My quest for the right fit... (Image heavy)

[VanGoghComplex]

When I first bought my 6" Taurus 66, I got a Bianchi Accumold thumb-snap holster for it, pictured below.



I determined quickly that a holster sitting this high on my hip with a 6" barrel was far too ungainly to draw, and set the holster aside. Recently, I traded my 6" Taurus 66 for a 5" Smith 686+, and qualified at my range to draw from holster. So I had the old Bianchi modified at a shoe repair shop as shown below:





Perfect. Now to address two things: I don't like belt loops. They take too long to put on and ride very high. So, I decided to add a paddle and drop the holster a couple inches.

Here is the paddle I bought (~$10):


Here are the parts I fabricated from styrene plastic:


And here's how it all goes together:






Here's a side-by-side of how the belt loop holster sat, and how it now sits with the paddle:



I'm very happy with it! I think I'll soon remake the plastic parts out of Kydex, and see if I can't have them precision cut to some CAD drawings.

Thanks for having a look! =)

 

[Mainsail]

Since most people worry to death over concealment, holster makers try to get them to ride as high as possible, even if it's not practical.

Good ingenuity on your part- it looks good.

The first holster I ever had to modify was an ankle holster I wore under my nomex flight suit while I was in the AF. The holster maker set it up to ride low on the leg, but I needed it higher. I added some pretty sloppy but effective stitches to shorten the calf strap so that it would ride above my ankle on the front of my leg. The weight of the S&W model 15 on the side of my leg made me walk funny- on the front of leg, on my boot, worked a lot better.

 

[LoneGoose]

Van, excellent work. I always admire someone who can devise a solution or adaptation to satisfy a need. Kudos.

 

[bannockburn]

VanGoghComplex

Nice bit of DIY work there!

 

[judgedelta]

You solved your problem very well (and cheaply); but how does it work sitting in an automobile or office chair?

 

[VanGoghComplex]

You solved your problem very well (and cheaply); but how does it work sitting in an automobile or office chair?

It doesn't work in the slightest! =D

I know it's a dirty word around here, but one of the reasons I did what I did (not modifying the belt loop portion of the holster) is because I can reasonably conceal this revolver crossdraw in the colder months.

In all honesty though, it's a crazy goal for 5'9" 160lb me to conceal a 5" barrel L-frame. That's what my Bodyguard 38 is for.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Look very nice, good job!!