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How do I soften up an Uncle Mike's Holster?
Mn Roads
Member Posts: 10 ✭
I bought a couple of Uncle Mikes Holsters. It seems like they will fit my guns just fine if the were broke in a bit. Specifically a Ruger GP100 6 inch barrel and a Taurus Judge 3 inch cylinder and barrel, both revolvers.
Has anybody tried soaking them in water, oil, soap or some such method? Or do I just have to use it/wear it until it softens up and fits the gun better??
Thanks for any tips other than "you get what you pay for" Etc.
Comments
The only uncle mike holsters I know of are plastic or nylon.
Smaybe someone knows more than me but never known any way to soften nylon but by using it . Wonder if fabric softener would work ?
I don't know you and am not trying to offend you but if you are serious about toating a heavy handgun around for hours on end you need to spend the money for a quality holster. And gun belt, not a regular belt. Go to Galco or Desantis or some of the other quality leather companies. A good leather holster will at least tear a hundred dollar bill up. Kydex is a bit less.
So you probably never owned one of these Uncle Mike's holsters to know if there is anything that can be done to improve characteristics of the holster?
The Uncle Mikes holsters that I bought are a heavy canvas type material on the outside with a little softer nylon liner on the inside. There feels like a stiff foam liner of some type in between the two fabrics, both fabrics could very well be nylon, they feel durable. The pad material in between is about 3/8 inch thick and gives the holster its structure. I am holstering revolvers so an extra amount of relief is desired in the area of the cylinder and I think they would be fine for my use.
Fabric softener and glove oil are reasonable suggestions. I do find merit in the suggestion to put it in an oven, although not at 500 degrees. If I knew what the pad material was I would have a clue if it is formed with heat when manufactured and maybe how much heat to try.
I wonder if Uncle Mikes website would tell me anything, I'll check that.
Thanks everyone for responding, I enjoy the funny ones too.
Welcome to the forum. If you stick around you will find it entertaining and the ribbing flows unfettered.
Yep, if you cant take it you shouldn't dish it out, and if it gets too hot I'll get out of the fire.
Thanks for the welcome
Bob
With the holster you describe- I would not a thing to it other than wear it and let it break in.
You get any moisture,solvent,oil in that inner padding of the holster and it will be a soggy sponge for a long time. Oils may even eat the nylon mesh. I wouldn't want that seeping onto my gun.
Wear that holster around the house, let it break in on its own. That's my advice.
I have to throw in with Ricci on this. Buy what you need to start with, don't buy a cheap nylon holster and try to manipulate it into something it's not ever going to be. (silk purse from a sow's ear).
I have owned one and no, there ain't much to be done other than following Ricci's advice and buying a good holster. When I first started carrying I figured Uncle Mike would do just fine, then I tried a good holster and had my eyes opened! Uncle Mike got thrown out.
Some prefer leather but I like Kydex holsters for my Glocks. Blackhawk CQB Serpa's to be specific. Bigfoot makes a real nice belt with a steel band inside that doesn't sag under the weight of the holster and firearm that I'd recommend also.
Welcome to the zoo, Mn Roads!
P.S.
I do have one Uncle Mikes that I still use on occasion. It's one of their shoulder holsters that my Ruger Blackhawk fits in quite nicely.
With a nylon holster, you get what you get. I can't think of a thing you can do to make the material more soft.
In reality, I don't want a "soft" holster. I want it to hold and support my handgun, and I want to be able to replace the gun without using both hands.
In fairness, I should state that I have nearly no experience with nylon holsters. I have used one, and only one nylon holster, because I couldn't find a leather one to do the job I needed it to do. It is an Uncle Mike's body armor holster, and I used it to carry a Colt Pony .380 on my body armor under my shirt. I used it for several years, and I don't think it ever became any softer than when it was new. It did effectively secure my Colt to my armor.
BUT...that was the only nylon holster I've ever used.
Topic unlocked.
Some silly/rude responses removed.
Back to top. Y'all be nice.
To follow up:
I did write an email to Uncle Mikes last night asking for suggestions from them.
I agree with what you say about how you expect a holster to hold your gun. When you draw it out you expect that it will not be so tight that you have to use two hands to draw. It should also allow you to slide it back in with very little effort of pushing it in or using two hands, almost like a magnet that brings the gun to the holster without even looking to see if it is in.
Not only am I waiting for a reply from Uncle Mikes; but last night I soaked the holster in hot water. I recognized that the water wasn't hot enough, so I put the soaking wet holster in a heavy paper bag and put it in the microwave until I felt it could be hot enough to be formed. I pulled it out of the bag and put the stainless GP 100 into it while it was still hot and let it sit overnight. This morning the holster is dry on the outside and I can tell that the process had a positive affect on the holster and pistol's fit, still a little damp on the inside though.
At this point I am going to wear the holster with the gun inserted around the house, drawing the gun periodically to decide if I give it another microwave treatment or some light lubricant; possibly a silicone spray that would not break down the foam structural padding like I feel a petroleum oil might do.
I will try to add to this post if I get a reply from Uncle Mikes or if any of my other "home remedies" work to make my sows ear into a silk purse.
Thank you all for your, "outside o' the box" suggestions to improve a product.
Must want you all to know it wasn't me that got the topic locked/unlocked😆
I have used several of the holsters you have mentioned......I am left handed so limited choices sometimes with holsters. I carried one with my Colt Anaconda in it for about a dozen hunting seasons. With the right belt I never had any issues with the Uncle Mike's Holster.. I sewed some extra liner into the holster to make it more snug but I never tried to shrink it.....
