Whats more abusive to your pistols finish?

[Cody]

Would it be a leather holster or something from MTAC/COM-TAC?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Kerbouchard]

Anything that is not leather or leather-lined will be more abusive to your firearms finish.

I happen to believe that holster wear gives a gun character, and it does not bother me, but leather is the only thing that will come close to any of my 1911's.

[Cody]

Thanks for your quick reply...

[Ram Rod]

Whats more abusive to your pistols finish?

"Your" as in mine? Glock? I'll need more time to research.

[Cody]

"Your" as in mine? Glock? I'll need more time to research.

No Glock.... Looking at either a P229 or P2000.

[Ram Rod]

If you want something that won't show wear as much either way, go for the stainless models IMO.

[Cody]

If you want something that won't show wear as much either way, go for the stainless models IMO.

Thanks...

[T Bone]

Glock's finish is very tough, only pistols I will let touch kydex are those or pistols I simply don't care much about the finish on (P3AT, Kahr PM9, which also seem to have very tough finishes).

For my 1911's, it's leather only. To get the benefits of Kydex for them, I've got the Tucker Silent Thunder (leather lined Kydex, a very unique holster) in both OWB and IWB versions. It gives a great draw stroke, and carries very well. Worth a look.

[rocky]

Seems to me kydex will wear in certain spots more Vs. leather wears on a larger area typically. Either one will wear on a gun finish. On the HK guns the finish seems as tough as Glock , so little worries about wear.

[sheepdog]

I see this question on the boards a lot. The answers are always one, the other, or don't put your gun in a holster if you don't want it to wear. I'm wondering if some things you can't measure are really the factors. Finish I understand-Tenifer beats bluing (but I still will carry a blued gun anyway). Rocky mentions larger vs. smaller areas, that makes sense just from what I've seen, but I'm wondering if things like how well the holster fits the gun and where the holster touches the gun for friction aren't big factors. A cheap leather holster with loose fit would allow the gun to shift and move around a lot. I'm not sure it's possible to measure the difference between the two based on material alone.
And I'm one of those "then don't carry your gun and/or because holster wear is character" posters, just never said it before.

[southbound]

I use both leather and Kydex. I make all my own Kydex holsters.I was thinking with the last one I made for my 1911 do I really want to carry my parker finish 1911 in Kydex??? Sure do!!

I did look hard at my pistols and what I have noticed is my full size 1911 same manufacturer same finish has never been in kydex has the same wear as the little one being worn in leather and Kydex..

The funny thing is the wear is more on the but or grip of the pistols from my shirt rubbing.. For me I think the ? is,, Is my outer garment more harmful to my pistol then my holster???

I too find a smoothed down holster wear showing parker finish is so sweet...

[Rcher]

I carry my Kimber mostly in a Comptac MTAC. I have seen more wear on the side of the gun that rubs on the leather more than the side that rubs on the kydex. The leather side is creating shiny spots on that side of my 1911.

[Rob72]

Kydex will wear close-contact points (unique to each holster) more, but not the rest of the finish, and essentially stops after a certain point. Leather will rub it clean(completely off), after several years.

Leather offers better retention (generally), but holds moisture. Kydex is a smoother drw, but may not retain as well.

FWIW, I epoxy a thin strip of leather in the slide channels of my BT kydex holsters. All of my weapons are Duracoat over park/Tenifer or molycoat. I don't care about pretty, just low-maintenance, and this combo works well.

[Super Hans]

"Kydex will wear close-contact points (unique to each holster) more, but not the rest of the finish, and essentially stops after a certain point. Leather will rub it clean(completely off), after several years."

agreed

[sass20485]

Both will put wear on a gun finish. How much is determined by how often you carry and how often the gun goes in and out. Leather will also retain moisture, kydex of course won't. So if you sweat and your leather holster absorbs some it, the gun better come out, while the holster dries out, unless you have a rust proof finish.