ltwguns.com

How many of you wear an IWB holster WITH OUT the sweat guard tab that usually sticks up between your body and the sights/safety/hammer area of gun?

What are the pros and cons for you?

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God Bless
45Fundi

I have worn IWB both ways over the years, and have found that WITH the guard in place I have less irritation to my "love handles" from safeties (1911 and BHP) or hammers on various weapons. I also feel that if you wear your shirt tucked into your pants behind the holster (suit coat/dress shirt style) that it helps keep wear on your clothes down, and prevents lubricants from finding their way onto expensive clothes! I still own and continue to buy both kinds, but am finding that I definately prefer the guard on my newer holsters for all day comfort and wear resistance to my wardrobe.--John

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"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

I guess this is my problem. I get a poor grip with this sweatguard and while I see its purpose I do not understand why the sweatguard is not more abbreviated. Why are they always so wide that getting a good grip is lost (for some of us). It seems to me if the sweatguard just covered the safety and its back edge followed the line of the safety (for single action autos) just covering the safety but allowing the thumb to slide into a full firing grip it would be better and still offer the same protection. If I am missing something I would like to know before I start cutting?!

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God Bless
45Fundi

Although I build them to customer specs, my personal preference for my own holster is to have an index pad (what some call a sweat shield) come up high enough only to cover about the front third to half of the thumb pad on a Brown safety.

I guess I should have pointed out that the reason I call the higher cut back mouth of the holster an “Index Pad” is because I use it for indexing the muzzle when holstering. I don’t care if the pistol is touching me or if I sweat on it for that matter.

I adjust my thumb safeties to have a firm disengagement, so the reason I like to cover the front nose of the thumb safety pad is not to lock it in place. It just that after wearing one in an IWB all day the smallest things can aggravate the sh$t out of you and, for me, the nose of the thumb pad can be one of those things unless it's covered.

Also, if only the nose is covered, it eliminates the chance of butting the nose of the safety into the top of a sweat shield when holstering.

Thanks Matt
Besides the minor rusty mag release button on my blued gun and maybe some minor comfort issue (fortunately I don't have the belly-roll onto the gun issue) I have more probs than benefit with the sweatshiel/index pad.

Way back when with my first custom IWB holster (very tight when new) my gun's safety ( a bit too squared) would actually stop the holstering of the gun making it a 2 hand holstering effort until broke in. No biggy...I understand the necessity of this now and tell others to be patient until leather knows its gun, but my issue now with an IWB with a big sweatshield is that on a fast presentation/draw my thumb strikes this shield and it deflects/misdirects my best efforts at a consistant full grip draw that I'm used to with my OWB holsters. Yes I can train myself to have not as full contact a draw and let my thumb ride over the offending sweatshield and do a 3 finger pull the gun into my hand, but....the grip isn't near as consistant/correct as my OWB grip. A Compromise? Maybe, but I just think (maybe ignorantly) that if the sweatshield was cut so that it did the same job, but it covered the safety and the leather sweatshield's rearward edge was on the same line as the safety and just covered the safety just to the safety's bottom edge but left room so that the thumb could slide along the axis of the safety's bottom edge (& the sweatshield had the same axis) just under the bottom edge of the safety/along the edge of this sweatshield one could acquire a full grip on the draw!? The only potential downside I can imagine to cutting the sweatshield this way would be if it destoyed the rigidity of the sweatshield or if it somehow would knock the safety off on re-holstering which I wouldn't know until I tried it and maybe someone else who has tried this can speak about it.

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God Bless
45Fundi

That is an interesting idea for the cut on the sweat shield. I don't really see any functional problems with the concept. Many guys don't like flab guards/sweat shields/body protectors/index pads on any of their holsters, and do just fine with their 1911's worn IWB.

I think it would dfinitely keep the safety from disengaging, but getting that perfect fit would be very time consuming - it would probably require a little gap.

John

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

I've built several holsters that way over the years. Positioning of the index pad is critical in order to accomplish the task required. That is to hold the safety in its engaged position but not cover the pad.

The variation in safety pad shape and width make it pistol/safety specific. In additon, variations in grip panel thickness can hold the leather away from the pistol far enough to allow the safety to pass under it if an outside ambi safety lever is moved.

There you go - Matt's the man with the answer

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I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

45Fundi,
I have made them the way you describe; but using the customer's gun. As Matt stated, there are so many variations in manual safety shape that one would need the actual gun to work with to contour it correctly, or at least know what manufactuer/brand of safety was installed and have one available.
Though most of my photos on my site show sweat-shields, I give the customer the option; both with or without and size. Upon request I have made them so large that they cover the cocked hammer and grip safety completely; and so small and contoured to the exact shape of the slide that you can't tell the holster has one looking at it from the front.

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http://www.garritysgunleather.com
"He who works with his hands is a labourer, he who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman, he who works with his hands, his head, and his heart is an artist."
(St Francis of Assisi)

All my questions answered I guess I'm gonna do a lettle ghetto-surgery on the VM II I have now.

When I have my holster made for my Combat Commander (after it is built) I will know to call on an LTW leather expert for the custom touches!

Thanks Guys your help is VERY much appreciated!

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God Bless
45Fundi