Handcrafted Concealed Carry Holsters Made in the U.S.A. by hard working Americans! All our holsters are backed by our NO B.S. Lifetime Warranty!!
Will Kydex Holster Scratch my gun?
To really answer the age old question of ” will kydex holsters scratch my gun “, we really need to go into the backstory first!
Kydex holsters have been around for quite a long time. However, they just really began to gain popularity around the beginning of 2010 when the concealed carry market really exploded! Up until that point, leather holsters and holster makers dominated the holster market. The old school leather makers had been making holsters out of leather all the way back to the wild west days!
These leather holster companies had the market to themselves with no real competition up until the 2010 time frame. So when the concealed carry market exploded with kydex holsters, these leather holster companies had TONS of competition overnight! The people deciding to conceal carry now had options on whether they stick with the tried and true leather holsters or go to the ” latest and greatest ” kydex holsters!
This holster competition sparked tons of speculation and accusations for both sides. The leather holster makers were now having to try to explain why leather holsters were better than kydex holsters to get sales. On the other hand, the kydex holsters guys were having to do the same thing to convince people to try the new kydex holsters instead of the leather holsters they had became accustomed to over the years.
In defense to both parties, neither really knew much about the other companies holsters. So they just put assumptions out there based off there own ( and biased ) opinions! They were just trying to market themselves and the product they offered.
The Kydex Holster side to downplay Leather Holsters:
. Leather wears out and stretches and takes way more to maintain the holster
. You do not get a true custom fit with leather holsters
. Leather is rough on your pistol and its finish ( funny thing is both parties claim other sides product does this, lol )
. Custom leather holsters are way more expensive
. Leather Holsters are not as customizable as an kydex holster
The Leather Holster side to downplay Kydex Holsters:
. Who would want a piece of plastic carrying a handgun?
. Kydex holsters will scratch your gun!
. Hard plastic edges are not comfortable on your skin
. It will not hold up to constant use and concealed carry
. They are just cheap and no good for nothing!
So as you can see it was nothing more than a big rumor mill as these companies on both sides tried to keep market share. The bad part about the whole deal was that both sides have valid points to some extent. There is not a perfect holster for anyone no matter if you go leather or kydex!
That is why when we started Muddy River Tactical in 2014 we did not want to be one sided on anything. I personally use both leather and kydex holsters in different times and situations. We were the first holster company to truly offer both kinds of holsters which allowed ( and still allows ) us to give you a full un-biased opinion!
Now, the part you have been waiting for…..
The Truth on ” will kydex holsters scratch my gun “
By nature, kydex is a softer material than any slide on a pistol. So it takes a LOT for kydex alone to scratch a pistol!
There are ONLY two reason a kydex holster will scratch a pistol…
— It is improperly made using bad molds ( most typical is blue guns ). Blue guns ( which unfortunately a lot of holster companies use ) are made for training purposes and NOT for making holsters! They are also made from a material that will shrink when applied to heat enough. Well, if you know anything about kydex, the kydex has to be 300-320 degrees when molding to form. So the more they use these ” blue gun molds ” the worse they get. This causes excessive friction since it is too small for your pistol and causes wear! Also as you can see in the picture below of a blue gun, to make a holster off these blue guns you have to tape off the trigger guard, ejection port, etc. Well, obviously that leaves a ton of room for error and improper fit. The trigger guard of a pistol is not an area you want to rely on a ” taped blue gun ” to ensure it protects your trigger without causes a negligent discharge!
—- Dirt, lent, and other debris in a holster will act like sandpaper and cause wear. This is also very true on a leather holster as well. So the biggest reason you see holster wear on any pistol is from a dirty holster! Keep any holster clean and you will be far better off!
These reasons are true on both leather and kydex holsters! The truth is both leather and kydex are both great options and neither wears your gun more than the other!!
***FULL DISCLAIMER – ANY PISTOL THAT YOU CARRY IN ANY HOLSTER ( LEATHER OR KYDEX ) WILL SHOW WEAR TO SOME EXTENT AFTER TIME FROM NORMAL USE. THEY ARE MADE TO BE A TOOL. IF YOU DO NOT WANT A PISTOL TO EVER GET ANY WEAR AT ALL, THEN YOU BETTER LEAVE IT IN THE SAFE! ***
How we make our Kydex Holsters that sets us apart from the traditional stereotypes…..
We have an engineer on staff that actually 3d scans the pistols into computer, then creates our own molds in house to our exact specifications!
This allows us to control exactly how we want each holster to fit!
If you have any questions about any holsters or concealed carry questions, please email us at: [email protected]
We are always here to help!