How to Make a Wet Mold Leather Gun Holster
Make your own gun holster with basic leather working tools.
Although people differ in opinion, I believe firearms are important tools to own and know how to use. In the backcountry, for example, guns can be life-saving tools. Not only can you use the gun in self-defense against a variety of animals, but you can use it to signal people from a distance. We’ve all heard the old saying, “It’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” I hope that every person who reads this will never need to use a gun. However, I carry a gun with me on every trip. By taking it every time, I know I’ll have it the day I actually do need it.
Typing this, I’m reminded of a story I read in a bowhunting magazine. The story narrated the experience of a man who lived in Alaska. This man lived in the woods and liked to walk his dogs every night. Since he lived in grizzly country, he carried a handgun with him every night. For years and years (I think it was 14 years?) he walked his dogs and never had a problem. Still, he carried the gun. Then, on an unexpected night (which is when things happen) a grizzly bear burst from the brush and charged him and his dogs. Drawing his gun the man drew aim, shot, and killed the animal. After getting home, he called a local game warden to report the incident. When the game warden arrived he looked over the carcass and discovered the grizzly had an abscessed tooth and was starving. Had the man not defended himself, the bear very likely would have killed and eaten him.
These stories are not extraordinarily unique either. I have a personal friend who was charged by a mountain lion in a similar situation. Like the Alaskan man, my friend wasn’t suspecting a thing. He simply found himself in a dangerous situation and had a tool that helped him escape.
Both of these stories illustrate to me the importance of carrying a firearm. The odds are something like this will never happen to you, and I truly hope it doesn’t. However, if it does, I do hope you have a tool for the job.
If you do decide to take a handgun into the backcountry, it’s important to have a gun holster to carry it in. Holsters are not only helpful to keep track of the firearm, but they also provide a safe option to carry. In a holster, the gun is accounted for, the trigger is shielded, and, if you own a revolver, the hammer is prevented from accidentally being cocked.
If you enjoy making your own gear, learning how to make a leather gun holster is not difficult. Creating one only takes a small amount of leather and some basic tools. For those of you who might be considering a project like this, here are the basic steps to make a leather gun holster.
Tools
Required
Leather (I used 2 oz. veg tan for the lining and 5 oz. veg tan for the rest)
Knife
Awl and Thread
Rivets
Snap
Rubber Cement
Optional for Edging
Edge Beveler
Stitch Groover
Leather Slicker
Optional for Stamping
Stamps and Maul
Water
Optional for Dying
Dye
Cotton Swab
Antiquing
PROCESS
Once you’ve got your tools gathered, you can get started. To watch the process, check out this video. For a brief explanation, continue scrolling.
Step 1: Making the Pattern
The first step in making a leather gun holster is to create your pattern. You’ll need the firearm for this step. People who make a lot of holsters often have plastic replicas of different firearms. For the average DIY leather crafter, you can just use the gun itself. If you watch the video, you’ll notice that I wrapped mine in plastic wrap before starting. This protected my gun while I used it and is a good idea.
Of course, I checked to make sure it was not loaded.
To make the template for your holster, essentially what you need to do is measure the width of your gun, and then trace its outline. If you watch the video, you’ll notice I started with a center line on my paper. This is helpful to keep the pattern even when you fold it. After tracing the outline, you’ll also notice that I went back and added a 1/2” border all the way around the outline. This left room for my stitching. For the top, I simply made a design that I thought would be appealing and functional. You can make whatever design you want.
Once the outline was complete, make a template for your belt loop and the strap that will secure the gun in place. You can also mark the location of the holes where everything will be riveted in.
Step 2: Cutting the Leather
With the pattern made, the next step was to cut the leather. I tried to cut my heavy 5 oz. leather as close to the pattern as I could. I also cut the leather straps and the welt all at the same time. It might be worth noting to keep the extra material on the strap that will go across the top of the holster. In the end, this will help you get the best possible fit.
If you watch the video, you’ll also see that I punched the holes for my rivets and snap as I went along.
Step 3: Stamping
If you want to stamp your holster, you can do so at this point. For stamping, you’ll want to wet the leather and then let it begin to dry back to its natural color. At that point, the leather is ready to be carved and stamped. Depending on the length of time this takes, you may need to remoisten the project as you work. As usual, this can be as simple or ornate as you want. I carved a basic line all the way around and followed that up with a rope tooling stamp.
