Tiny carry guns, today's learning.

Got a gap to finish up the pocket holster last night. Will be making a pocket two mag carrier to match next.

Thanks Oafpatrol!

The inconsistent stitches bothered me as well until I started with heavy waxed, thick, cotton thread (butcher's twine). I also gave attention to the tension and direction of the pull on the yarn.

Very interesting. Would like to see the tools in action.

This is a nice overview. Doesn't show the groover being used but otherwise what I do. I dont do nesrly enough of it though so my technique is inconsistent and therefor so are the stitches. You have to do every one exactly the same. The round holes are more forgiving in that respect than the diamonds.

Very interesting. Would like to see the tools in action.

How do you prep the leather for stitching? Elongated bladed punch, small holes, or how? It makes a big difference.

I also found better results with doubled, waxed yarm and two-way stitching.

Apologies DsJ, I missed your post. I use stitching irons that I got from Goldsmith & Jewellery Supplies to make the holes. I have 4, 5 and 6mm spacing versions in diamond and round and this one was done with 4mm round. The round ones are like ganged mini hollow punches so they take out a core rather than just pushing in a hole. The round ones give a plain dotted line effect while the diamond shaped ones leave stitches that are at a slight angle and look more like they were done with a machine. I punch the holes into a groove cut with an adjustable groover so that the stitches sit just below the surface.

100% on the two needle and waxed yarn. I do full retard saddle stitching with a knot by going through the loop on both sides and prefer nylon thread as it is naturally slippery and more resistant to being pierced by the return threads needle than the natural fibre stuff.

How do you prep the leather for stitching? Elongated bladed punch, small holes, or how? It makes a big difference.

I also found better results with doubled, waxed yarm and two-way stitching.

I made a start on V2 of the pocket holster yesterday. Decided to line it to provide a little more finish protection and incorporated a few of the improvements I mentioned earlier including a welt/spacer in the hook and cover for the mag release. Because it's lined I can mark and punch out a circle through the lining to cover the mag button. My lack of practise with the stitching shows and it still needs molding, dying and edge finishing but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Thanks, I will keep it in mind - the trick with "heat curing" works really well. I learnt it the hard way ;)

Haha! Same here. If you get it wrong enough it causes the leather to shrink. If you are wrong and stupid enough and put it in a microwave it comes out like an amazonian shrunken head at about 30% scale.

1. Take paper (A3) and wrap it around the firearm to trace the outlines.

4. Let dry and finish edging.

If you get a chance try foam sheets that you get at a craft shop for pattern making. If you get a sheet in a similar thickness to the leather it translates really well. I 'cure' he wet leather in the oven at approx 80 degrees if i want a hard shell. It works incredibly well and the leather comes out stiff and springy. Makes for really positive retention if well molded.

Thanks, I will keep it in mind - the trick with "heat curing" works really well. I learnt it the hard way ;)

1. Take paper (A3) and wrap it around the firearm to trace the outlines.

4. Let dry and finish edging.

If you get a chance try foam sheets that you get at a craft shop for pattern making. If you get a sheet in a similar thickness to the leather it translates really well. I 'cure' he wet leather in the oven at approx 80 degrees if i want a hard shell. It works incredibly well and the leather comes out stiff and springy. Makes for really positive retention if well molded.

Making a leather holster doesn't take that long once one has the basics.

100% agree. Making a basic functional holster isn't very time consuming. Making a really nicely fitted one that is finished to a standard equal or better than good commercial ones takes a much longer. I find that making the pattern & getting it right is the most time consuming part of making a basic leather holster.

Thermoplastics like ABS and Kydex are a doddle by comparison. If I break a sports holster for pistol or revolver I can crank out a replacement in an hour once the oven is on and the press set up.

Making a leather holster doesn't take that long once one has the basics. It is a rewarding hobby, done whilst chatting to my wife or watching a movie. The rough work takes 45 minutes, the finishing usually slightly longer. Colouring is done afterwards.

1. Take paper (A3) and wrap it around the firearm to trace the outlines.

2. Transfer the paper outlines to leather.

3. Cut out and stitch, then wet and form it over the firearm.

4. Let dry and finish edging.

I dont think the prototype has more than 5 hours in it including making the pattern. Doing V2 properly probably won't take much longer than that.

lotta work making stuff like that, hours and hours + redo it from start.

