new kydex holster leaving marks on gun ...

THORN74 · March 16, 2011, 05:20 PM

so i got a blade-tech holster (iwb) for my 1911s, it seems to be leaving plastic marks on the guns. they rub off, so im not too worried. but is this normal for kydex stuff??

AK103K · March 16, 2011, 06:20 PM

You will get wear marks at the contact points. Over time, it will show on the gun.

This is my old Commander that rode in a Blade Tech IWB daily for over 10 years, and was constantly drawn and reinserted with use. The "black" streaks are actually polished chrome, and look like a mirror.

Now while that might not look all that great, if you look at the rest of the gun, the finish is still in good shape, and to put things in perspective, the gun was originally blued, and lasted less than a year in a couple of good leather holsters before it was badly rusted. I had to have it polished out and the gun hard chromed. I got the Blade Tech soon after, and between it and the hard chrome, 99.99% of the rust issue went away.

I still have both the gun and the original BT holster, and even after all this time, the BT is still in great shape and what Id use to carry the gun in if I still carried it.

Kreyzhorse · March 16, 2011, 06:23 PM

Kydex causes wear on your gun. Be thankful at this point it's wiping off.

Leather causes wear as well so it's not a cure either. Any time you put a gun in a holster and remove it, it causes wear. I believe that leather causes less wear than Kydex but it will eventually wear a finish as well.

AK103K · March 16, 2011, 06:39 PM

Leather actually causes more wear "overall" over time, as it usually contacts more of the gun.

THORN74 · March 16, 2011, 07:11 PM

good to know. i just wasnt sure if it was normal ...its my first kydex holster

AK103K · March 16, 2011, 07:22 PM

This was carried daily for over a year in the same model Blade Tech IWB. If you look real close at the trigger guard, you can see where its starting to wear on the finish a little bit. It takes time, and also depends on how the holster is fitted/adjusted. My one P229 with similar use, showed similar wear on the trigger guard, as well as some on the slide.

drail · March 16, 2011, 08:11 PM

Any holster made of leather, nylon or kydex is MUCH softer than the finish on your gun (unless some fool painted it with latex) The wear marks you are seeing is being caused by grit and dust inside the holster. All holsters will do this depending on how dusty a world you move around in. Kydex has one advantage in that it can be hosed out and dries quickly. With leather and nylon the grit becomes embedded in the material and is almost impossible to remove. Don't worry about it, it's just the way it is with holstered guns.

ClydeFrog · March 16, 2011, 10:58 PM

I learned with my new Blade-tech paddle rig in 2006 that it's best to open or losen the small screws first then insert the firearm(unloaded!) into the holster.
My Ruger GPNY 4" barrel .38spl had a few minor wear marks. I was able to adjust the kydex holster w/o any problems.
Note; Blade-tech advised to use a bit of Loc-tite to prevent any losses or having it loosen up.

Dave Cole · March 18, 2011, 01:20 AM

I replace alot of kydex knife sheaths with leather due to the scratching problems.On my holsters, I have found that adding a lining helps quite abit.Since almost all of my holsters have inlays, a lining has to be there anyway but I glue the flesh sides together so the lining is the top grain and it is dyed and sealed prior to holster assembly.This help keep the dirt out and also is important for water resistance.Dave

gimike · March 18, 2011, 01:28 PM

Porous materials will collect carbon particles from your muzzle every time you shoot and re-holster. Smooth out leather is the easiest of these to keep clean. Any other leather, nylon mesh, suede, etc... Will collect dust and carbon more quickly.

Kydex has a very low heat point for molding. Re-holstering a warm barrel will fuse the carbon particles to the inside of your holster. Carbon is very abrasive.

Rusted firearms from leather... the two most popular tanning methods for holster leather are Vegetable tanned and Chromium tanned. Chromium tanned leather contains salt in the finished product. When wet or moist, salt is released from the holster to guess where? That's right, your prized gun. Salt reacts very nasty with metal, and could have you cussing a blue streak very quickly.

Whether it's from Garrett Industries or any other holster maker, I recommend smooth out vegetable tanned leather lining for the best protection of your firearms finish.

