The down side of leather

[tmackay3302]

I've been reading up on leather holsters and one thing I came accross was somebody saying that if you left brass in leather cartridge belt loops it would turn the brass green. Is this true, and will it do the same thing to a revolver? They also said that a lot of people carried their brass in a canvas cartridge belt. Thanks for your help.

[Sagebrush Burns]

There is a reaction between brass and leather which causes verdigris (brass turns green).  This takes a while to happen - not an overnight kind of thing.  Just don't leave the cartridges in the loops for long periods of time.  Your guns are safe (unless they're made of brass).  If you must leave cartridges in the loops for a long time, canvas is the way to go.

[Capt. Augustus]

One of the worst places to leave a gun full time is in a leather holster.  Leather naturally draws moisture from the air, also no matter what kind of leather used, there are plenty of chemicals involved between the leather, dye and finish. 

[Trailrider]

Howdy, Pards,

It is true that the tannic acid salts in the leather will react with the copper in the brass alloy to form vertigris (a green, gummy, wax-like substance on the surface of the cartridge.  If the vertigris is thick enough it can cause the cartridge to stick in the chamber, especially if you are shooting black powder!  The strength of the case may also be somewhat degraded, depending on the depth of the corrosion.

Now, how LONG this takes depends on a couple of factors...  First, how long you leave the cartridge in the leather loops; second, the moisture content of the leather AND the moisture in the air.  If the leather and the cartridge is dry, then formation of the corrosion could take weeks or months.  If the leather/cartridge is damp, it may only be overnight.

So far as leaving guns in the holsters, whether lined or unlined, I have left a "brass" (bronze) frame replica in a holster for about 20 years, and have only recently found a slight layer of vertigris forming on the topstrap where the frame contacts the inside of the unlined holster! (This was done more as an "aging program" test than careless or laziness on my part.)  THAT DOES NOT MEAN I RECOMMEND LEAVING GUNS OR AMMO IN HOLSTERS! I DEFINITELY DO NOT!  But unless the guns, ammo or leather is in a damp atmosphere, leaving them in the holsters and belts a day or so will probably not hurt anything.  If you do leave the cartridges in the loops, wipe off any vertigris.  If necessary, use a 50-50 mix of white vinegar and water, and if necessary, use some #0000 steel wool to remove the crud.

This refers to vegetable-tanned leather only!  If you have SUEDE or PIGSKIN linings in a holster, you better be SURE the leather is NOT CHROME TANNED!  Most suede IS chrome-tanned.  Some pigskin may be chrome-tanned or vegetable tanned, and the ONLY way to know for sure is to know the supplier of the leather! Personally, I will only line holsters with vegetable-tanned cowhide!

Keep in mind that I live in a dry climate (Colorado).  Someone living in Florida or other damp area may get considerably quicker reaction between the brass and the leather.

Hope this is of some help.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I took a pair of sandals with me to Viet Nam. They had brass rivets in them. Vertigris started on them in about 6 months. Like Trailrider says, it's a function of the climatic conditions where you are.