FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) – Uncle George's Wallet Holsters

CAUTION: Unload your pistol before practicing your draw.

ALWAYS make sure your pistol is seated properly in your wallet holster before putting it in your pocket.

NEVER carry anything else in your pocket with your pistol and wallet holster.

Also NEVER holster your pistol while your holster is in your pocket!

Below is a compilation of responses to questions I have received over the years. I hope you find answers to your questions. Where my opinions and conclusions are expressed please note that they are solely my opinions and conclusions and I will not take the time to respond to any debate or disagreement about them. When researching wallet holsters you may find that there exists many opinions on the subject.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ruger LCP Max holster: Does your current LCP II holster fit the new Ruger Max? Yes, but I have found that the magazine release sticks up higher than the LCP II mag release and can cause the mag release to activate while in a pocket. So, I now have a holster just for the Ruger LCP Max.

I haven’t been able to decide to carry or not. I am new to guns and am apprehensive about it. Any advice? That is just something you’re going to have to decide on your own. I can understand with all the increase in mass shooting incidents across the nation that folks that have never been around guns are now considering it with understandable reservations. I guess it boils down to your fear of being maimed or murdered by some nut having a bad-hair day overriding your reservations about carrying a lethal weapon to stop the threat. In my own case, it was the mass shooting at the Luby’s Cafeteria up in Killeen, Texas back in 1991 that created enough concern about protecting against that kind of craziness to override any reservations I had. My advice would be to first go to a reputable shooting range. Don’t be embarrassed and tell them up front that you are new to guns and wish to learn and would like help in proceeding. Most will be very understanding and helpful. Be willing to spend some dollars on learning. Range gun rental, ammunition, range time and good instruction will require your funds. Once the skills are learned to your satisfaction you might find that your reservations about carrying a lethal weapon have changed. I added a little story to encourage you to obtain your Conceal Carry License (CTL). Added a hint to help pass the firing range qualification.

Why do you only ship USPS and not UPS or other carriers? My local USPS is only one mile away from my shop which enables me to get your holsters in the mail quicker. UPS charges more and they are farther away as is FedEx. I tried having them pick up shipments but they never showed up at a convenient time and too many times left me waiting too long. USPS has been very reliable.

Have you ever thought of adding a magazine holder to the holster? Yes and have made several but did not like them. Too bulky and heavy with loaded extra magazine. Will not be making them. I have been sent photos of holsters with added magazines holders. Still will not be making them.

You said you weren’t going to make a holster for the LCP II due to it’s light trigger pull. Why did you change your mind? Initially I thought the trigger pull too light to be safe. However I have had information that folks have been remolding my other holsters to fit the LCP II and carrying them. No negative reports have reached me concerning any problems. So I just figured I might as well make a holster to fit it. I do make note on the webpage of the light trigger pull and also include a quote from the Ruger LCP II owners manual stating that the pistol should not be carried with a cartridge in the barrel. I also include in the shipping box a note quoting the owner’s manual.

Will any other little pistols fit in your holsters? No my holsters are wet-molded for specific pistols. Other pistols will not fit properly.

Will the Ruger LCP, without a laser attached, fit in a holster made for a pistol with a laser? No. The pistol will fit too loosely and if pushed a little the end of the barrel will protrude out of the bottom of the holster.

Does the Ruger LCP Custom with the taller sights fit the holster for the Ruger LCP. I have received feedback from buyers who say that it hasn’t been a problem with the fit with the taller sights.

My new wallet holster is tight. Will it loosen up? The holster is wet-molded to ensure a good fit. At first it will be tight but by working the pistol in and out and by wearing it you should see it loosen up sufficiently. These holsters aren’t intended to fit real tight. It should be snug but slightly loose. Your pants pocket and the compression from your body will help hold your pistol/holster. A slightly loose holster helps with a smooth and quick draw and will help ensure that your holster will remain in your pocket. For some additional information on breaking in a holster with a little faster method check out my video.

What should I do to help preserve my holster? The holster shouldn’t need much maintenance. The leather is finished to how a saddle is finished so if needed, wipe with a damp cloth. Don’t use black shoe polish on it as it will wear off on your pants. Use clear paste wax polish if you wish to shine it up but you most likely will not need to. If you fall out of your boat or wade into the pool or ocean with your pistol and holster, just air dry it off completely and buff it with a shoe brush and you’re good to go. Do not dry in an oven as it will dry out the leather and may cause it to start cracking. Don’t use any leather softener product on it.

