Carry Options:
DIY Homebuilt Carry Gear
This low-ride thigh rig is for Will’s Mad Max 12-bore handgun,
aiding countless walks around the farm.
Why won’t anybody make a machine that would let you eat Count Chocula cereal while lounging in the tub in front of the movie Aliens? It could be a combination hot tub/home theater system with a built-in mini-fridge to keep the milk cold while playing Aliens in a continuous loop. They could call it the “Hydraulic Aliens Count Choculator.” Incorporate a gun safe and my wife in some capacity and I could live there.
Nobody will ever build a machine called the “Hydraulic Aliens Count Choculator.” Why? Because I am the only dude on the planet, who goes nuts over those particular curious things. A successful commercial product requires a broad market.
You can’t swing a dead cat in your local gun emporium without hitting some sort of carry rig for a GLOCK handgun. GLOCK pistols are quite literally everywhere and the accessory market responds accordingly. However, what’s a guy to do if he wants a low-ride thigh holster for a cut-down Mad Max 12-gauge pistol or a shoulder rig for a MAC-10 submachine gun? Nobody is going to market something like that commercially these days. The solution is to make your own.
This carry rig for a MAC-10 submachine gun looks cool and works like a champ.
This stuff is just dirt cheap in bulk. A decent roll will last you a lifetime.
Raw Material
Nylon webbing is dirt cheap in bulk and legitimately painless to sew either by machine or by hand. You can find it on Amazon or at your local Walmart. Fastex buckles and fasteners are available via the same sources. If you want something wider, seatbelt webbing works like a champ. I bought the remnant of a roll from an automotive upholstery shop and have used it for literally a quarter-century.
I bought a scrap of black denim from the Walmart sewing department at about the same time and still have plenty of it left. While a sewing machine makes for prettier seams and stitches, working by hand with some Netflix in the background is a great way to unwind after a hard day. At the end of the evening, you can have something cool to show for your time.
They also offer inexpensive snap kits that let you professionally emplace pull snaps. These things work great for thumb breaks and the like. Seating these rascals requires nothing more than the simple punch tool that comes with the kit and a hammer. If you need some added stiffness, you can double a length of webbing back on itself and sandwich a strip of plastic harvested from an old milk jug inside. Sew around the periphery and the resulting component holds its shape nicely.
A leather punch makes pretty holes but isn’t necessary. Kill any raw nylon edges with a cigarette lighter to prevent fraying. Use the gun as a template to nail the dimensions.
These are Will’s first concealed carry rigs. He used them for years
until finally buying some good commercial stuff.
Projects
When I first got into concealed carry, I couldn’t afford a holster. I sewed a discreet skeletonized IWB rig with a thumb break that perfectly fit my Walther PPK. This held me in good stead for years until I broke down and bought some commercial gear.
I’ve built shoulder harnesses for short-barreled shotguns, large-frame handguns and a couple of full-auto subguns. Sewing in Fastex buckles makes them easy to don and doff. Polymer sliders make the finished product adjustable. If you get the measurements wrong or just don’t like the finished product, just throw it away or drop it in the scrap box. My most expensive DIY carry rig set me back maybe five bucks.
I use the black denim when I need a little surface area. Rigging a sewing machine with thread is a labyrinthine task. I still have to ask my bride for assistance with that chore. Once you get started, however, sewing is intuitive and fun. If any of your manly buddies pick on you about it, explain that you’re whipping up some custom carry gear for an AR pistol or subgun and they’ll desist.
I’ve built a quiver for my crossbow bolts and a thigh holster for my Desert Eagle. Custom rifle slings fit my body habitus perfectly and can be optimized for literally anything in the safe. My MAC-10 rig carries the gun muzzle down on the right and even includes a little window made from 550 cord to retain access to the fire selector. The result is unique, inexpensive and inimitably functional.
Ruminations
If you can dream it, you can make it with nylon webbing and a little basic sewing gear. Measure twice and cut once and appreciate that holster making, like most things, is an acquired skill. If you have some weird gun nobody makes a holster for, you might want to try whipping up something yourself. The process is surprisingly satisfying.
