How To Break In A Leather Holster: Best Ways To Follow

After purchasing a leather gun holster, people always find it irritating to put the gun into it.

Because leather holsters always come with hard material and don’t stretch more to take the gun inside.

To use it, you must know how to break in a leather holster and make it flexible. 

However, it’ll only take you a night to get things easier.

  • A plastic bag will help you deal with your stiff leather holster.
  • Just put the gun inside the plastic, insert it into the holster, and leave it for a night.
  • The next morning, you’ll have your holster listening to your gun. 

Read the procedures below to know a detailed explanation of the process. 

How To Break In A Leather Holster

Though you may feel it bothering to soothe your leather holster, it’ll only take a few minutes of your life.

Our following suggestions will teach you how you can do things correctly and easily and make good use of the leather holster. 

Plastic Bag Method

The plastic bag method is the most popular method to break in a leather holster. It’s effective as well.

In this process, you need to unscrew the screws of your holster first, if there are any.

Then take a plastic bag or two and put your gun inside them. You can use some little pieces of a cupboard to slide your gun in.

After wrapping the gun into plastic bags, put it inside the holster and place it somewhere cold.

Wait for a night, then slide off your gun from the holster. Now, the leather holster will suit your gun more preciously.  

Leather Strap Break-in Method

This leather strap method is a bit risky but can be done with ease.

You don’t need any plastic bags in this way. Just put the gun inside the holster and twist the leather strap in the opposite direction gently.

Any rough twisting may harm the leather. So keep twisting the strap softly then after a couple of minutes, pull it around the gun and button it up.

Now you’ll find the holster more flexible. If not, continue the process. 

Wet Method 

Though the wet method is not recommended for breaking in a leather holster, you can spray a little sprinkle of liquid.

You can also take a small round brush, spray some liquid on it, and rub it on the interior leather of the holster. This way, you can make your leather holster gulping your gun. 

Things Not To Do While Break In A Leather Holster 

Now that you know how to break in a stiff leather holster, you must also understand what shouldn’t you attempt while breaking into it.

Though it’s easy to make holster softeners, people make it difficult with their inappropriate approach.

So, these are those things you should never attempt to break in your leather holster. 

Don’t Insert Your Gun Directly Into The Holster 

It’s the first and foremost caution and the most important thing to remember. When you put your gun directly into the hostler, the gun and holster can both be damaged. Since the holster’s leather is too stiff to mold, it’ll scratch your gun and cause other significant damages. 

Don’t Use Lubricant of Any Kind

This is the common mistake people make while breaking into a leather holster. Using any type of lubricant makes the holster soft, but simultaneously, it gets stiffer and makes it difficult to grip your gun. Though you will first see the holster smooth with the liquid, it will gradually become a more rigid object. 

Don’t Submerge The Holster Into A Liquid

Submerging the holster into a liquid is also forbidden in this sense. However, the liquid will make the holster slippery at first, and drawing the gun may seem comfortable.

But at some point, you will see your gun is slipping outside the holster. And after a few days, the holster will get more inflexible, and it will be hard to draw the gun. 

FAQs

Why Is It Important To Break In A Leather Holster?

If you don’t break in a leather holster, it will keep its stiffness, and you’ll never find it smooth to draw your gun. When the holster is new, its materials come stiff and rigid. This stiffness can also be uncomfortable wearing the holster as it’ll rub against your skin or cloth. 

But when you break in a leather holster, it fits your gun nicely and gets much softened and smooth. Drawing your gun becomes swift, and you can wear or use it easily. So, for your defense and comfort, breaking in a leather holster is as important as the holster itself. 

How Long Does It Take To Break In A Leather Holster?

Leather holsters are known to take some time to break in, but most sources advise that they are comfortable within a few days. Unloaded guns should be left in holsters for at least 24 hours, while others recommend twisting the guns about 1/16″ and leaving them there for a few days. The leather should stretch out once it is broken in and comfortable to wear.

Oliver Savoy
Oliver Savoy