Is there a reason for the texture on the front of the back panel, those squiggly looking indentions? I found that just a flat surface had a tendency to cause more resistance to the removal of the pistol. I tried adding a finely textured surface to the surface but it didn’t help much, so I developed the design that is more deeply indented which lessened the surface area in contact with the pistol thus reducing the friction/resistance when extracting the pistol. Also, a plain flat surface just didn’t look finished or look good and I wanted something that was uniquely my own design.

Do you make a wallet holster that will accommodate the Armalaser or Laserlyte? No and there are no plans to do so in the future. Contrary to the manufacturer’s claims that the Laserlyte fits all pocket holsters, pistols with this .56 inch laser attachment on the side of the pistol does not fit well in my style of holster.

When you draw do you put your index finger inside the trigger guard? No I do not. I experimented briefly with a method that I inserted my finger in the trigger guard behind the trigger but rejected it as not being safe. I draw with my finger along the side of the slide as demonstrated in my videos.

Is it safe to carry in my hip pocket? Will it damage my pistol? It is my personal opinion from my experience that these little pistols are constructed with two important features that make them safe to pocket carry. All of them have long trigger pulls which make it harder for them to be discharged by accidental trigger activation. The other is that the hammer is recessed sufficiently to keep the hammer from being hit and striking the primer and discharging the bullet. Also these pistol are hardily built and resist any damage. Most times with one of these pistols in your hip pocket you don’t sit directly on them. To the extent that you actually sit on them is determined by the vertical placement of the pocket on the pants. On some pants the pocket is higher than others.

Will it damage my Crimson Trace Laser carrying it in my hip pocket? I was skeptical at first about carrying my pistol with a laser in my hip pocket in my holster being concerned that it might damage or misalign the laser from the pressure exerted on it when sitting down. I have been carrying it on a daily basis for many years now and my concerns just have not materialized. You should always on some regular basis check your laser to insure that it is functioning properly as you should always on a regular basis check your pistol and your holster that they are also functioning properly no matter what method of carry you employ.

Will the holster fit in my pocket? Check the size of the holster that is listed with the holster descriptions. Cut out a piece of cardboard the same size and put it in your pocket. Slide your unloaded pistol down in the pocket with it and it should give you some idea if your pocket is deep and wide enough. I mostly wear jeans. I currently wear Levi 505 Regular Fit jeans and the pocket is deep enough. You might have to do some searching to find pants with pockets that will work if your current ones don’t work.

Will the wallet holster work in my front pocket? I have tried it in my front pocket and it works well but I personally like it in my back pocket as the holster shape was made for the back pocket. I have gotten substantial feedback from folks that are carrying in their front pockets and it is working for them.

Should I get a right or left-handed holster? I have found that there is a little confusion with some folks as to which is a right-handed holster and which is a left-handed holster. So I made a video to help with that. Please be sure to check it out before you make your purchase. Right or Left Holsters.

What is the Palm-in and Palm-out drawing technique? Check out my video on right and left-handed holsters and in the video the drawing techniques are explained. Right or Left Holsters.

Is there a reason why your wallet holsters are open at the bottom? I have read some opinions that the holster should be closed at the bottom to prevent lint and objects from getting in the barrel. In all the years of carrying I found little to no lint in the barrel. I never carry any objects large or small in my carry pocket. I found that if I closed the bottom of the holster it would produce a taller holster which would make it more difficult to conceal in pockets. You should always regularly inspect your pistol to insure that it functions properly including keeping the barrel clean.

If I turn your wallet holster upside down will the pistol fall out? After the holster breaks in it will most likely fall out with it upside down. Why would you be carrying your pistol upside down? In all my years of carrying I have managed to remain in some sort of upright position when standing, sitting and even reclining. Never found myself upside down or in any position that my pistol would fall out of my hip pocket. After your holster breaks in the pistol should fit loosely snug and provide for a smooth easy withdrawal of the pistol. If it is so tight that it won’t fall out it would be hard to draw it without the holster coming with it. Your hip pocket is usually a snug fit and along with the compression of your body will keep your pistol in your pocket. I totally disagree with having a tight fitting wallet holster. Serves no purpose. Other holster makers may disagree, I won’t argue it with anyone. Tight fitting holsters are for larger and heavier pistols worn outside the pocket where tight retention is indeed necessary especially for those holsters that don’t have a hold down strap of some kind. An example would be the closely molded holsters available today revealing every little contour of the pistol. It works well for this type of outside the pocket carry. For those of you that walk on your hands or often find yourself upside down, don’t buy my holster.

