need help with holster

[relicshunter]

I bought a holster for my 1851 colt navy and every time I leave it in the holster for two or more days it quickly develops surface rust. It's a no frills basic flap holster, black leather. I am thinking the leather was not neutralized very well during the tanning process. Is there anything I can do now to fix it and stop this from happening? I have had a good layer of oil on the gun, and it still happens.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Generally it is not a good idea to leave a gun in a leather holster because of your experience. At least that has been my experience. I would not leave a black powder revolver or pistol in a holster for storage.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

Plus 1. I never store any firearm in a holster, black powder or otherwise. No air circulation to carry away any moisture. The leather can start growing stuff on it's own if not cared for. I did stupidly leave a pistol in one of those high speed, low drag trick plastic holsters. I was rewarded with slight surface rust for my oversight. :slap:

 

[hawkeye2]

It's quite possible the rust is due to the tanning process used. I had a business years ago and sold a lot of exotic, collectors and reproduction cutlery that came from India and Pakistan and if left in the scabbard they would develop rust wherever they came in contact with the leather. I have seen repro Civil War leather gear that was made in India and wonder if your holster may have came from there too. If so there isn't much you can do to stop it.

 

[Treestalker]

Throw that piece of manure holster in the trash and get a nice piece of vegetable tanned belly leather from Tandy's and make your own. I did, and have been doing so for 40 years for every sidearm I've owned since. Learn to saddle stitch it's easy and even more so if you use a single American needle. Wrap your gun in saran wrap, wet the leather thoroughly and fold it over your weapon leaving enough edge for sewing, flap, etc. Let it dry and cut your contour. Then sew it up and stain it with Fiebings Professional dye. With a little practice you can make a much better holster. Also, I always rub my entire pistol down with bore butter before I put it in my holster. No rust. The holster can use a little neatsfoot oil rubbed on the outside to help with weather and stiffness. Good luck and get ready to have fun making your own leather gear, and saving a ton of money doing it. :thumbsup: :hatsoff: George.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I didn't know Tandy was still around. I need to check on what they have available.

 

[jamesthomas]

Tandy Leather is still in business and going strong.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I wouldn't throw away the holster. But do store gun outside of it. I find soaking any leather item, like a holster, with Neatsfoot oil will do good for it. Plus, brass or bronze in contact for very long with leather will develop that green crud called avergris. Or sumptin' like that. :barf:

 

[Zonie]

verdegris ?

 

[RonRC]

Learned many years ago that my brass framed knives should not be left in chrome tanned leather. The brass turned green very quickly.
Ron

 

[crockett]

I live in Florida and no rust on holstered guns. I'm thinking some sort of tanning acid left in the leather might be causing the trouble. The brass back strap might still turn green. I put a bandana over the gun before holstering it- never have had a problem.
If you get into making holsters- it is difficult to find heavy enough leather. If you go the Tandy route I have done two different things. One is to glue two pieces together so you have a smooth surface front and back. You can burnish the edge and it will look like a single, heavy piece of leather. Every time I see a photo of a Hollywood Movie cowboy and the holster is made of thin leather- just looks wrong.
The other option is a lined holster. This is actually pc. I think some of the originals had a red leather liner (glued on) I have used suede and it is easy on the revolver. The outside can be chocolate. I wanted a "fish scale" tooling. My first effort I used a Tandy Mule Foot stamp as I thought it looked like a fish scale but then I bought some spike nails and made my own stamps- a real mule foot and a star.
To finish the leather use an oil dye (Fiebings)
and then Neatsfoot oil and then some sort of sealer.

 

[Rifleman1776]

verdegris ?

Yep. That too. :grin:

 

[BrownBear]

It's quite possible the rust is due to the tanning process used.

That's my guess too, likely from some cheap process on import leather. Not sure what process they were using, but for years the leather we got out of Mexico was absolutely rotten for causing rust and corrosion on anything we put in it. I've not had the problems others report with chrome tan- my source for that is Tandy, if it makes any difference.

One other possibility is that FL in your address line. In wet climates problems with rust and holsters magnify, no matter what leather is used. We're real wet here too, and ANY time I'm outdoors with leather holsters I remove the gun from the holster and let the holster dry at room temp with good air movement for at least a couple of days before returning the gun (well oiled, of course). Temp fluctuations can result in bad moisture accumulation from damp air, too. Keep your holsters indoors with stable temps, rather than in an unheated garage or shed.

I'm using leather holsters here, but with the above cautions. I tried oil tanned leather, but found even the thicker stuff too soft in temper to be stiff enough for holsters. Abandoned that effort.

 

[LRB]

I leave my 6 gun holstered until I use it, but I made the holster from vege-tan Tandy carving leather, and oiled the leather well. The 6 gun is either on my night stand, or in my vehicle holstered 24-7. Never any rust. I am not far away from crockett. Most, if not all the leather from Tandy, for the last few years, is Mexican. The only problem I've had with it is that their thickness varies noticably throughout the hide, and it's tough to find it without blemishes.

 

[relicshunter]

I doubt that this is due to moisture as my other flap holster made by Oklahoma leather products for my 1858 has no problem being left for any length of time what so ever. so can I use neatsfoot oil for inside to help with this or will I be wasting my time?

 

[don hepler]

I don't see the purpose of leaving a pistol in a holster. My holsters are hung up on the wall, and the pistol is in the vault or at least locked up.

Maybe if I lived in the West and wore it often, I would have a different view.

 

[swathdiver]

Some fellers keep their sixguns handy for self-defense and or to protect their livestock from predators for example.

 

[LRB]

My .44 OM Super Blackhawk does not have cylinder flutes. I can cock it while in the holster with no cylinder drag, and could shoot if need be. My holster is a California style with a fully open top allowing a full hand grip. The trigger cut out is also more open than most.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I agree that the leather probably still has some issue, whether some salts still in the leather or whatever. I had a similar problem with a leather holster I made. Other holsters I made from different pieces of leather did not have that problem.

I ended up taking the holster apart and lining it with some soft suede. It helped but did not cure the problem.

 

[relicshunter]

OK so let me clear this up for those who seem think I'm leaving the pistols holstered full time I'm not, I simply like to carry them as back ups for the hunting season or for wild hog hunting. The problem is the pistol starts to rust in just a couple of days and that just doesn't float for me.