Al Thompson · March 18, 2011, 02:40 PM

I shoot in a sand pit and have used Kydex for years. A quick spritz with Windex or similar cleans the dust and grit out.

ClydeFrog · March 18, 2011, 10:40 PM

I've read online & catalog sources that claim Blade-tech & Fobus use high tech polymers or chemicals to offer a smooth draw & to protect the firearm's coating.
Im not quite sure how true that is but I agree with some periodic cleaning or service with Armor All Turtle Wax's FX21, Windex etc.
I'd also AVOID any Teflon based compounds inside a polymer holster.
You don't want your sidearm to slide out or fall out due to a slick surface.

Clyde

AngryPatriot · March 20, 2011, 11:17 AM

OK...I'm not saying this to be a jerk, or an a**wipe, or a wisearse, but.....

If you want the gun to remain in right-out-of-the-box-uber-super-mint-condition, leave it in the safe, covered in cosmolene.

If you holster it, its going to get marks on it. Its a gun. Its a tool designed for self-defense. Would you buy a top-of-the-line Estwing hammer at Home Depot, spending well over $75, then just leave it in the toolbox because putting it in your belt holder will leave a mark?

Its a gun....use it, care for it, shoot it. If you're concerned about it retaining its value, leave it at home and start carrying pepper spray.

THORN74 · March 20, 2011, 06:27 PM

angrypatriot...... no harm dude. I am of the exact same mind set. I really dont care too much if the guns get holster wear on them. they are of course tools. I was mearly surprised so much was coming off so quickly. just kind of made me wonder if it was normal. I have had som soft nylon holsters and a "plastic" serpa before and they never left marks. so this new kydex holster leaving marks on the very first use was surprising.

AngryPatriot · March 20, 2011, 07:09 PM

Ahhhh...OK, now I understand. (Takes me a while sometimes...)

As others have mentioned, it all depends on how well the holster was fitted. I've seen different makers' holsters for the same exact gun sometimes be a wee bit tight, sometimes a wee bit loose...

My personal preference is leather, with the gun contacting the rough (flesh side) of the leather. When properly boned and fitted, the gun should slide home with a barely-felt *snick*, and when the holster is NOT on the belt, the gun should be just a bit loose...maybe 1/16" of play. When you put the holster on, and tighten up the belt, the leather then gives just enough to provide a firm friction grip, but the gun will draw easily.

Never had a Blade-Tech, so I can't really offer advice. If its a full Kydex, I would assume that there is probably an adjustment screw, with which you can provide more/less friction to keep the gun holstered? If so, maybe loosening up on that just a touch would help alleviate some of the holster rub, but the gun will get some, regardless.

ClydeFrog · March 20, 2011, 11:46 PM

I agree with AP's post. That is why I also stated the same thing.

Some handgun brands or models may have minor changes or the engineers may have made slight changes, even in the same model over a period in time.
Major holster/gear company Bianchi, www.Bianchi-intl.com made this point in their old printed catalogs.

That's why it's a smart move to fully open a holster then fit the unloaded weapon inside it. Tighten or clamp down the tension screws and let it sit for a few hours.
Polymer or kydex rigs are not complex they just need a proper, secure fit.

Some handgun shooters like lined holsters but I'd heard that many rigs can retain moisture or draw dust/grit/sand etc.

CF

shooter_john · March 22, 2011, 09:06 PM

Yep... It's Normal to some extent. I have a Taurus 1911AR that I use to make holsters with (a lot cheaper than an Operator!) and it looks like hell. It has been in and out of holster thousands of times, but only has about 300 rounds out of it. To look at it though you'd think it had travelled and fought all over the world.

March 16, 2011, 05:20 PM	#1
THORN74 Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2010 Location: Chicago 'Burbs Posts: 543	new kydex holster leaving marks on gun ... so i got a blade-tech holster (iwb) for my 1911s, it seems to be leaving plastic marks on the guns. they rub off, so im not too worried. but is this normal for kydex stuff??

