Why Does Kydex Scratch Your Gun?
If you’ve spent any time in the world of firearms, chances are you’ve heard of kydex. This futuristic plastic has a ton of different applications. But one of the most popular is as a gun holster material. And while kydex does have plenty of beneficial qualities as a gun holster material, it’s not perfect. For one a kydex holster will scratch your gun after a long enough time. Luckily, there’s a solution. We’ll look at the difference between a kydex vs leather holster in this post.
Leather vs Kydex: the Breakdown
While kydex and leather are both materials that manufacturers use for holsters, that’s about where the similarities end between them. Other than that, they’re nearly polar opposites.
On one hand, you have kydex. This hard, tough plastic material was originally designed for aircraft interiors. In fact, you can still find kydex on planes today – pay attention the next time you place your luggage in the overhead compartment.
Kydex is also a common holster material. It’s tough, durable, and extremely heat-resistant. It doesn’t bend or warp under pressure, and it’s also unbelievably strong. That’s why countless police departments around the world issue kydex holsters to their officers.
Will Kydex Holsters Scratch Your Gun?
While kydex has a ton of advantages, it’s definitely not perfect. One of the main issues with kydex holsters is that they can and will eventually scratch your gun. With enough repeated draws and holsterings, you’ll begin to see noticeable wear marks appear on your gun’s slide.
That may not be an issue for someone carrying a Glock around all the time. But if you have a high-end gun, you’re not going to want to damage it by coupling it with a kydex holster. Instead, you want something that will increase your firearm’s longevity.
Choose Leather Holsters to Protect Your Firearm – And Yourself
Leather holsters, in contrast, aren’t some new type of space-age thermoplastic like kydex is. We’ve been using leather to make holsters for about as long as we’ve been making handguns. Look at any picture of the Old West to see what we’re talking about.
But just because it’s old doesn’t mean leather is obsolete. It offers plenty of benefits. For one, leather has a much higher level of passive retention than kydex does. In other words, leather offers more friction, which helps to hold your gun in place.
That’s not all, though. Leather holsters, when properly maintained, won’t scratch your gun. Instead, you can safely draw and re-holster your gun effectively infinite times without having to worry about scratching or scuffing your firearm.
Do you have a high-end gun that you want to carry without damaging? That’s a job for the Southern Trapper. Our expert leathermen craft our holsters out of genuine alligator leather. It’s soft enough that it won’t damage your gun, but tough enough to stand up to years of use. To learn more, check out our complete selection of holsters here.
