Sidearms & Scatterguns Kydex Holsters

[Mattrmvpd]

Does anyone know if there is a coating... or covering that can be applied to the inside of a Kydex holster so that it does not scratch or put rub marks on a slide?

Thanks
Matt (LEO SOUTH GA.)

 

[John1911.com]

Matt,

There is a Kydex holster out there that is think has some kind of suede or leather liner.

But….here is an issue.

If you are thinking this is going to be a work gun, the LAST thing you want to do to that holster is add some kind of lining that will retain moisture. The beauty of Kydex is it drains like a bathtub and air dries quickly as well.

For serious work, leather or anything soft is going to burn you. I have a Milt-Sparks VM-II (leather) 1911 holster. I was out working on a hot summer day for 12 hours. Flop sweat horrible. After shift ended, ended up having to have a meeting in an air-conditioned office for 2 hours.

The finish of that 1911 simply was destroyed. For me….no biggie. I had the pistol refinished every couple of years anyway.

But….I'm seeing LEO….I'm seeing on-the-job-maybe….and I'm seeing someone who is sensitive to blemishes on their guns.

Proceed with caution is all I can say.

TTR

 

[Unknown]

It isn't kydex that wrecks gun finishes, it is the dirt between the kydex and the pistol. A simple way to figure this is that plastic is softer than steel, so the plastic can't abrade the harder steel. However, if you get grit between the kydex and your pistol, the grit WILL act just like sand and abrade your pistol.

I have used kydex holsters and leather holsters for many years. Keep your kydex clean, and you won't have a problem.

 

[Longshot38]

It isn't kydex that wrecks gun finishes, it is the dirt between the kydex and the pistol. A simple way to figure this is that plastic is softer than steel, so the plastic can't abrade the harder steel. However, if you get grit between the kydex and your pistol, the grit WILL act just like sand and abrade your pistol.

I have used kydex holsters and leather holsters for many years. Keep your kydex clean, and you won't have a problem.

Not true. It depends on the finish. I have used all type of holsters and the only ones that haven't worn on my pistols finishes are my Garrett Industries and Remora holsters. My Comp-tac Spartan was horrible on both parkerized finishes and did leave noticable scratches on my glocks finish (even after multiple cleanings with alcohol). My Bravo concealment holster was much better and left minimal wear as did my Blackhawks, Bianchi, and Raven Concealments. The Garret Holsters are a kydex shell with leather lining and Remoras are a rubberized outer shell with a nylon lining. These days Garrett is wher my business goes. Great products, great service, and great people.

 

[Unknown]

Not true. It depends on the finish. I have used all type of holsters and the only ones that haven't worn on my pistols finishes are my Garrett Industries and Remora holsters. My Comp-tac Spartan was horrible on both parkerized finishes and did leave noticable scratches on my glocks finish (even after multiple cleanings with alcohol). My Bravo concealment holster was much better and left minimal wear as did my Blackhawks, Bianchi, and Raven Concealments. The Garret Holsters are a kydex shell with leather lining and Remoras are a rubberized outer shell with a nylon lining. These days Garrett is wher my business goes. Great products, great service, and great people.

As I haven't had any of the issues that Lonshot38 describes, I should have started my posting with "In my experience". My experience is limited to Para-Ordnance blackened slides, hard chromed slides, stainless para-ordnance, Glocks, Stainless colt Commander, Stainless S&W 586 pistols. I competed in various pistol and/or 3 gun matches for a great many years and haven't had any of the issues Longshot38 refers to. In my experience, kydex holsters haven't caused any unusual wear to either semi-auto, or relvovers I have used in them.

Because I have no experience with the pistols, or holsters Longshot is referring to I won't comment on them. Just because Longshot and I have had different experiences with kydex doesn't mean either one of us is inaccurate. It just means that we have had different experiences with the product. That alone makes it worth considering whether or not someone wants to use a kydex holster or not. When there is a difference of opinion on a product, I consider both the positive and negatives of the reports in the same manner I consider opinions when 98% of the people have a positive or negative experience with a product.

Perhaps the thing for the OP to consider is how many positive and negative reports he gets on kydex. Watch the thread, then figure out how many people have a given experience with kydex.