I made a prototype pocket holster for the LC9 and did extensive testing with it yesterday. In the pocket it looks plausible as a rich guy's wallet and it stripped cleanly from the gun and stayed in the pocket on more than 50 draws at various speeds. No special technique is required so the shape and size of the abs reinforced and bent hook that I put on it was a lucky guess.

I'll make another with a better standard of fit and finish to the same design but for the area over the trigger guard which I will extend aand possibly cover the mag release button with a pocket molded in to shield it. I'll take the time to properly bevel and burnish the edges, groove the stitch lines, neatly saddle stitch and properly dye it. I will probably also add a spacer strip inside the join as it is more snug fitting than it needs to be and having it thicker will add to the walletishness of the print in a pocket.

I can get 14 round extended mags quite easily. Even the wife's PO7 15-round mags work. It is the 10 round mags that are a chalenge to find.

I see no point to carry a subcompact with an extended mag.

I carry two extended mags with a standard one in the gun. if you are going to carry spare mags, which I always do, the extra couple of centimetres in length makes no appreciable difference in concealability.

Then the RAAMI is being used more often than the 75 as well. The weight of it is quite comforting. The sights are not as nice as the P365, but is suitable for blasting away. I just wish I could get another 10 round magazine for it.

A RAMI, along with a Ruger SP101 in 9mmP is right at the top of my handguns to add to the safe bucket list. Mark me down as more than a little jealous.

As I've settled into my role as a toppie I have become more and more of a fan of having the best quality sights possible on my handguns. My current absolute favourites are the Tru-Glo TFX range of hybrid tritium/fibre optics. I have a set of those on my CZP07 and they are absolutely brilliant (literally and figuratively). Same illuminated sight picture day and night. If it weren't for the difficulty in importing the things I'd have them on all my carry able guns.

The wife's P365 has likewise been a joy to shoot. I can shoot is much more accurately than my CZ75 for some reason. Must be the sights.

Then the RAAMI is being used more often than the 75 as well. The weight of it is quite comforting. The sights are not as nice as the P365, but is suitable for blasting away. I just wish I could get another 10 round magazine for it.

I see no point to carry a subcompact with an extended mag.

I dont see any Rami spares/stock at Jizni?

The wife's P365 has likewise been a joy to shoot. I can shoot is much more accurately than my CZ75 for some reason. Must be the sights.

Then the RAAMI is being used more often than the 75 as well. The weight of it is quite comforting. The sights are not as nice as the P365, but is suitable for blasting away. I just wish I could get another 10 round magazine for it.

I see no point to carry a subcompact with an extended mag.

The little Ruger has become a firm favourite and I've spent more buying extended mags and sights for the thing than I paid for it and have over 1000 rounds through it without a single non-ammo related failure. Had one failure to properly chamber a round but that was down to me having been sloppy with the powder coating QC and having a lump on the ogive of the bullet which jammed the lands. A firm smack on the back of the slide and I was back in business.

For something so ridiculously small I find I can shoot it way better than I'd have expected and with the addition of a set of Hi-Viz fibre optic sights with green rear and red front I have a sight picture that's identical to my other two 9mmP pistols. I'm able to make 6/10 hits on a 250mm square plate at 25m at speed from a concealed draw. With a bit more practise I'm pretty confident that I'll get that to 8/10.

It is quite literally the last gun I've owned that I would have expected to end up liking and wanting to shoot more and more.

The more I read, the more I'm itching to have our range day together :) :) :)

Gonna be a blast, soon hopefully soon.

The little Ruger has become a firm favourite and I've spent more buying extended mags and sights for the thing than I paid for it and have over 1000 rounds through it without a single non-ammo related failure. Had one failure to properly chamber a round but that was down to me having been sloppy with the powder coating QC and having a lump on the ogive of the bullet which jammed the lands. A firm smack on the back of the slide and I was back in business.

For something so ridiculously small I find I can shoot it way better than I'd have expected and with the addition of a set of Hi-Viz fibre optic sights with green rear and red front I have a sight picture that's identical to my other two 9mmP pistols. I'm able to make 6/10 hits on a 250mm square plate at 25m at speed from a concealed draw. With a bit more practise I'm pretty confident that I'll get that to 8/10.

