My homemade kydex holster

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Fumbler

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Messages
1,508
Location
Rocky Mount, NC, USA
I finally took pics of my homemade holster.
A few months ago I got my concealed handgun permit and got a J frame (S&W 637).
I couldn't stomach the thought of paying $60-70 for $4 worth of materials in a good kydex holster, so I made my own.
I bought $60 worth of kydex supplies from knifekits.com. That gave me enough material for my holster, two I made for friends, and enough left over for two more. I gave the leftovers to a friend who is going to Iraq. Apparently it's hard to get good holsters so when he gets there he'll make his own.

Here are links to the pics. The photos are large and will take up too much space in this thread.
pic 1
pic 2
pic 3
in my pants

The holster is an IWB and tuckable design.
I put the clip over the trigger guard to help keep the width down. Putting the clip there also helps pull the butt of the gun inward.

I've made a kydex press and will start making these to sell. Right now I can make them for non scandium J frames and also for the Taurus model 85. I might make some for Sig 228 and plan on getting an LCp and making holsters for those too.
I sold one with a lefthanded clip to a friend for $35 but will probably bump the price up to $45. That covers cost of materials plus a moderate amount for my time.

So, whatcha think?
 
Fumbler - how about doing a how-to guide for those of us interested in trying to make our own?

Where did you get the material?
 
I get my kydex from www.knifekits.com

The first one took about 5-6 hours total. A lot of that time was spent scratching my head trying to figure out how to make the clip and where to place it. The second most time consuming part was sanding the edges to the final shape and final sanding the edges to a smooth finish.
Subsequent holsters take about 3 hours. If I get a table sander then i'm sure i can cut that time down to two hours.
If I turn down the finish quality I could probably do 1 hr, but I'm not going to do that.

I may get around to doing a tutorial, but there are already many on the net. I learned how to make them with the help of google :)

The basic steps are:
-order kydex and appropriate chicago screws or rivets. It comes in a few different thicknesses, but I think 0.08" is great for IWb. 0.093 would be good for heavier guns and OWB. The clips are nice/thick/sturdy 0.125".

-get a cheap 1/2 inch thick camping mat from walmart and cut it into around 1 ft square pieces. you'll need 4 pieces, two on each side when molding.

-decide how you're going to press the kydex. either get two thick pieces of wood that are at least as big as the foam squares and clamps or get one piece of wood or something sturdy and just stand on it to apply pressure.

-Use pieces of wood to fill in behind the trigger or any other place you don't want the kydex to hang up on. Also use a wood dowel taped to the top strap to be sure the front sight can come out while drawing the gun

-heat up the kydex in an oven for a couple minutes

-quickly wrap kydex around gun, put gun between foam, put foam between wood, clamp it (or stand on it)

-wait 5-10 minutes

-Take out kydex and gun, remove gun, trim off excess kydex. I use tin snips to cut the kydex, but a bandsaw would be great.

-Check the retention. if it grabs too much then start over or heat up the problem spots to loosen them. if it grabs too little then you can heat up behind the trigger guard and apply more pressure.

-sand down edges of kydex to final dimensions

-make the clip. I use a mini propane torch to heat the clip where I want to bend it. Then I bend the clip over pieces of wood to give it a nice flat shape with nice clean bends. This is where I think other holster makers do a poor job (for instance, JS Holsters). The bends and flat parts of their clips look sloppy.

-attach clip with chicago screws or rivets.

-Use a knife and sandpaper to chamfer all the edges

-do your final sanding of the edges with progressively finer sandpaper

-make a few more and sell them to your friends to pay for the supplies and time you spent on all the holsters.
;)
 
I suggest raising the body side of the holster enough so you don't pinch yourself between the cylinder and the top holster edge. It will hurt. A lot. It also adds to the comfort.

Good luck in your kydex holster venture.

Oh, and I'd also suggest retaking the "in the pants" pic with you wearing a t-shirt under the outter shirt....you'd probably sell more if you did! :D
 
I haven't had any issues with pinching.
I have thought about making a fabric and foam flap attached to the holster as a comfort barrier between me and the gun.

About that last pic...yeah, no one wants to see my fat hairy gut :barf:
hehe.
You can see three tick bites I sustained while working too.
 
It really looks pretty good. A friend in the business can turn out a standard model holster for a gun he already has taped up in an hour or a bit more. But he has years of experience and all the equipment lined up.
 
Fumbler said:
About that last pic...yeah, no one wants to see my fat hairy gut
Click to expand...

