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An “interesting “ design.....

1K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  dfariswheel 
#1 ·
I would like to learn more about the maker etc. of this interesting, if not ill conceived, IWB holster. It fits a K frame S&W revolver.

On first glance, the belt loop magnetic design seems like it would make it easy to put on and take off. The malfunction starts when you holster a gun.

You guessed it...... the magnets stick to the gun too! I , without thinking, tossed it on top of my gun safe. Yep! It stuck to that too. The fortunate thing is that the magnets are not strong enough to require a muscle bound person to separate them. But, it is unusual and does not promote a smooth draw!

It came to me with a gun I bought. So, I didn’t go out and deliberately search it down to buy it.

It’ll never function in a higher capacity than being a novelty. It is fairly comfortable though......



Here are some pics.

Best,
Charles
 

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#2 ·
More than once I've visited (and so revisited) the notion of magnets inside a holster for pistol retention. Without ever actually trying it :). Of course the solution to your own situation, is for the magnet to be against the slide (the only part we can count on to be at least metal) at the muzzle end; then there's the difficulty of someone with a stainless slide expecting his pistol to stay in! So makes a nice backup system but not a primary.

I've done the same (thought of it more than once, never built one) with another obvious carrier: the 'right' amount of velcro permanently glued to the slide, and a patch of opposite velcro on the shirt (or ideally a vest) under a coat. A bit noisy unless one only draws to fire; then I'm SURE no one will remember the ripping sound before the shots :).

On that subject I'm reminded that -- in re-reading the Bond books by Fleming, I've yet to read in them of him even drawing his Beretta or Walther against an opponent. Odd.
 
#3 · (Edited)
There's been a few attempts at magnetic holsters with not a lot of success.
One problem is the gun gets magnetized and collects metallic grit and filings that are usually around. This is even worse in the holster itself since any ferrous metal will be attracted to the magnet and will scratch a gun. .
Another is in designing a single magnetic holster design that can work with the most popular of today's guns.
Due to the shape, you'd have to have curved magnets made to fit a revolver cylinder.

Since the stainless steels used in firearms are not non-magnetic, magnets will stick to them.
I don't know of any experiments with the super powerful rare earth magnets, but if you ever tear apart a bad computer hard drive, they contain a rare earth magnet you can experiment with.
These rare earth magnets are a lot more powerful then you might suspect.

One place that magnets do work well is in magazine pouches.

Velcro could work, especially the industrial type that's far more "sticky" then the normal type you usually see.
This type is very heavy and stiff.
I've used genuine Velcro brand Velcro with a super strong adhesive backing so it can be stuck to surfaces.
I bought this at a hardware store, and if you follow instructions to clean the surface and give it 24 hours to fully stick it works very well.

I used it to stick a Kydex holster to the gun pocket of my Blackhawk Urban Carry fanny pack.
I made Kydex holsters to hold my 2 1/2 inch and 3 inch S&W Combat Magnum revolves, but it's normal holster is my Kahr Arms K9.
In order to get the Velcro to adhere to the plastic I used sand paper to roughen the surface.
It works very well and has stayed permanently stick to the holster through three Blackhawk packs that I've worn out from daily carry.

Everyday carry Handgun holster


The only major problem with Velcro is the "hook" half tends to get filled with lint, hair, and stray threads, which reduces the effect.
Another problem is that you have to peel something away from the Velcro, you can't slide it. This would mean Velcro inside a boot or waist band wouldn't work because you couldn't easily pull the gun upward.

However, you could attach Velcro to a pistol slide and the other half to the side of your leg and have a Star Trek phaser carry. :rolleyes:
 
#4 ·
There's been a few attempts at magnetic holsters with not a lot of success.
One problem is the gun gets magnetized and collects metallic grit and filings that are usually around. This is even worse in the holster itself since any ferrous metal will be attracted to the magnet and will scratch a gun. .
Another is in designing a single magnetic holster design that can work with the most popular of today's guns.
Due to the shape, you'd have to have curved magnets made to fit a revolver cylinder.

Since the stainless steels used in firearms are not non-magnetic, magnets will stick to them.
I don't know of any experiments with the super powerful rare earth magnets, but if you ever tear apart a bad computer hard drive, they contain a rare earth magnet you can experiment with.
These rare earth magnets are a lot more powerful then you might suspect.

One place that magnets do work well is in magazine pouches.

Velcro could work, especially the industrial type that's far more "sticky" then the normal type you usually see.
This type is very heavy and stiff.
I've used genuine Velcro brand Velcro with a super strong adhesive backing so it can be stuck to surfaces.
I bought this at a hardware store, and if you follow instructions to clean the surface and give it 24 hours to fully stick it works very well.

