[BLACKJACK]

Hi Guys,



I was so impressed with my wifes "Pager Pal" fully concealed carry holster that I bought one for myself.



It's incredibly comfortable and does not at all "print" on the front of my jeans which I bought ten pounds ago.



My problem is - after I softened the leather (per dealers recommendation) by micro waving it for 20 seconds then "working it" like an old baseball glove the M&P 9MM Compact really "seats" itself in the leather. It fits perfectly however the gun is hard to draw and the holster folds against itself when I draw which exacerbates the condition.



The leather inside the holster is rough and unfinished.



Now to the question (finally): What can I do to make the draw smoother ?? Is there any leather treatment that I could use that would NOT harm the gun ??



I thought about using a propane torch to "smooth" the rough interior then some sort of paste wax. That all just sounds a bit barbaric.



My wife carries a Taurus Millennium - Pro in her Pager Pal and does not have a problem. Of course the Taurus is (marginally) smaller that the M&P. In fact - - she's "scary fast" with that rig.



Any thoughts or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.



Thanks.



BLACKJACK

 

[BLACKJACK]

GEEEZZZ - - I'm overwhelmed by the response.



Mom always told me I was unique. I guess I'm the only person to have this problem.



If I fInd something that works, I'll post it here.



Thanks.



BLACKJACK

 

[Hubmonkey1]

I personally have not used a "Pager Pal" because who has pagers anymore? But onto your problem. NO do not use any leather conditioner on your holsters. Period.



Here is what I do when I get a holster that is tight and does not allow the gun to draw smoothly. Wrap the gun in a heavy ziplock bag. The thicker the MIL of plastic the better. Jam the (unloded) gun in the holster and let it sit in my closet for a few days. Then take the gun out and check the fit. You can use the ziploc to unholster and reholster the gun quite a few times and this will help work the leather. Wear the holster around the house to heat it up with your body temp and then put it in the closet at night.



The microwave thing is news to me. I have never heard of that before and I don't think I would have ever tried it. I doubt it will harm the leather for 20 seconds...



Hub

 

[BLACKJACK]

Thanks for the reply, Hub.



"Pager Pal" makes "extraction handles" that will accomodate pagers as well as several different configurations of cell phones.



After "working" the leather the gun fits perfectly into the holster. The problem, as I see it, is the "rough" (Shaggy) interior of the holster is causing enough "drag" to pull the holster up with the gun preventing a clean smooth draw.



After micro-waving the holster and "hand" working it for 15 minutes the leather is butter soft, much like a well used baseball glove.



Thanks for the suggestions.



BLACKJACK

 

[L.C. Star]

I have used spray silicone on the inside of some of my holsters with decent results.

At least, the silicone will not hurt the gun.

Good luck with your holster.

 

[BLACKJACK]

L.C.



Sounds like a possible solution.



Thank you for the suggestion.



BLACKJACK

 

[Walker]

I would find out from S&W if the melonite coating will withstand saddle soap. If so, which I have no reason to believe it wouldn't, use saddle soap inside the holster. It will treat and waterproof your exposed leather, most importantly soften the harden leather. Either that, or just submerge your holster in water, damp dry and place the weapon inside and wear it all day or until dry. Both suggestions worked for my combat boots for the past 19 years, so I am sure it will work for holster. But I would call your holster manufacturer and find a remedy.

 

[choochboost]

Leather holsters are not baseball gloves. Generally speaking, you don't want to mess with it by dunking or treating it in solutions. Just leave the gun in the holster for a time, or put the gun in a plastic bag and insert the bagged gun into the holster to stretch it out just a little. Anything other than that, you are messing with the retention and fit of the holster and it is not a good idea. But this is a PagerPal so...