Step 4: Attaching the Snap
Before continuing, you may want to install the male end of the snap. Although I could have installed mine so the strap would wrap straight around the gun, I decided to put it farther back. I like the look of it, and it is still functional. Whatever design you choose, make sure it is functional.
Step 5: Cut Liner
With your holster cut, you can next cut the 2 oz leather liner. Rather than cutting it close to the size it will be, leave plenty of extra room. Later, this allow you to trim it so the liner perfectly matches the body of the holster.
Step 6: Hardware
Before proceeding, you will want to attach your hardware as well. This means you will install part of the rivets that will eventually hold the belt loop in place. I used brass rivets for this task only because the material was very thick. The top rivet eventually had to pass through three layers of 5 oz. leather and a layer of 2 oz, so I needed something with some length. You may have longer rivets and can go with something other than brass.
Step 7: Glue on Liner
The purpose of having a liner is to protect your gun from the hardware. To add the liner, simply apply a little rubber cement to the holster and liner, press them firmly together, and allow them to dry. Once they are dry, you can trim the excess liner around the edge. It might be worth noting that you should be careful of getting rubber cement in unwanted areas. The cement can discolor your leather. To help avoid this, I laid down a piece of paper. This caught excess cement and kept my workspace clean.
Step 8: Edge Work
Once the liner was glued in, I started on my edge work of beveling and grooving. You may notice that I did not work the side of the holster yet. This will be done later. I also opted to run a stitch line around the top of my holster. This is unnecessary, but I found the look appealing.
Step 9: Welt
A welt is an extra piece of material that is added between seams. Welts are often found on knife sheaths to keep the stitching from getting cut. However, on this project, the welt adds a little depth to the edge. Adding depth takes stress off the cement and stitching around that edge. When cutting your welt, keep a little extra. This can be trimmed off later.
Step 10: Stitching Holes
At this point, you are now ready to punch your holes. Except for the offside, this is really straightforward. The challenge on that side is getting the stitching holes to line up. In order to do that, you’ll notice that I used a piece of paper to mark the first set of holes I punched. Then, I marked the corresponding holes on the other side before punching them with a chisel. Doing this was a little tedious, but it ensured my stitching holes lined up.
Step 11: Glue and Stitch
At this point, your holster is about to come together. You can add some rubber cement to the backside of the welt and the side of the holster that would contact it when folded. Once it is folded, use a few clamps to keep it together. After that, you are ready to put a temporary stitch in. This stitch only holds the project together while the cement dries and you completed a few other steps.
Step 12: Edge Work
With the welted edge sewn, you can finish up the edge work on that side. You can do this by cutting excess material away and sanding it before doing the standard beveling and slicking.
Step 13: Wet Mold
One way to ensure your gun has a firm fit is to wet mold it to your holster. To do this, start by saturating your holster in water for 1 minute. After a minute, remove the holster and firmly insert your firearm. You’ll notice the wet leather takes the shape of the firearm. Leave it overnight and allow it to dry. After 12 hours, remove the firearm and allow it 12 more hours to continue to dry.
It might be worth reminding you to have your gun wrapped completely in plastic. This helps protect the gun from long exposure to moisture.
Step 14: Dying
Dying is an optional step that can give the finished product a nice look. Although many dyes look nice, I really like the walnut dye available at Weavers.
Step 15: Remove Temporary Stitching and reSew
After the project has been dyed and has dried, you can remove the temporary stitching. Once the temporary stitch is removed, you can then resew with the final thread. I opted for a white thread that I felt contrasted nicely with the walnut leather.
If you watch the video, you’ll see that I ended the stitch at the bottom and tied the final knot under the holster. This keeps the knot more hidden and gives the project an overall better look.
Step 16: Add the Straps
The final step in this process is to attach the straps. Start by setting the three rivets on the belt loop. If you watch the video, you’ll see that I put the strap that goes over my firearm beneath the belt strap. This keeps it hidden and gives it a better appearance.
The final step is to add the female snap end to the leather strap. To do this, simply bring the strap over the firearm and make sure it is snug. Using an awl, mark the location where the snap will go. Then, punch the hole and set the snap. After that, trim the edge, do your edge work, add a little dye, and you’re all done. If you’ve followed these steps, your holster should be ready to use for years to come.
Again, people have differing opinions on whether they want to carry a firearm. For those of us who do, having a functional holster is important to make sure the firearm is kept in a safe manner. By making a wet-mold holster, you can create a holster that is specifically fitted for your individual firearm.