Holstered Wet???

HAIRY

I've seen this phrase used in a description for used guns and am trying to understand how someone "wet" the gun and then holstered it. Please educate me. Thanks. [}:)]

It's not what you know that gets you in trouble, it's what you know that just ain't so!
Resident Pyrrhonist

nunn

You don't wet the gun. You wet the holster. This would be an unfinished piece, before the dyeing and polishing. And you don't SOAK it. Just immerse it for a minute or less, then stick the gun in. Then, using boning tools, press the leather down around the contours of the gun. When finished, remove the gun and wipe it off. Let the holster dry naturally and finish.

You also don't wrap the gun in plastic to protect it. That will make for a loose fitting holster. The gun won't get wet, and it won't be damp long enough to hurt it.

My friend Jim Burke uses cast aluminum gun models to shape his holsters. He makes a lot of holsters for a lot of different guns, and it is cheaper and safer to used the fakes.

SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net

HAIRY

David, thanks for your response, but I wasn't clear in my question.

I mean when I see used guns offered for auction, and the bluing is damaged, there has sometimes been the expression, "holstered wet" as if that explained why the bluing was damaged. When I read that, I just go "huh?".

It's not what you know that gets you in trouble, it's what you know that just ain't so!
Resident Pyrrhonist

Sunray

"...before the dyeing and polishing..." No, you do all the dying inside and out, hole whacking etc., before you sew the leather into a holster. Wet forming comes after the holster is made but before you put on the polish. Leather will stretch then shrink when wet then dried. You wet the holster completely but not dripping wet. Put the firearm in and let it air dry over night. NO OVENS. Leather will shrink to GI Joe size if you heat it for too long. As it dries, the leather will form itself to the firearm. No bones or other tools required. Once it's dried use regular shoe polish to spit shine the leather. This method works for mag pouches as well and it works every time.
"holstered wet" sounds like the bone head left a revolver in a wet holster until the steel rusted.

nmyers

I agree with Sunray. I've seen the same results from storing a gun in a zippered gun rug; the metal zipper attracts moisture from the air, which condenses on the surface of the gun.

Of course, the accurate way to DESCRIBE such a gun is not "holstered wet", but "rust and pitting on x% of the gun".

Neal