Will the magazine release button be activated when carrying in my rear pocket? It could I guess. Could happen in any wallet holster where the magazine release button contacts something. Mine never has released while in my pocket and it hasn’t been a complaint from my customers. I will say this about it. There are some wallet holsters designed so that their pocket leather is molded to come up over the magazine release button to keep the button from being pushed in. I tried this on an earlier prototype of my holster and found that is was more likely to do the opposite. Instead of the magazine release button residing up against your soft rear end, the leather-covered magazine release button actually provided a harder surface for the magazine release button to reside up against. My experience demonstrated to me that the magazine release button was more apt to be pushed by the leather than your soft rear end. That experience moved me toward a design that does not have leather contacting the magazine release button. Take a moment and place your unloaded Ruger LCP in your rear pocket, without a holster, with the magazine release button facing in towards your rear end. Then try to activate the button by sitting on your pistol. Hard to do. Other holsters made with the leather covered release buttons may work well to protect the button from accidental release but is beyond my knowledge of their holsters to say one way or another. My experience is with my holsters. On my left-handed holsters I provide an indention in the back leather to accommodate the magazine release button It is to help keep the leather from contacting the release button.

How are your holsters constructed? My holsters are lock-stitched together with a heavy duty commercial Cobra Class 4 sewing machine. Bianchi holster manufacturing uses the same machine. I use a heavy 36 pound nylon thread along the barrel on one side and under the barrel and trigger on the other side. Rivets, grommets and screws require that a hole be punched into the leather to insert the grommet through the leather. This hole stays a hole and it’s kept open as a hole by the inserted rivet, grommet or screw. When lock-stitching leather, the leather is pierced through with a needle and the thread is drawn through. The leather will heal up the pierced hole and close in around the thread making it very tight and hard to remove. This method keeps parts stitched together from moving around from use and forms a much tighter bond than rivets, grommets and screws which I do not use. Lock-stitching on holsters, saddles and tack and other leatherwork has been a proven and reliable method of construction on leather utility equipment for many years by leather manufacturers.

The stitching on the upper side of the pocket seems to not be sewn or the glue has come loose. What’s up with that? Some, but not all of my holsters, are made that way intentionally to facilitate the draw. If that side of the pocket was sewn all the way to the top of the pocket it would hinder the anti-print panel from bending open to extract the pistol. There is nothing wrong with your holster, it is an intentional part of the design of that particular holster. Area on the holster discussed see photo.

Do you make other wallet holsters or holsters custom made to order? I am willing to pay extra. I do not take orders for holsters for any other guns other than those currently offered on my website. Nor do I make modified versions of my current holsters that I have available. I only make holsters for the pistols that I have decided over time and trial that fit and work well with my style of holster and would be a pistol that I would be comfortable and confident carrying concealed as my holsters are designed for. Limiting the choices for holsters allows me to keep up with the orders. Inquiries about making other holsters for other pistols are generally not responded to.

I would like one in brown leather. Are they available? No sorry I only make black ones. Will you make me a brown one anyway? No, sorry I only make black ones. Even if I pay extra? No, sorry I only make black ones. We are holding your parents, your dog and your pastor, will you make a brown one to obtain their release? No, sorry I only make black ones.

Have you ever thought of making: a traditional style holster with a anti-print panel sewed on or snapped on / holsters and magazine combinations / single magazine pouches / in the waist band holsters / outside the waistband holsters / holsters with zippered tops / holsters with a flap that bends over the top / holsters with push-offs / holsters with suede or traction material on the back / closed bottom holsters / holster with a compartment to carry my CTL license and some others I have forgotten? Since I started messing around with wallet holsters back in 1991 I have tried all of the above suggestions and even more. I have a very large trash can that is near full of prototypes I have given concentrated thought to and produced and gave them a good tryout. The holsters that I sell today are pretty much the results of that evolution of holster making. All the prototypes in the trash can were rejected for one reason or another. Mostly because I didn’t like them or they just didn’t work well with what my goal was or I found that the mass production of them to be too difficult or too complicated for me and would cause the selling price to be more that I thought folks would feel reasonable. The holster design that I produce today is the design that I was most satisfied with and works well with me personally. So yes, I have thought of the innovations and modifications but will not be producing them.