Don't worry about it - luckily I still had 2 gallons of brain bleach in the closet, so I was able to erase that horrid image from the inside of my skull... :scrutiny:
 
Thanks for the post

You might consider using more Kydex and covering the hammer. Less chance of hanging up on the draw, easier on the tummy and hides more of the gun to onlookers.
 
I picked up a Kel-Tec P3AT recently and will make holsters for it.
I'm also on a waiting list to get a Ruger LCP.

I may get a Glock too. I need to see if some of my buddies will let me borrow their guns.
 
Hey Fumbler,
I have some Kydex on the way and looking to make something for a Kel-tec P32. I plan on using my actual pistol for the mold ... I'm guessing that's what all the non-pro's do, right? Anyway, is the kydex hot enough for me to wory about damage to the Kel-tec's grips (they are a polymer ... but, hopefully, have a higher melting point than Kydex)???
--Thomas
 
Nice work!

A couple of ideas that I have successfully used:
Devcon Plastic Welder epoxy can be used to replace rivets. Great stuff.
I use metal knife belt clips glued on with Plastic welder.
I position the butt to hit the belt, providing more overall support for the weight.

I am still screwing around with a no-scratch liner. Felt is OK, not great.
 
I plan on using my actual pistol for the mold ... I'm guessing that's what all the non-pro's do, right? Anyway, is the kydex hot enough for me to wory about damage to the Kel-tec's grips (they are a polymer ... but, hopefully, have a higher melting point than Kydex)???
Click to expand...
Yes, use your pistol, but here are some tips:
-Get some balsa wood and cut it out to fit behind the trigger. Make sure the wood is thicker than the trigger. That way the kydex won't touch the trigger as you put the gun in the holster.
-Plug up anything that will catch onto the kydex when you draw. The biggest part on a semiauto is the ejection port. If you don't plug it up then the kydex will grip it so hard you won't be able to pull the gun out.
-Examine your gun closely and try to imagine anything that will grab at the kydex as you holster and draw the gun. An example could be the takedown pin. If the kydex molds flat behind the takedown pin, then the takedown pin could make drawing the gun difficult. You could add a bunch of tape behind the takedown pin to fix that problem.

The kydex won't be hot enough to hurt the gun. Kydex is shaped when it's around 270-300°
The Kel-Tec plastic can handle much more than that. I made a pocket holster for my P3AT with no problems.

Devcon Plastic Welder epoxy can be used to replace rivets. Great stuff.
Click to expand...
It is good stuff, but I don't trust any adhesive enough to just use adhesive. I'd still use rivets or chicago screws when attaching parts.
I also used only chicago screws so the kydex can be pried apart for cleaning.

I am still screwing around with a no-scratch liner. Felt is OK, not great.
Click to expand...
I haven't figured out a good liner. Anything you use gets dirty and starts scratching the gun anyway or it just won't hold up to use.
if you figure it out then let us know:)
 
Since I paid FIST about $ 100 for a kydex holster, and mag carrier for my CS45, wish I had met you first. Theirs was custom made for the pistol, as yours. Mine is worn inside the belt, and it is a bitch to pull it out. Some kind of special clip, the clips are blue. I used Safariland suade inside holsters & mag holders for more years than I want to say. They were cheap, comfortable, and the only problem was holding the holster open to replace the pistol once I pulled it out. The firm kydex eliminates that problem.
 
I also make my own. Right now is getting Kydex in 1 or 2 sheets at a fair price. The distributors are wanting a 10 sheet minimum. each sheet is
36"x96" makes a few holsters.

102R5.gif

102R4.gif
 
Very nice work. Has inspired me to do a repair on a kydex knife holster I have.
 
Home-made Kydex Holster

Well Done! Generic holsters have always been experimental at best.
I think you will have a number of customers willing to help you.
 
Nicely done. Any chance you want to make one for a Sig P250 w/ a light attached :) ?

If so, let me know. I may be one of your first customers.

Thanks,
DFW1911
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
  • Locked
NTAC IWB/OWB Kydex Holster with light option
Replies
6
Views
1K
possum
P
A
  • Locked
Homemade Kydex Holsters?
2
Replies
28
Views
3K
Trey Veston
Trey Veston
R
  • Locked
Leather/Kydex Hybrid Holsters
Replies
6
Views
1K
JoeSlomo
J
A
  • Locked
Homemade kydex holsters
Replies
3
Views
2K
atomd
A
H
  • Locked
Kydex holster making
Replies
12
Views
1K
tomrkba
tomrkba
Back
Top