It is quite literally the last gun I've owned that I would have expected to end up liking and wanting to shoot more and more.

I took the little Ruger out for a 150+ round session with the cast handload that matches my carry load for velocity and very, very nearly for POI. Shot it back to back with my Ruger Security Six 357, which has a really nice DA trigger for some reason despite an obviously limited lifetime round count and my CZ75 sport pistol which has the full Cajun Gun Works internal treatment and an absolutely sublime one.

I was seriously impressed with how well the LC9's compared and how it left me completely unbloodied. I fully expected to start leaking at some point hanging onto a tiny pistol with a fairly gritty exterior but I haven't even got a mark on either hand despite doing strong and weak hand only drills. Really glad I wasn't able to get the trigger kit I wanted from the states as I think its bang on for its intended purpose. I don't want to engage the manual safety as it's fiddly, hinging at the front rather than the back of the lever as it does and therefore don't want a trigger pull lighter than what you'd get in a stock snub from a quality manufacturer. An added bonus is that while it has a shrouded hammer it sticks out just enough before it reaches full cock that my 'thumb on the hammer' re-holstering muscle memory thing translates perfectly to it and makes pointing it a delicate places like knob and femoral artery much less pucker inducing.

I think it's turning out to be a cracking good buy especially considering how little I paid for it which is barely what the mags would cost with the only wrinkle is that one of the four doesn't lock back on empty reliably. I'm sure I'll be able to sort that out and if not it will be relegated to range use as I have new 9 round factory mags on order which will be what it gets carried with as they are the same length as the 7 rounders but have the space behind the extended finger rest base plate filled with ammunition.

it was so funny his reaction to the big gun.

We got him into a security van rather easily after he kept falling a few times, he also ran into a pole he did not see.

I was causing kak at a club once back before I learned that I wasn't PK and bullet proof. One of the heavies pulled a big rollie and after a split second of looking down the pipe I quieted right down.

House breakers are the clumsiest buggers, they really should take more care.

This talk of rollie play risks me strapping on my six inch Security six and a bunch of speed loaders instead of my typical P07 and two spare mags when I go out to the pub this evening.

James and I attended a house breaking a few months back, I jumped the wall and fatso had to run around house to block house breaker. I got him behind house and showed him down with the 9 mm, but he knew I could not shoot him and just ducked dived left right, would not go on ground.
James arrived and levelled the big silver 8 inch barrel on the bloke and he started squealing, it was so funny his reaction to the big gun.
We got him into a security van rather easily after he kept falling a few times, he also ran into a pole he did not see.

How entertaining, Tiny guns and Chevy sparks. I carry a Ruger Red .44 everyday, I bought it in the 80ties as a toy.
I always intended to buy a Glock or such, but never got around to it.
When I returned to South Africa it was obvious that the need to EDC was real, so I just slipped it into my belt and carried on with life.
Being 6.4 and a fair share of the second 100 kg the Red is not much of a size issue.

Brilliant, I love that. I knew a guy when I was in the army who carried a 44 Blackhawk. Your Red is eminently sensible by comparison.

How entertaining, Tiny guns and Chevy sparks. I carry a Ruger Red .44 everyday, I bought it in the 80ties as a toy.
I always intended to buy a Glock or such, but never got around to it.
When I returned to South Africa it was obvious that the need to EDC was real, so I just slipped it into my belt and carried on with life.
Being 6.4 and a fair share of the second 100 kg the Red is not much of a size issue.

Ever tried a Sig P365?

You may want to bite the bullet and get one.

I have and it was a fine blaster as one would expect but unfortunately they retail for a multiple of what I paid for this. I prefer to carry a duty sized pistol with which I'm really familiar so this fills a niche which is very, very narrow so I couldn't justify the expense. I should have been born a great deal wealthier as my tastes and means are hopelessly misaligned.

Ever tried a Sig P365?

You may want to bite the bullet and get one.

I haven't shot or even handled a single stack Glock so can't compare.

I should be getting my G43X soon, then we can make a plan in the future, I shoot your beautiful revolver and you can shoot the G43X ;) ;) ;)

Sold!