| Kydex holsters continue to gather a following | | | | *Water/moisture Resistant |
| in nearly every facet of the shooting | | | | |
| industry from range use to competitive | | | | One potential downside of leather is that it |
| shooters to concealed carry permit holders. | | | | isn't truly waterproof. Over time, leather |
| Today nearly every style of leather gun | | | | holsters can and will absorb moisture.That |
| holster is available in a comparable kydex | | | | moisture can soak into the holster and affect |
| version. If you follow any popular gun | | | | the weapon finish, as well as produce a foul |
| forums, youll eventually see someone post a | | | | odor. Kydex is virtually waterproof, making |
| question about kydex holsters and its | | | | it an excellent choice for holster use in |
| advantages or disadvantages. To answer | | | | humid or tropical climates. |
| questions about kydex, we first need to | | | | |
| define exactly what kydex is. Kydex is a | | | | Like everything in life, kydex also has a |
| durable acrylic/PVC thermoplastic | | | | downside: |
| manufactured and marketed by the Kleerdex | | | | |
| Company in Bloomberg, P.A. It is manufactured | | | | *Weapon wear |
| in a wide range of different colors, | | | | |
| patterns, textures, thicknesses, and grades. | | | | First, we need to talk about some facts in |
| Produced for long-term durability, kydex has | | | | regards to finish wear.. Wear on the weapon |
| a assortment of diverse end-use applications. | | | | is generally associated with friction that |
| | | | takes place each time the weapon is drawn and |
| In addition to gun holsters, kydex is also | | | | holstered. Over time, that repeated friction |
| used for: | | | | causes wear on the weapon. This type of wear |
| | | | occurs on weapons that are holstered and |
| Aircraft interiors, Medical products, Food | | | | unholstered no matter what the holster itself |
| processing equipment, Electrical components, | | | | is made of. |
| and Store fixture components | | | | |
| | | | Now do kydex holsters cause wear? |
| First produced in 1965, kydex was introduced | | | | |
| to the market by a company called Rohm and | | | | The short answer is yes it will, but several |
| Haas. Originally designed to be used in | | | | other factors will play a big role in the |
| commercial aircrafts, its strength to weight | | | | level and amount of wear. To further explain, |
| ratio and durability made kydex an excellent | | | | leather holsters are molded specifically to |
| choice for other commercial applications. | | | | fit a particular weapon. The close fit of the |
| Shortly after its inception, kydex was | | | | leather grabs the weapon and keeps it in the |
| quickly adopted for use by United, American, | | | | holster. Kydex holsters typically provide |
| Delta and other major airlines. | | | | retention through specific points within the |
| | | | holster that "grab" onto the weapon itself. |
| The rights to kydex were eventually sold to | | | | These specific retention points are usually |
| the Kleerdex Company in 1987, and they began | | | | located around the trigger guard, and front |
| producing it at their P.A. plant. | | | | of the muzzle (front slide area for |
| | | | semi-automatics). Over time, repeated |
| As with any material, Kydex holsters have | | | | holstering and unholstering will most likely |
| pros and cons compared to traditional leather | | | | cause some finish wear at these points. In |
| holsters. Here are a few pros: | | | | most quality kydex holsters, the amount of |
| | | | wear is usually dependant on the frequency of |
| *Durability | | | | draws and re-holstering. |
| | | | |
| Using the pound for pound analogy, kydex is a | | | | Hopefully this information will be helpful to |
| more durable material than leather, and has a | | | | you and answer some of the common questions |
| much higher impact resistant rating. | | | | that you may face when deciding on a kydex |
| Accidentally spill gas or some other solvent | | | | gun holster. |
| on your favorite leather holster, or catch | | | | |
| that holster on a sharp object, and you'll | | | | Brad Justus is the co-founder of Gunner's |
| see where kydex could be beneficial. In | | | | Alley, which specializes in handgun holsters |
| addition, leather will stretch out over time, | | | | and related shooting supplies. Please visit |
| while kydex will retain its original form. | | | | Gunner's Alley if you would like more |
| | | | information on kydex holsters. |