Good gun articles

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Tue Mar 23, 2010 8:03 pm

Anybody unaware, the Unblinking Eye website has a good number of interesting articles on some little known guns, and a few well known, too. Good articles on early Colt pistols. I especially liked the Le Francais pistol article. It is so similar to the Beretta Bobcat, yet came out in 1914. Made into the 70's. I now think Beretta did a little copying........

Neat comparison of New Sig P238 and Colt Mustang, a couple of High Standards, etc.

Well worth a look for any gun nut

http://unblinkingeye.com/Guns/

greener · Post by **greener** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 7:01 am

Interesting reading. Liked the article on making a holster.

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:57 pm

Watch all of you young fellows complaining about old eyes at just 50 plus. have children that age, what you guys going to do when you really get old?????

Tbag · Post by **Tbag** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:11 pm

And how did you know I wanted to make my own holster. Good read.

99/100 · Post by **99/100** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:59 pm

Tbag wrote:And how did you know I wanted to make my own holster. Good read.

I agree. I've been trying to "re-find" that for two weeks! Thanks!!

Post by **Bullseye** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:37 pm

Watch all of you young fellows complaining about old eyes at just 50 plus. have children that age, what you guys going to do when you really get old?????

Some of us aren't so aged that we have to consult the Rosetta Stone to decipher our cuneiform birth certificates.

Nor do we require pistol scopes the size of the Hubble to see the target my wise and aged friend.

R,
Bullseye

bearandoldman · Post by **bearandoldman** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:47 pm

Bullseye wrote:
Watch all of you young fellows complaining about old eyes at just 50 plus. have children that age, what you guys going to do when you really get old?????
Some of us aren't so aged that we have to consult the Rosetta Stone to decipher our cuneiform birth certificates. Nor do we require pistol scopes the size of the Hubble to see the target my wise and aged friend.

R,
Bullseye

Us old guys do whatever it takes to get the job done with as little effort as possible, youngster.

If a little works a lot may be better, try it you may like it. Used to carry a lot of notes with me, but all them stone tablets and the hammer and chisel were getting pretty heavy. You know all the stuff that I was saving for my old age, I am using it and having fun. You got to have AP ammo to get a decent hole in them stone targets.

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:09 pm

Holsters are not that hard to make, time consuming, yes. There are just a few thing you need to know to make life easy. Like how much excess is needed for fitting. How to case a holster. This is a precess of wetting leather to a point of it becoming a wet noodle. Then experience will tell you how much the leather will stretch, it will surprise you. Then you can use a filler piece instead of casing. Going this route means you will have to sew through 1/2" thick edge. Go for it, give it a try. You can use a nail to punch holes in the leather. For your first holster pick a gun that is made of stainless or some coating that will not rust if it gets wet. This way you will not have to protect the gun from water. Guns with high setting front sights cause the most problem. For them you must make a sight ramp. So high front sights are not the holsters you want to do first.

Good luck, and have some fun.

Tbag · Post by **Tbag** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:44 pm

Bullseye wrote:
Watch all of you young fellows complaining about old eyes at just 50 plus. have children that age, what you guys going to do when you really get old?????
Some of us aren't so aged that we have to consult the Rosetta Stone to decipher our cuneiform birth certificates. Nor do we require pistol scopes the size of the Hubble to see the target my wise and aged friend.

R,
Bullseye

Thanks, I about lost my keyboard. LOL

Tbag · Post by **Tbag** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:46 pm

blue68f100 wrote: How to case a holster. This is a precess of wetting leather to a point of it becoming a wet noodle. Then experience will tell you how much the leather will stretch, it will surprise you. Then you can use a filler piece instead of casing. .

.

Would you mind explaining casing a tad bit more and the filler piece.

thks.

blue68f100 · Post by **blue68f100** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:04 pm

Casing is the process of getting the leathers moisture content up to a point in which makes leather moldable/shapeable. As the content is at the right level it will holds it shape. It will shrink as it drys, in the olden days they used tack to hold everything in place, not any more. There are several way of doing this one is dunking the leather in water watching the air bubbles come out. Then you put in in a bag sealing it for a day or so. Next you remove it and let it start drying out. While your waiting your testing the leather to see if it will hold a shape. Once the moisture content is right you can mold the leather around what ever your making. As you work the leather you will find that it stretches in one direction easier than the other. Yes leather has a grain it just takes some experience to know which way it will stretch before getting the leather wet. But as the leather starts drying (changing color) is when its the easiest to mold.

If I'm doing a gun that will rust I wrap the gun with suran wrap.

Fillers. Let start with how the original gun holster were made in the frontier. You fold a piece of leather around a gun, then you add lets say 1"+ extra to the wrap. Now the filler is used to fill the back strap of the gun (under side of the gun barrel and trigger guard). This is normally 2 pieces of leather shaped to follow the gun lines (1/4"+ thick). Then you add one more piece that is tapered to widen it at the trigger guard. This filler is normally 1/2" wide or wider depending on the gun but very seldom smaller. The old western style holster were made on 1 pc of leather, with a strap added to wrap back around the holster to lock it on the belt. The belt loop be folder over at the top then sewn on, riveted. Or even snaps can be used. If you do not have a HD sewing machine like I do, you use a spike punch for lace holes. Or you can slot (or round) and lace it. Trust me on this the hand stitching is easier. The saddle stitch is used to sew it together. With the filler you are not required to do any casing. If I use a filler I still case it depending on fit. A problem area is the front sights. If you have your fit too tight the front sight will gouge the leather. I have made sight ramps for some guns to prevent this. But if you have a tall front sight it causes problem. You have the option of using both process together, I did that on the Python holster below.

Al Stohlman is the authority when it comes to leather craft. His book on making holster is very good for the western style holster. It will teach you the basics of holster making. The latest style for cheap holster is sew 2 pieces together then wet the leather and force the gun in, letting it dry. Quick and dirty, but that is way a lot of cheap conceal carry holsters are made. I make a lot with the back flat or curved to your body, then case the outer part to the gun. This makes a comfortable holster due to the smooth surface against you. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/home ... Product_25

Here is the link to the last custom holster I made, 6" Colt Python. http://www.guntalk-online.com/forum/vie ... php?t=2014

ruger22 · Post by **ruger22** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:07 pm

I made a few holsters in my previous shooting life. Each one was better than the one before, and I even sold a few. Now I have no good source for leather, my local Tandy store went out years ago. Their scrap box would always have an ideal piece for one holster for about five bucks. Online, they sell you a BIG piece, and no way to be sure of the grain, etc.

The filler piece just follows the rear edge, adding a third thickness to the stitched edges. Stiffens the holster, and adds a little flexibility to the sides so they give a little for better removal of the gun.

Wet-molding the holster, just wrap the gun as smoothly as possible in a piece of plastic food wrap. You can actually mold the right leather so well, that you can see the screw head impressions come up in the leather.

The neat item is the little oval of sheet stainless for a thumb-break style holster. Goes under the snap's head at one end, and a dome rivet head at the other end, to make a stiff thumb tab. Lots of factory holsters with those.

I even made a full Western rig for my first Single-Six. No cartridge loops, but it had a snap flap pouch on the side that held about forty rounds. Cost me about $20 to make, around 1980. Sold it for $75. At today's prices, I've thought about making one again.

Tbag · Post by **Tbag** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:42 pm

Thanks gentleman as I am walking away with a greater understanding of the process!