Bending plastic: Kydex M&P Shield IWB holster

[SpookyPistolero]

I've been without a decent holster for my Shield for too long, so this afternoon I grabbed a beer, turned on some Dropkick Murphys, and preheated my toaster oven. I have previously made several knife sheaths, but this was my first attempt at a holster. Since I like my CTACs quite a bit, I borrowed heavily from that design. I made most of it up as I went along other than that basic style.

Deciding where to leave plastic takes some trial and error. I wanted a high sweat guard and a lot cut on the front. I also had to grind very slowly at the trigger guard. I wanted the trigger completely hidden of course, but I also don't want the plastic interfering with getting a good grip on the gun during the draw.

I initially used a 'taco' fold, but decided to cut them into independent halves for ease of sanding. After I got the top portions worked out I riveted them together, finished my shaping, and put a slight inward bend on front (where the sights are) to better conform to my feminine curves. Some leather scraps were used for belt hook wings.

Final product (though I may still adjust tension a bit with my heat gun)..

 

[Exo]

I love threads like this...I have been wanting to try my hand at holster and sheath making for various things (mags, lights, knifes etc) ... I like what you did there. I have a leather De Santis (??) iwb for my G23. While I love the holster, its super comfortable, the problem is practice. It SUCKS. There is no trigger guard value to the holster at all so when its tucked in, to reholster, I have to look down and move the leather out of the way to fully seat it back in. I need a better alternative like bad!

Where do you find the kydex supplier? I have read on how to DIY forming boards and how to shape/sand and rivet in belt loops etc. I just havent been able to find a kydex supplier that will do SMALL orders...(like a couple feet at a time).

 

[SpookyPistolero]

Thanks much. If you're even debating giving it a try, I definitely recommend pulling the trigger. It's fun, cheap, and relatively straightforward. Only a few pitfalls take finesse.

I got most all of my supplies from knifekits.Com. They have a good selection of kydex and rivets and such. Get the rivet tool they sell, it's easily worth it. You can make you own press in about twenty minutes. There are lots of plans online but I'd be happy to take some pictures to show you mine. Get the foam that knifekits sells, foam is one place that does affect the quality.

 

[jmorris]

homemade kydex holsters - THR