I will be interested to hear what Uncle Mike's has to say if anything ...
I have couple UM holsters around. Good for carrying in the field where you don't want to scratch up a leather holster.
Also good for handguns you don't want a specific kydex or leather holster for. Sometimes you just want a universal fit holster.
I agree, it is good to have a selection of brands and quality.
Forums like this one are excellent for the exchange of ideas and learning from others. I wonder how many people will go pull out their cheapo Brand X holsters and try soaking and heating in a microwave to improve them to better fit their needs/guns. I hope they read the part about putting the soaked holster in a paper bag or box, microwaves don't like metal buttons, buckles or snaps.
For me, the Ruger GP100 6 inch barrel is carried in a holster while deer hunting and only drawn for the last shot if it were needed. The Uncle Mikes holster will now do that job for me very well. The #3 is a closed bottom and the #5 is an open bottom. After heating and forming either holster is a satisfactory fit for me.
I also carry a Taurus Judge when shooting Prairie Dogs, I worry about poisonous snakes in that part of the country and prefer the shot shells for defense. At least with the shot shells I would have a better chance of hitting the snake AFTER it bit me!! That is as close to a gun fight as I will ever be in, I don't want to be fighting a holster to draw my gun when the snake is on the run.
Surprisingly my 3 inch cylinder/3 inch barrel Judge fits really nice into my Uncle Mikes #2 it won't take much to "break in" the holster, it fits and I like it.
I am not a person that carries concealed everyday or ever for that matter so my values in a holster will not be the same as others. I have not heard back from Uncle Mikes yet, I will add to this post if I do hear from them.
Thanks for sharing.
Maybe you can boil your UM holster and make soup. This is a joke right??
Yes, I am trying to add to your recipe...for flavoring; a dash of black powder and 1/2 cup of gun oil to improve digestion.
I've owned a couple Uncle Mike's holsters over the years. All of them were complete junk. Do not waste another dollar or ounce of time on them.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Ive carried a Colt Commander for 20+ years, in the same belt holster, a Galco Avenger, good as the day I bought it...Lexol is good to keep the leather in good shape w/o making it greasy...
I have not heard back from Uncle Mikes yet.
I did try some silicone spray on the inside of the holster, sprayed on a paper towel and wiped the inside. I think that I have a very good fitting holster now, I am happy with it for my needs. The pistol slides in and out very well.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions and following along.
I have found that you get what you pay for. Sometimes a cheap holster works just right. Sometimes you need to spend some coin on a purpose built, quality holster.
It all depends on the purpose.
Agreed.
There is some satisfaction on my part.
As I find there are many that criticize the Uncle Mikes. "Off the shelf" I have to agree the fit of the holster with the particular pistol that I wanted it to fit was not the best; push the gun in and two hands to get it out. That caused me to join this forum and ask the question about improvement.
It is funny that one of the responders suggested that I put in an oven. I figured the Uncle Mikes factory had to have a technique of some type to form the holster, heat was a viable method, but how could I heat it high enough without burning it up? I wonder if others in the future will find this thread if they are looking for a solution for holster fitment?
For me, I am very satisfied with my $12.00 holster. It has a strap to secure it in the holster and I can draw from it smoothly with one hand , return it to the holster where it nearly drops right in. It does everything that I need for the few times a year that I am fortunate enough to go hunting and strap it on.
Thanks everyone for following, by the way, Uncle Mikes has still not responded to my email asking them for a solution to improve fitment of their product.
I use an Uncle Mike's nylon belt holster to carry my Ruger 454 when I hunt. It's worked fine for 20 years. I don't know what size it is. I walked into a gun store asked the clerk for a holster to fit the Ruger and we stuck it in holsters until one fit. The bottom was closed so I used my knife to drill a hole in the bottom to let water out for when I hunt in the rain. I used a hot nail to burn a hole in the strap so i could slip it over the hammer for when I'm easing along and don't want to make noise with the snap if I need to draw it to shoot a deer. I can slip the strap over the hammer to help hold the pistol, not as secure as when the strap is behind the hammer and snapped but gives some resistance to the pistol coming out if I kneel down or something.
The only issue is the sling on my long gun gets caught on the grip of the pistol sometimes when I'm walking or still hunting with the gun in my right hand. That's not the holster's fault. I bought a cross draw holsters for that reason but have yet to use it while hunting.
They are not the best holster in the World........that being said, when hunting or fishing and opening carrying a full size firearm, I generally use an Uncle Mike's Holster as it does protect the firearm and if the holster gets boogered up I'm out 15 bucks....For that purpose they are about as good as it gets for me..
They are NOT a good choice for concealed carry.... Being left handed, I have those custom made for me....
Hey to each his own. There is no accounting for taste. I see people driving around in Fiats and there are confused folks who think chili should be beanless. I know, I know, but it is true.
Have to agree, I would never think of conceal carry with either of the two guns that I have mentioned. I am only thinking of a side arm when hunting or shooting prairie dogs. If I am at the range I don't really need a holster.
By the way; I have the conceal/carry permit but have never concealed carried a gun. I may regret that someday.....
I just want to let all of you know............Mike is not my uncle........😁🤣
I use the pocket holsters and love em, keeps lint etc out of the gun and the tacky strip keeps the holster in the pocket for the draw.