March 16, 2011, 06:23 PM	#3
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	Kydex causes wear on your gun. Be thankful at this point it's wiping off. Leather causes wear as well so it's not a cure either. Any time you put a gun in a holster and remove it, it causes wear. I believe that leather causes less wear than Kydex but it will eventually wear a finish as well. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

March 16, 2011, 10:58 PM	#8
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	New kydex or polymer type holsters... I learned with my new Blade-tech paddle rig in 2006 that it's best to open or losen the small screws first then insert the firearm(unloaded!) into the holster. My Ruger GPNY 4" barrel .38spl had a few minor wear marks. I was able to adjust the kydex holster w/o any problems. Note; Blade-tech advised to use a bit of Loc-tite to prevent any losses or having it loosen up.

March 18, 2011, 02:40 PM	#11
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	I shoot in a sand pit and have used Kydex for years. A quick spritz with Windex or similar cleans the dust and grit out. __________________ http://www.scfirearms.org/

March 18, 2011, 10:40 PM	#12
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	Armor-All, F21, Windex... I've read online & catalog sources that claim Blade-tech & Fobus use high tech polymers or chemicals to offer a smooth draw & to protect the firearm's coating. Im not quite sure how true that is but I agree with some periodic cleaning or service with Armor All Turtle Wax's FX21, Windex etc. I'd also AVOID any Teflon based compounds inside a polymer holster. You don't want your sidearm to slide out or fall out due to a slick surface. Clyde

March 16, 2011, 06:20 PM	#2
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	You will get wear marks at the contact points. Over time, it will show on the gun. This is my old Commander that rode in a Blade Tech IWB daily for over 10 years, and was constantly drawn and reinserted with use. The "black" streaks are actually polished chrome, and look like a mirror. Now while that might not look all that great, if you look at the rest of the gun, the finish is still in good shape, and to put things in perspective, the gun was originally blued, and lasted less than a year in a couple of good leather holsters before it was badly rusted. I had to have it polished out and the gun hard chromed. I got the Blade Tech soon after, and between it and the hard chrome, 99.99% of the rust issue went away. I still have both the gun and the original BT holster, and even after all this time, the BT is still in great shape and what Id use to carry the gun in if I still carried it.

March 16, 2011, 06:39 PM	#4
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	Leather actually causes more wear "overall" over time, as it usually contacts more of the gun.

March 16, 2011, 07:11 PM	#5
THORN74 Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2010 Location: Chicago 'Burbs Posts: 543	good to know. i just wasnt sure if it was normal ...its my first kydex holster

March 16, 2011, 07:22 PM	#6
AK103K Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2001 Posts: 10,223	This was carried daily for over a year in the same model Blade Tech IWB. If you look real close at the trigger guard, you can see where its starting to wear on the finish a little bit. It takes time, and also depends on how the holster is fitted/adjusted. My one P229 with similar use, showed similar wear on the trigger guard, as well as some on the slide.

March 16, 2011, 08:11 PM	#7
drail Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2008 Posts: 3,150	Any holster made of leather, nylon or kydex is MUCH softer than the finish on your gun (unless some fool painted it with latex) The wear marks you are seeing is being caused by grit and dust inside the holster. All holsters will do this depending on how dusty a world you move around in. Kydex has one advantage in that it can be hosed out and dries quickly. With leather and nylon the grit becomes embedded in the material and is almost impossible to remove. Don't worry about it, it's just the way it is with holstered guns.

March 18, 2011, 01:20 AM	#9
Dave Cole Member Join Date: August 16, 2009 Location: Satellite Beach,Fl. Posts: 55	I replace alot of kydex knife sheaths with leather due to the scratching problems.On my holsters, I have found that adding a lining helps quite abit.Since almost all of my holsters have inlays, a lining has to be there anyway but I glue the flesh sides together so the lining is the top grain and it is dyed and sealed prior to holster assembly.This help keep the dirt out and also is important for water resistance.Dave

