How much does holster wear really matter?

[MichaelD]

I havent figured out how to keep them looking pretty when carrying them much. The two areas I've lived most of my life both have crazy amounts of fine dust that permeates everything. Leather holsters seem to collect it like a sponge and apply it to the finish on your guns. Even the dust on my bedside table is stupid abrasive. My 24 was the main bedside gun for some time, it has some nasty abrasion on the points that touch the table. From 10 years of off and on carry its getting a bit shiny around the edges, not as bad as the 29 though. The g-19 is a little scuffed from mainly pocket carry. Once in a while I forget about the change or pocket knife in the back pocket. The finish on them is pretty tough.



The Ruger 45 was only cold blued where I took all the writing off the barrel. It's been blued once since I've had it, but not after removing all the junk on the barrel. It was my main carry for several years after the hand injury when I couldnt shoot a DA with heavy loads.



Another favorite carry gun. It's held up OK, but hasnt had as much carry time. The "color case finish" doesnt hold up very well. Nothing like true color case hardening.

Those are three of the prettiest revolvers I've ever seen. Well done!

[LSP552]

I havent figured out how to keep them looking pretty when carrying them much. The two areas I've lived most of my life both have crazy amounts of fine dust that permeates everything. Leather holsters seem to collect it like a sponge and apply it to the finish on your guns. Even the dust on my bedside table is stupid abrasive. My 24 was the main bedside gun for some time, it has some nasty abrasion on the points that touch the table. From 10 years of off and on carry its getting a bit shiny around the edges, not as bad as the 29 though. The g-19 is a little scuffed from mainly pocket carry. Once in a while I forget about the change or pocket knife in the back pocket. The finish on them is pretty tough.



The Ruger 45 was only cold blued where I took all the writing off the barrel. It's been blued once since I've had it, but not after removing all the junk on the barrel. It was my main carry for several years after the hand injury when I couldnt shoot a DA with heavy loads.



Another favorite carry gun. It's held up OK, but hasnt had as much carry time. The "color case finish" doesnt hold up very well. Nothing like true color case hardening.

I elk hunt with CO friends pretty regularly. The wind is always blowing, and that fine grit dust finds its way everywhere!

Having said that, I don't mind holster wear at all. Honest use lends character, IMO.

Ken

[Jack Ryan]

I buy 'em to use 'em but it's still not pretty to listen to when I notice a new scratch on one. I don't get nostalgic at all about one I've bought and worn.

The only holster wear I get fuzzy enough about to just look at and enjoy is on a couple guns I inherited.

[jetfire]

Having said that, I don't mind holster wear at all. Honest use lends character, IMO.

Ken

Gray hair is a crown of wisdom, and holster wear is the sign of a well-used gun.

[TCinVA]

(Conversely, I have no kidding sat in a room at a Type 07 and participated in a discussion about the feasibility of offering a sort of "stone-washed" finish. I mean, if you can buy an Italian Peacemaker clone with an "antiqued" finish that's supposed to make it look like a survivor of the Old West for the SASS crowd, why not a railed 1911 that looks like it's been in the $#!+? You know they'd sell.)

I throw mine down the driveway to give it that nice used look.

You'd love my Les Baer. She looks like Tina after Ike had been on a bit of a bender...

If you hit the stage with a pre-battered Strat wearing pre-ripped jeans, isn't there a law that says you can only play cover tunes?

It's been a while since I bought a guitar, but when I was last buying several years ago damn near everything was "distressed" or "antiqued" to the point it was driving me nuts. I wanted a Gibson 335 and you couldn't find one without the dingy off-white "cream" binding anywhere. I complained.

"But it looks Vintage!"

"Dude, it looks 'vintage' on Clapton's cherry 335 that he's been playing since the 1960's, and it's off-white because it's aged gracefully over decades of shows played when he wasn't busy with fast cars, heroin, and drunken hookups with loose women. I don't want my guitar to look like his does now, I want my guitar to be built the way his was in the 1960's."

They never did get it...so I bought a Heritage instead (probably built by the same people who built Clapton's axe in the 1960's) and the nice man at the factory told me they'd build it any way I wanted it.

The cost has gotten ridiculous, too. There are people at the Fender and Gibson custom shop beating guitars with bike chains so some douchebag with no talent in a worthless cover band can look like he has the chops while he tries to make time with divorcees in bad cocktail bars. He'll pay stupid money for that worn-in look. (Insert joke about the "worn-in-look" of the women he's trying to impress here.) That ain't rock 'n' roll.

[Tamara]

Gray hair is a crown of wisdom, and holster wear is the sign of a well-used gun.

I was looking at Malamute's 24 and thinking "You don't **** with a man carries a gun looks like that."

[jetfire]

I was looking at Malamute's 24 and thinking "You don't **** with a man carries a gun looks like that."

I looked at the .45 New Model and I had to have a sit down. That gun is just...hrnnnfffff

[TheTrevor]

I looked at the .45 New Model and I had to have a sit down. That gun is just...hrnnnfffff

I'm not even a hardcore wheelgun guy, and every time Malamute posts pics like that I'm all "I'll be in my bunk"...

[Keltyke]

IHow much of a worry is holster wear? Do certain types of holsters prevent wear and tear?

No worry for me. Holster wear is character - a sign the gun is a working piece, not a seldom-shot safe queen. ANY holster will cause wear, some more than other, but all you're doing is wearing off the finish and polishing the metal underneath to a high shine. Don't sweat it.h

[Rich]

I recently inherited my grandfather's Hi Power that I plan to run for the next year in heavy IDPA use in preparation for the 2015 IDPA World Championships in my home of Puerto Rico. But I'm kind of worried of destroying the finish on the gun with a kydex holster. How much of a worry is holster wear? Do certain types of holsters prevent wear and tear? I see recommendations for smoothed-inner holster, kangaroo leather, lined holsters, etc.

My other pistol is more of a tool and I don't particularly care if it gets dinged, but this I kind of do care. Am I worried over nothing or is there a holster I can get that I don't have to worry about the finish wearing off?

I bet my bottom dollar your grandfather would love seeing you use it. And I bet he wouldn't care if it showed signs of heavy use.
I have my grandfather M37 that was made in the 30`s. Nothing special? But to me it is. I hunted with it until I moved to SWF in 2003.


I have 1 mark on my P229 using a older Bladetech IWB.

So Far Zero Marks on my P30S/ IWB NANO been using JM V3+Light IWB for a couple months now only mark is on the TLR-1 light.


In the long run I think kydex is a better option .