Gunleather 1911

[Steven Wallace]

Here is my new offering for the Colt 1911 model. These pics show off a little more of the abilities of the laser as not only is the holster shown being cut out but the text is lasered too, DUH? Also the grips were a prior laser project also. Enjoy! Feel free to comment as that is what makes me and my work better.

[Steven Wallace]

I messed up the compression on the earlier pics

[Anthony Welch]

Very good work. Inspiring me to try my hand at this.

Only because I don't know much about this, I've noticed
that the holsters you're making, has the pistol "sticking"
out of the holster instead of seated deeper into the
holster. Is this just a matter of preference or does it
have a more practical reason?

Anthony

[Tom Bull]

Beutiful work. How about a couple of perspective photos shot from a low angle. I would like to see how you combined the pieces. Also a back side shot.

[Mike Null]

Steve

Very nice work--also on the grips. As soon as I can get my own 1911 I'll have to bug you for ideas. (That'll be awhile as those babies are a little pricey.)

[Steven Wallace]

Thanks for the comments:

Anthony - the extending past the end of the holster serves no purpose other than these are first attempts and maybe my measurements are just a little off. My wife wanted one in black for her Taurus and I extended that measurement a little to cover the muzzle. Personally it doesn't bother me.

Tom - Thanks for the comment and I will supply different angle pics as suggested. This holster is actually 4 layers of 3-4oz leather. I start with two layers rubber cemented roughout side to roughout side. This gives me a piece of leather with 2 smooth sides. Then I cut the front and back and then stitch the 2 together. On this one I dyed all the pieces tan before dying the front Black and leaving the top piece neutral in color.

Mike - mine is not a Colt, it is a Rock Island Armory knock off. No tack driver, more of a trench gun. Plenty accurate for anything I use it for. Got it for around $500.

[Randy Digby]

Nice work Steven. Good to see you carry it in Condition 1. I have a Colt Commander and would like to try a holster like yours. I have a couple that were purchased "just to have something" but I really don't like either one. I have never worked with leather before, so a couple of questions, if you don't mind. Did you hand stich the parts together? If so, what thread material did you use? Would you share you laser power rating and the settings you used to cut and engrave?

[Steven Wallace]

Tom I hope this is what you were wanting.

[Steven Wallace]

Randy... yes Condition 1 as John Browning designed the firearm to be carried. Secondly, I do hand stitch all parts together using waxed thread from Tandy. It is the same place I get my leather. I have used both of their thread types and have no favorite as I get good results with both. I use the saddle stitch method. As for my settings, nothing special here, I use the factory leather settings for my Epilog mini 18. If it appears that I did not get enough penetration on the first run I will maintain registration and run it a second time. Depending on how the leather was tanned you can run into some pieces that may take a third run. I think a single pass was about 4 minutes for this holster. That included the rastering of the company logo. I use 0.04 for the stitch hole size but will probably go to a 0.05 in the future. Really hard when having to use the same hole multiple times.

[Frank Corker]

Steve you have surpassed yourself on this one. The mix of the two colours is superb and the writing has burned in very nicely. Great job, now if we can just get one for crayons my day will be made!

[Randy Digby]

Steven, what is the thickness of the leather you use. I know you gave the weight but all I've found so far has the actual thickness given. Perhaps you could point us to your supplier also?

You got the thought juices flowing the other day when you posted the first holster, now I think I'm hooked and have to try one.
Thanks...great pics by the way.

[Tom Bull]

Yes, those photo's really help me understand what you did. Did you design the basic construction yourself? I am starting to get the itch to make one for myself, would you be willing to share a cdr of the parts? I can see one with a mountain scene on it (Ozark mountains, of course;).)

[Steven Wallace]

I guess I could make you one and then you would stand around all day waiting for someone to yell "draw" pilgrim.

[Tom Bull]

Which I think Frank could do quite well.

[Steven Wallace]

Shhhh be very quite and look at the post where I mention the thread I use, I also mention where I get the leather. Rhymes with my wife's name Sandy and starts with T. As for the thickness, it is about 1/16" for 3-4oz leather. 2 pieces are about an 1/8" and the total thickness is about 1/4" at the belt loop holes. I make it also to fit and 1 1/2" belt.