If you use the holster in very, VERY cold weather, consider that plastic (like most things) gets brittle when it gets cold. If I were an officer working outdoors in Alaska's very cold weather, I wouldn't even consider a kydex holster for fear it might break because it got cold and brittle.

 

[flylo]

If you add any leather or suede make sure it's not salt cured as a lot is.
I'd wax the Kydex & inspect & keep the grit out.

 

[John1911.com]

My perspective is from a working gun standpoint. Guns wear. Working guns wear more. A holstered gun that is carried will wear even more. I take care of my equipment, but I choose to not get too wrapped around the axle over the small stuff.

If I have a gun that I might sell one day, I might worry about such things. But I don't own guns that aren't mentally mine.

I'm sure this will come as a shock, but I have never,never heard of anyone waxing their kydex holsters. In my universe, we would never introduce anything to hold dirt. But we would never want to make the kydex less grippy.

If there was a retention issue where kydex was fouling a draw, we would be sanding and relieving very small sections of kydex.

Waxing just blows my hair back.

TTR

 

[Unknown]

Waxing might to be remove any unwanted hair from inside the holster...(joking, but waxing jokes are all over TV now..)

 

[John1911.com]

Waxing might to be remove any unwanted hair from inside the holster...(joking, but waxing jokes are all over TV now..)

That was funny for a chuckle around here.

I suspect this thread has one foot on the collector's side and another foot on the worker's side of the fence.

No great shakes as long as everyone can sleep at night I suppose.

TTR

 

[Unknown]

All my guns are tools for using, and I don't worry much about normal wear on them. It may be the case that what someone else considers wear wouldn't bother me at all, or vice versa. I often loan firearms to close friends (not to anyone) and if they come back with honest wear from climbing over the rocks during a hunt or a match out in the bush, I don't mind. Abuse, or breaking something is different. But in all my years of sharing firearms with close friends, that has never happened. A little scratch on the stock is dramatically different than someone getting drunk and dropping my precision rifle in the fire pit. If I wanted my guns to remain in perfect condition, they would be safe queens, and they wouldn't live here long.

 

[BigBoss0311]

moleskin. seriously. it does add alot of thickness to the inside though and you have to wrap it over the edges of the holster and secure it there in order for it not to come off when you holster your pistol.

 

[truth]

Garrett Industries, LLC Designers/Manufacturers of Custom Kydex and Leather Holsters and Tactical Gear

 

[Zebra644]

Garrett Industries, LLC Designers/Manufacturers of Custom Kydex and Leather Holsters and Tactical Gear

I have one of these and they are light as heck and I have yet to put a scratch on my 1911

 

[Eagle Eye 72]

I make custom Kydex holsters. I have a S&W Bodyguard that I carry daily in one of my IWB holsters and it shows no wear. I also have two Glocks that are primarily holstered in my Kydex holsters and have had no wear on those either. I usually put a little CLP on the inside of the Kydex before assembly and it aids in the friction. I tell my customers any holster you use will apply friction to the finish of your pistol. Whether it be leather, nylon or Kydex, eventually friction will wear the finish the manufacturer used to coat the pistol. Some manufacturers use very high quality coatings and probably won't show wear in your life time. If you are worried about wear on your nice shiny safe queen we suggest you leave it in there for it's protection. I haven't had any complaints yet.

 

[Zebra644]

I don't consider the gun I carry a safe queen,but when finishes wear off or scratches are deep enough it can become a corrosion problem depending on the environment and how bad you sweat.

 

[RedTape]

If you're practicing your draw as much as you should be...the finish is going to wear. Nothing's going to change that. The best shooters I know have pistols that look rough! Keep your holster clean and use the gun.

 

[Tough Guy]

Wanna reduce wear on you pistol do what I did. I took that low down nasty holster Springfield gives you with the XDS and I remolded it. I put it in the oven at 170 degrees (the lowest temp my oven will crank down to) and heated it up for about 5 or 10 minutes. Put it on a baking pan to do this and put something in between the baking pan and the holster. Pulled it out of the oven and with the XDS wrapped in thin cloth shoved it into the holster and gave the tension screw a few turns and let her set there. That nasty holster works mighty fine now.