Make sure your gear is in good working order!

[John Ralston]

http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firearms/safety-warning-worn-leather-holsters-can-cause-accidental-discharges/#more-10131

[Chipster]

Damn! That guy is pretty darn lucky.

John,

Not sure if you can chime in on this but, I have always felt that there was a significant difference in the durability/quality of a holster from someone like Glaco, Desantis, etc..... versus one form YOU, Milt Sparks, Kramer, etc.... Would that be accurate, and would you say that this is inevitable in handgun holster leather (the leather going soft I mean, not the AD).

[gtmtnbiker98]

Two great arguments, here:

1) Kydex
2) Don't carry a Glock

Kidding, of course.

[JV_]

I've always preferred reinforced openings on leather holsters.

[SecondsCount]

Ouch!

Thanks for posting.

[SmokeJumper]

Double ouch! Reinforced openings on a leather holster is my preference. Good lessons, thanks for sharing.

[Kyle Reese]

Good thing he wasn't carrying it AIWB in this particular instance, with a similarly crappy holster..... Oy!

There are many areas where one can save money. A quality defensive holster should not be one of those areas.

Talk about a teachable moment...

[SLG]

Damn! That guy is pretty darn lucky.

John,

Not sure if you can chime in on this but, I have always felt that there was a significant difference in the durability/quality of a holster from someone like Glaco, Desantis, etc..... versus one form YOU, Milt Sparks, Kramer, etc.... Would that be accurate, and would you say that this is inevitable in handgun holster leather (the leather going soft I mean, not the AD).

I'm not John, but I'm sure he'll agree. There is no difference at all between his custom made piece of leather art, and a mass produced factory offering. After all, Galco et al charge almost as much these days.

Now that that's off my chest, there is a huge difference in the quality of the leather, and in the tanning process. Those differences (and maybe others that John can address) are responsible for the decades of daily use that you can get out of a good leather holster. I've worn out multiple guns in relatively short order. I've never worn out a good leather holster.

In addition, that belt slide holster is a poor design, coupled with cheap manufacturing.

And then there's the Glock issue...

[JodyH]

That particular Galco holster is a "one size fit's most".
I've never seen one of those that was worth a shit.

[John Ralston]

Well, I can't imagine that one of my rigs would ever get that soft - they are damn near like kydex when new, and that portion does not see any flexing, so there is no reason is should ever fold in like that.

I order my leather with some special processing, and it adds a couple $$ to every square foot. Given that you are talking about a 40% increase in material cost, it is possible that bigger companies forgo those processes. I have not felt a Galco in the bag that was anywhere near as firm as one of my rigs - not sure why.

Also, stay away from leather conditioners!!!! All they do is soften the leather, which could turn a really nice custom rig into a soft POS. There is no need for it. If you want a bit of shine, a VERY SMALL amount of neutral shoe polish and a quick buff is all that is necessary.

And lastly - you should actually inspect your gear periodically. If it is getting soft, toss it out before something like the above happens to you.