The handgun holster is one of the most important parts of a police officer’s duty belt. Without it, you’d have nowhere to put your trusty sidearm. Because of that, you need to make sure you keep yours in pristine condition for as long as possible. These tips on maintaining your handgun holster will come in handy when taking care of yours.
Break It in Right Away
Right after you buy your brand-new handgun holster, you need to take some time to break it in. Obviously, this is more important for leather holsters, but it’s a process that you need to do with Kydex ones as well.
For a leather holster, you should start by bending it around a bit before even putting your firearm into it. This will help loosen up the fibers, making it easier to put your sidearm in for the first time. Once it fits, you should practice pulling it in and out. After that starts to feel natural, you can do a few quickdraws to see how it feels.
As for Kydex holsters, you should also practice unholstering and reholstering to develop muscle memory. These holsters have more of a precise fitment which means the break in period is non existent. One common feature of this particular holster is a retention screw which can be adjusted to allow for a tighter or looser hold on the firearm while it is holstered. You should adjust the retention screw as needed if the holster feels a little tight or loose for your sidearm.
Clean It Regularly
Obviously, the most important tip for maintaining your handgun holster is cleaning it regularly. A dirty holster will not only degrade faster than a well-kept one, but it might even make your sidearm more difficult to pull out. While in the line of duty, the last thing you need is your firearm to get stuck in the holster due to poor maintenance. Dust, dirt and particles can make their way inside of your holster and firearm - so this is something you want to keep your eye on.
If you have a leather holster, you’ll need special cleaning supplies made specifically for this material. Kydex holsters are much easier to clean since you can typically use any type of soap with some water. Either way, try to make a habit of doing this at least once a month, if not more.
Check the Assembly Occasionally
While this step isn’t something you need to do often, you should check in on the assembly of the holster every once in a while. Fittings can become loose over time for Kydex holsters, and the stitches on leather ones might start to fray or pull apart.
Fortunately for Kydex owners, this is an easy fix. All you have to do is take a screwdriver to tighten everything back up. Leather holsters are much harder to fix. You could try sewing the pieces back together, but this doesn’t always work. Sometimes, it’s better to simply buy a new one and try again. The upside here is that this problem will be much less likely to happen if you properly clean, maintain and inspect your leather holster.