[Bill Cunningham]

Steve

Very nice work--also on the grips. As soon as I can get my own 1911 I'll have to bug you for ideas. (That'll be awhile as those babies are a little pricey.)

Mike : Do they sell Norinco's in the U.S.? Their 1911 is a little rough around the edges, but sells for 300-450 in Canada, so if their in the U.S. they should be cheaper. I know a few guys that have used them as a platform starting point to build some pretty decent ipsc pistols in both .40s&w and 45auto.

Those holsters look great Steven.. I have a black pancake one that looks very much the same design as yours. I picked it up years ago for my Para, it fits the gun nice, so it would probably break down to a good pattern and save me a bit of design work.. Hmmm Another project for sometime in the future..

[Mike Null]

Bill

I haven't seen that brand but I'm holding out for a Dan Wesson. It'll be a long hold out.

[Steve C Wallace]

At least you're not holding out for a Kimber. $$$

[Dave Russell Smith]

Nice job Steve, I've thought about doing one of these for my S&W 9M&P but was wondering what the optimal angle is of the pistol in the holster as I've read in other post ( not here :eek: )

[Steven Wallace]

Carry position really determines the angle. Imagine wearing the holster on the point of the hip. Your hand at your side comes up almost directly up. Now look at what your hand position is if you reach for your back pocket. Notice how your hand cants backwards your the holster should cant forward to meet it. If you wear the holster forward of you hip, you cant the holster back to meet your hand coming forward. The degree of cant can be as personalized as the person wearing the holster. If you do a search you will find that there are standards for all three positions and the crossdraw option. I hope that helps explain the reason for tilt or cant. I personally wear straight up and down on the hip or slightly to the rear. The holster pictured in this thread is intended to be worn behind the point of the hip.

[Dave Russell Smith]

Thanks Steve that was a good description, now to the drawing board

[Bill Cunningham]

Bill

I haven't seen that brand but I'm holding out for a Dan Wesson. It'll be a long hold out.

Have a look at this page Mike..
Norinco is Chinese (not just lasers anymore..ha)
http://www.marstar.ca/gf-norinco/index-hg-1911A1.shtm

[Mike Null]

WOW those are some prices. No shipping to the US it says.

[Dan Hintz]

And thats in CA$s! I want to say I paid in the area of US$400-500 for my Colt .45 Officer's ACP back in the early 90's.

Of course, I was also paying around $100 for a box of 1,000 custom-loaded shells at the time. :)

[Jack Burton]

Once again! Drool! Awesome work.......

[Jack Burton]

The holes that you cut for stitching: Do you place each one individually or is there a line tool in Corel to do that?

Thanks!

[Steven Wallace]

Jack, I used a couple of methods early on depending on if it was a straight line (step and repeat docker) or a curve (placed every hole myself). That being said, I asked the question on the creek here and got the answer I needed from Ruben Salcedo. Ruben suggested an app. (see the recent thread that is loacted here "http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=131674) That should help you out, it worked great for me. Using this app will give you some extra holes because it has to be a closed path. But let me tell you it is lot easier deleting unwanted holes than figuring out where to place them in the first place. It also makes for an even greater uniformity of the hole placement.

[Cameron Reddy]

Steven,

Wow, fantastic work.

Don't you need the holster to cover the safety?

[Steven Wallace]

No, the trigger is covered. This is "condition one" carry as designed by John Moses Browning. The idea is the 1911 is to be carried with the hammer cocked and the safety on. Safety is on the body side (back side) and is actuated with the thumb. There is also the grip safety. This is actually a very safe way to carry the firearm. My old firearms instructor would have said, if you need a cover over the safety, wear a ball cap. His feeling was that the only true safety on a firearm was your gray matter, located in your skull. He said if you carry a firearm you must use you brain and be responsible and he beat that into us day after day at the range. A lot of people are scared of the cocked hammer. I am more insecure around pistols that have no hammer. Loaded or not, all my firearms are treated as loaded until I physically check and recheck them. Please do the same.