I used it to stick a Kydex holster to the gun pocket of my Blackhawk Urban Carry fanny pack.
I made Kydex holsters to hold my 2 1/2 inch and 3 inch S&W Combat Magnum revolves, but it's normal holster is my Kahr Arms K9.
In order to get the Velcro to adhere to the plastic I used sand paper to roughen the surface.
It works very well and has stayed permanently stick to the holster through three Blackhawk packs that I've worn out from daily carry.

View attachment 663675

The only major problem with Velcro is the "hook" half tends to get filled with lint, hair, and stray threads, which reduces the effect.
Another problem is that you have to peel something away from the Velcro, you can't slide it. This would mean Velcro inside a boot or waist band wouldn't work because you couldn't easily pull the gun upward.

However, you could attach Velcro to a pistol slide and the other half to the side of your leg and have a Star Trek phaser carry. :rolleyes:
Well done, that all makes sense :). You know there is sewable magnetic stripping, of course. I could see its value in mag pouches and one could place it for revolvers, too. Quite soft so won't scratch the metal; but dunno just how much grip it would add. But more grip than not being there at all.

The velcro idea appeals to me for a narc or a Bond; how long it lasts on the clothing is relevant of nothing, just throw it away. A Bond could have it on his cummerbund (the rest of us don't even know which way is 'up' on one; well, actually I do). For narc, who doesn't want to be 'done' for having a holster even after stashing his pistol (so saith Bruce Nelson, who was a narc for the State of CA), disposing of the pistol would leave only a strip of velcro behind. Yes it existed in even his day, certainly now :).
 
#9 ·
A magnetic mounting to attach a holster to a belt like the one in the first post might actually work out pretty well.

The magnet would have to be a powerful one or you'd have the common problem that clip-on holsters have, and that's the holster coming off with the gun as it's drawn.
Most holster clips still remain the original types with a spring steel clip with a "bump" on it to keep it from slipping off the belt during the draw or when getting in and out of a car or normal movement.
In my experience these just don't adequately prevent the holster from slipping up off the belt.

Some more modern designs use various designs to lock the clip to the belt more effectively, but many are made of plastic.
Even the modern engineering grade plastics are weaker then steel and I've seen many that get broken or bent to the point where they won't hold.

So, a modern conceal carry IWB or possibly even an OWB holster with a strong rare earth magnet to hold the holster flap on the belt just might be a very workable design.

I'll have to shop around to see what sizes and shapes rare earth magnets are available in.

I just had an idea of how well a shoulder holster with magnetic gun retention would work out.
I also always thought that an upright or horizontal shoulder holster that uses a heavy Kydex material to form a holster in which the holster itself would be the spring retention.
There are many Kydex holsters that are adjustable to increase the force needed to draw the gun, but these are all belt holsters.
I wonder how well a shoulder holster might work out that needed no separate spring or thumb brake.
I've made shoulder "snatch" holsters that use a pull-through snap to retain the gun and those seem to work well.
A molded plastic holster might eliminate even that retention feature.

My last refinement of the old Stein Holster Co Snatch Holster. Might Kydex or magnets work better?

 
#10 ·
A magnetic mounting to attach a holster to a belt like the one in the first post might actually work out pretty well.

The magnet would have to be a powerful one or you'd have the common problem that clip-on holsters have, and that's the holster coming off with the gun as it's drawn.
Most holster clips still remain the original types with a spring steel clip with a "bump" on it to keep it from slipping off the belt during the draw or when getting in and out of a car or normal movement.
In my experience these just don't adequately prevent the holster from slipping up off the belt.

Some more modern designs use various designs to lock the clip to the belt more effectively, but many are made of plastic.
Even the modern engineering grade plastics are weaker then steel and I've seen many that get broken or bent to the point where they won't hold.

So, a modern conceal carry IWB or possibly even an OWB holster with a strong rare earth magnet to hold the holster flap on the belt just might be a very workable design.

I'll have to shop around to see what sizes and shapes rare earth magnets are available in.

I just had an idea of how well a shoulder holster with magnetic gun retention would work out.
I also always thought that an upright or horizontal shoulder holster that uses a heavy Kydex material to form a holster in which the holster itself would be the spring retention.
There are many Kydex holsters that are adjustable to increase the force needed to draw the gun, but these are all belt holsters.
I wonder how well a shoulder holster might work out that needed no separate spring or thumb brake.
I've made shoulder "snatch" holsters that use a pull-through snap to retain the gun and those seem to work well.
A molded plastic holster might eliminate even that retention feature.

My last refinement of the old Stein Holster Co Snatch Holster. Might Kydex or magnets work better?

Don't have to use Kydex :)

Footwear Shoe High heels Handgun holster Cowboy boot
 
#11 ·
Aha.....
What's the retention? A steel plate or wire spring? Or just a close molded fit?
That looks like a very effective holster.

Red, do you have any details of the Stein Holster Company of NYC?
They apparently went out of business about the time I was getting started and I only had one gun magazine advertisement picture of their ""Snatch" model holster with a Detective Special in it.
 
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