March 18, 2011, 01:28 PM	#10
gimike Member Join Date: November 20, 2010 Posts: 47	Porous materials will collect carbon particles from your muzzle every time you shoot and re-holster. Smooth out leather is the easiest of these to keep clean. Any other leather, nylon mesh, suede, etc... Will collect dust and carbon more quickly. Kydex has a very low heat point for molding. Re-holstering a warm barrel will fuse the carbon particles to the inside of your holster. Carbon is very abrasive. Rusted firearms from leather... the two most popular tanning methods for holster leather are Vegetable tanned and Chromium tanned. Chromium tanned leather contains salt in the finished product. When wet or moist, salt is released from the holster to guess where? That's right, your prized gun. Salt reacts very nasty with metal, and could have you cussing a blue streak very quickly. Whether it's from Garrett Industries or any other holster maker, I recommend smooth out vegetable tanned leather lining for the best protection of your firearms finish.

March 20, 2011, 11:17 AM	#13
AngryPatriot Junior Member Join Date: October 16, 2010 Posts: 9	OK...I'm not saying this to be a jerk, or an a**wipe, or a wisearse, but..... If you want the gun to remain in right-out-of-the-box-uber-super-mint-condition, leave it in the safe, covered in cosmolene. If you holster it, its going to get marks on it. Its a gun. Its a tool designed for self-defense. Would you buy a top-of-the-line Estwing hammer at Home Depot, spending well over $75, then just leave it in the toolbox because putting it in your belt holder will leave a mark? Its a gun....use it, care for it, shoot it. If you're concerned about it retaining its value, leave it at home and start carrying pepper spray.

March 20, 2011, 06:27 PM	#14
THORN74 Senior Member Join Date: May 30, 2010 Location: Chicago 'Burbs Posts: 543	angrypatriot...... no harm dude. I am of the exact same mind set. I really dont care too much if the guns get holster wear on them. they are of course tools. I was mearly surprised so much was coming off so quickly. just kind of made me wonder if it was normal. I have had som soft nylon holsters and a "plastic" serpa before and they never left marks. so this new kydex holster leaving marks on the very first use was surprising.

March 20, 2011, 07:09 PM	#15
AngryPatriot Junior Member Join Date: October 16, 2010 Posts: 9	Ahhhh...OK, now I understand. (Takes me a while sometimes...) As others have mentioned, it all depends on how well the holster was fitted. I've seen different makers' holsters for the same exact gun sometimes be a wee bit tight, sometimes a wee bit loose... My personal preference is leather, with the gun contacting the rough (flesh side) of the leather. When properly boned and fitted, the gun should slide home with a barely-felt snick, and when the holster is NOT on the belt, the gun should be just a bit loose...maybe 1/16" of play. When you put the holster on, and tighten up the belt, the leather then gives just enough to provide a firm friction grip, but the gun will draw easily. Never had a Blade-Tech, so I can't really offer advice. If its a full Kydex, I would assume that there is probably an adjustment screw, with which you can provide more/less friction to keep the gun holstered? If so, maybe loosening up on that just a touch would help alleviate some of the holster rub, but the gun will get some, regardless.

March 20, 2011, 11:46 PM	#16
ClydeFrog Junior member Join Date: May 1, 2010 Posts: 5,797	AP's post, adjustments... I agree with AP's post. That is why I also stated the same thing. Some handgun brands or models may have minor changes or the engineers may have made slight changes, even in the same model over a period in time. Major holster/gear company Bianchi, www.Bianchi-intl.com made this point in their old printed catalogs. That's why it's a smart move to fully open a holster then fit the unloaded weapon inside it. Tighten or clamp down the tension screws and let it sit for a few hours. Polymer or kydex rigs are not complex they just need a proper, secure fit. Some handgun shooters like lined holsters but I'd heard that many rigs can retain moisture or draw dust/grit/sand etc. CF

March 22, 2011, 09:06 PM	#17
shooter_john Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2002 Location: ALABAMA Posts: 1,472	Yep... It's Normal to some extent. I have a Taurus 1911AR that I use to make holsters with (a lot cheaper than an Operator!) and it looks like hell. It has been in and out of holster thousands of times, but only has about 300 rounds out of it. To look at it though you'd think it had travelled and fought all over the world.