extent when it was made, but the bottom part of the holster had become flattened out to some extent after it was made, possibly during shipping, I've found the rounding the bottom part out substantially reduces the hold the leather has, so I'm making some efforts to reshape it, right now I've got a pill bottle stuck up from the bottom to help reshape it.  I'll be working on it to make it easier to use.

Thanks to all for the help! 

[rickk]

When I wet mold, I put the gun inside a plastic bag first.

Once you get it sorta reshaped, Ballistol on the inside will help make it less sticky.

I have run a part time leather business for 6 years now, and had never even heard of Ballistol untill this year. I tried it on a holster and loved the stuff. It's good for the gun, and good for the leather.

It will give sort of a smooth, waxy finish to the leather. If you don't want that type of look on the outside for some reason, you can do the inside only.

[Bad Hand Dan]

My wife had a loaded gun drop at her first match and the DQ was pretty traumatic. I molded her lined rig super tight.

Now I use Silicone spray in our rigs. Bought from local Auto parts store. Works excellent!

God bless,

Bad Hand Dan
http://www.oldwestgoods.com

[Skullyville Tom]

I've been on the road in Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas for a couple of weeks, nice trip through Yellowstone etc.

I've got some silicone spray and will give that a try to slick it up some more, some stretching has already helped it a lot.

Thanks all!