A question for the holsters maker

[GianniWest]

To strengthen your holsters that type material you used?

Sheets of lead, or copper? And what thickness?
Many thanks to those who want to respond

Gianni

[Trailrider]

None of the above, in my case. I simply use 8-9 oz leather or 6-7 oz with a 2-3 oz lining, all topgrain cowhide. Properly formed and wet-fit, these will be more than adequate for virtually any use, except, perhaps Fast Draw competition work.

[Camano Ridge]

GW, I agree with Trailrider however I know some Fast Draw disciplines require a metal deflector and some fast draw enthusiasts like a metal lined belt loop for shape. Most that I have seen use about 24 gauge galvanized sheet steel or aluminum. 24 ga works out to about .7 mm for steel and .5 mm for aluminum. Lead is going to be to soft and wieghs more then the others. Copper will also be fairly soft. Here we can get what they call hobby sheets at stores like Lowes or Home Depot. I don't know what your availability will be. Are you lining for a specific purpose?

[Red Cent]

Cowboy Fast Draw does not allow metal liners. Most of us use rawhide

Sometimes, I use some chimney flashing cut as needed. I have been known to use three strips sandwiched.

An 8-9 lined with 5-6, wet molded and fan dried makes for a really strong holster.

Gianni, what is the reason for a metal liner?

[GianniWest]

Actually I was thinking of using a metal plate to give greater strength to the holster.

In fact I saw that with a good leather lined 8/9 oz you get a good rigidity, but I saw a couple of holsters by US incredibly hard, so much so that I think they have a metal insert.

I had not thought of steel or aluminum, even to rawhide that could be a very good thing.

I will experience a bit of things, we will see. Thanks so much to all of you who have responded

[Camano Ridge]

Giani, I have made one holster with a metal liner it was a rendition of a patton holster and the lining was just the shank and the belt loop. It was a lot of work and the only reason I did it is because the original was metal line. Some quick draw holsters have a metal lining around the cylinder area to form a bucket so there is no drag around the cylinder area of the gun. However yo can get a very hard holster simply by gluing two pieces of leather flesh side to flesh side wet molding and then drying with a little extra heat. I have made some that i think you could drive a truck over and they would survive.

[GianniWest]

Giani, I have made one holster with a metal liner it was a rendition of a patton holster and the lining was just the shank and the belt loop. It was a lot of work and the only reason I did it is because the original was metal line. Some quick draw holsters have a metal lining around the cylinder area to form a bucket so there is no drag around the cylinder area of the gun. However yo can get a very hard holster simply by gluing two pieces of leather flesh side to flesh side wet molding and then drying with a little extra heat. I have made some that i think you could drive a truck over and they would survive.

Yes, Camano Ridge, I already did holsters with 2 layers of leather glued, and they are really very good.

Only I have a customer with a fixed idea of the metal plate ... so I wanted to hear if my friends overseas had advice for me.

Customers often do not know what they want exactly, but they only know that they want it!

I think I will build holsters with a nice leather double glued 

[dwight55]

I once owned a commercially produced holster that had a metal lining between two sheets of about 6/7 oz veggie tan.

It carried a Ruger .357 single six, . . . and was almost a weapon itself.

But I have never made one myself, . . . though it should not be all that hard.  The worst problem would be the molding, . . . but I know it can be done, . . .

May God bless,
Dwight

[Red Cent]

This has three glued together and glued to the leather strips of flashing all the way around the holster in the cylinder area.

[GianniWest]

would be nice to see the back of the holster   

[Slowhand Bob]

The last ones I made were double layer 7>8oz leather lined inside with stainless from holsters mouth, up over the drop shank, around the belt fold and down the skirt for three or four inches.  I did a few with galvanized still  but feared that if any corrosion ever did form, the glue would give way and separate.  I try to stay within 18>22ga sheet stainless, depending on what was available at a decent cost.  This stuff is tough on air nibblers but I have been reluctant to try clicking metal though I did see someone doing it on Youtube and they were using a leather stamping die!  Weldwood orriginal has held up well in this application for at least several years now.     

[Red Cent]

.....

[GianniWest]

 Bob Slowhand, "stainless from holsters mouth"? Where can I find this steel? and what features does it have?

Thanks Cent Red, you are very kind 

[Slowhand Bob]

Sorry for the delay, we are in the middle of a big move and this is the first time I have been able to look at the computer for a few days.  I found a sheet metal shop/supplier in the city and buy my needs from them.  They let me go through their odd pieces and this has several advantages over buying full sheets, most mainly having to cut them down into manageable pieces to work with.  I do my final cutting with a cheap air nibbler that was purchased from Harbour Freight but keep in mind that smaller compressors are aggravating with it. 

I just received a new holster die design that I have worked out BUT do not know when I will get to try it out.  Hopefully we will get into the new house soon and I can play with it on my almost finished new poor-mans clicker press in the near future!  Not sure when I will be on again so please excuse any delays on responses to contacts.