Questions about snap closures for holsters.

[Tallbald]

Hi again everybody. The snap closures I see at the fabric stores and the hobby store my wife visits don't seem as heavy duty as those I typically see on factory holsters. Are there really differences in strength? Openly carrying a revolver on my hip when my wife and I venture out on my scooter (in KY I can do so) I have a fear that without a snap closure, a mishap could lead to one of my sidearms hopping out of its holster and skittering across the way. This is why I ask. Thanks. Don

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  I won't use anything less than a " LINE 24 SNAP ", unless I use a leather or rawhide hammer thong, Tandy sells the snaps, they can be had in brass nickle, or black, make sure you get the setter and anvil too. the Line 24 is a heavy duty snap, and there is a big difference.

        tEN wOLVES 

[panhead pete]

+1 for what Ten Wolves mentioned. 

To keep the inside of the snap off of gunmetal, either use a lining or I sometimes take a plug from a 3/4" leather punch, set the snap into it and THEN sew the plug to the unlined holster.  Gives you a snap without scratching gunmetal.  Also a good way ti retrofit any  holster that needs a snap.

Have fun,

PhP 

[bedbugbilly]

I use a 24 Line Snap on safety straps for most of the holsters I make - especially for modern revolvers and semi-autos. As stated, Tandy has them in convenient packages of 10 if you don't need a large quantity - brass, nickel and black.  They also have a "Eagle Head Linde 24 that is silver with an eagle head on it.  I use those on a lot of my holsters for semi-autos - they are attractive.

I also keep a supply of Line 20 snaps on hand - they are smaller than the Line 24.  I use those on safety straps for holsters I'm making for smaller handguns.  A Ruger Bearcat for example or "pocket size" semi-autos.

To keep the snap away from gunmetal - I use a round plug that I cut out of thin leather - 2 or 3 oz. I usually use a 3/4" arch punch to cut it.  I install the snap in the normal way and then before I sew the holster, I use contact cement and glue it in place over the snap on the inside and firmly seat it with a spoon modeler tip.  I've never had a problem with they coming off and they keep the pistol from getting scratches.  The snap is usually placed down far enough in the bucket that you don't see the covered snap.  There are a number of ways of covering the snap in the bucket - do what works best for you.  The link to Tandy's line snaps is   

https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/search/site+search+results.aspx?sectionpath=3&processor=content&p_keyword=line+snaps

[Trailrider]

  I won't use anything less than a " LINE 24 SNAP ", unless I use a leather or rawhide hammer thong, Tandy sells the snaps, they can be had in brass nickle, or black, make sure you get the setter and anvil too. the Line 24 is a heavy duty snap, and there is a big difference.

        tEN wOLVES 

+1  If you just use a strap that goes over the top of the gun and down the outboard side of the holster, you may also use a "Lift The Dot" snap (NOT Lift the Spot), which is unidirectional.  There is a little protrubance inside the female portion of the snap which hooks under the edge of the stud. When the protrubance is engaged, you then rotate the cap so the other side snaps to the stud.  The good thing about this is that in case brush or something gets between the strap and the body of the holster, the strap won't come undone. But if you need to get at the gun, you just pull up and out on the end of the strap, and the snap unsnaps.  I use this on my #96X holsters on the body snap. I use regular 24 line snaps for thumb-breaks because you don't want to have to hit that at a particular angle.  Hope this helps.

[Tallbald]

Thank you all for the information. I'll be ordering snaps from Tandy today. Don

[Cliff Fendley]

We have a Tandy in Louisville, close enough for me to drive but Steve will ship to you also.

[rickk]

The "Lift the Dot" ones are the way to go.They don't unsnap by accident.

Other than that feature they install exactly like any other line 24 snap, except of course you do have to figure out which direction the dot wants to be pointed in.

[Trailrider]

The "Lift the Dot" ones are the way to go.They don't unsnap by accident.

Other than that feature they install exactly like any other line 24 snap, except of course you do have to figure out which direction the dot wants to be pointed in.

The little button on the inside of the socket part goes on the side AWAY from how you are going to unsnap the flap.  In other words, if you are going to grasp the bottom of the flap to unsnap it, the button goes above it on the holster.  The stud (male) portion is uni-directional when you install it.  When you fasten the flap, you hook the button on the lip of the stud and then rotate your thumb over and downward.  Easier to do than to explain without a diagram. (Which I haven't the knowledge to post on the computer.)

[outrider]

A good supplier for both Line 24 and"Lift-a-dot" is a company called DOT Fasteners