I just got a Galco combat master belt holster today for my Springfield 1911-A1. It is VERY tight and almost impossible to draw the pistol from the holster when its on my belt.

What do I have to do to break it in?

I put the pistol inside 2 ziplock bags, wraped the corners around the pistol and stuck it into the holster.

Is this a good way to stretch it out some without stretching it out too much?

Are there any other ways to break it in that I should know?

I would like to hear your ideas.

I usually leave the gun in the holster for a couple weeks and that does the job. I'd be interested in other ideas as well though????

Yeah its alot tighter when its on my belt than it is when its off. I guess the sides are being pulled tight when I wear it on my belt.

I'd really like to loosen it up before I take my CCW this saturday.

Any quick fixes out there??

Heat and moisture is what forms leather; that's why holsters form to people and firearms over time.  I'd say the only way you'll get it looser quickly is by getting it wet, putting the pistol in it (unloaded with a good bit of oil on the surfaces touching the holster), and putting it in the stove on very low heat.  Make sure to oil and clean the pistol after doing this.  That should loosen it up some.

I'm a holster maker so.......
I DON'T recommend putting leather in an oven, that's very bad for leather and can cause it to crack and dry the leather out.

To loosen a too tight holster, get a can of automotive silicone spray.  Spray the inside of the holster with a good blast, and allow to stand until the spray's carrier evaporates.

Push the gun into the holster and gently twist it side to side.  Don't twist more than a very small amount.  This will loosen it up, and use will finish the break in process.

Before using the holster spray it again with the silicone spray, which will allow it to slip out better.

Of course, a good idea is to call Galco.  It's their holster, so they should have info for you.

For those of you who are interested, here's how to wet mould a holster for a perfect fit:
============================================
I've been a holster maker for about 40 years, and this is how I do it.

First.....wash your hands. Any thing that touches the leather will either stain it or leave marks in the softened leather. If you don't want dye stained hands, wear plastic gloves.

Fill a sink with cool water and a couple of drops of liquid soap as a wetting agent.
Hold the holster under water for around 20-30 seconds, until it's damp, but not soaking wet.
OR:
Some holsters have enough oils in them that the holster may not wet properly. In this case, spray it with alcohol until damp, but not soaking.

Lay it on a clean cloth or paper towel, not newspaper, this will leave ink on it. Allow the leather to absorbe the moisture. This is known as "casing" the leather.

The leather is ready for molding when the leather feels dry but cool to the touch. Tan or brown leather will have returned to it's original color. If when you press on the leather, moisture appears on the surface it's too wet, allow it to case longer.
If you try to mold when the leather is too wet, it will not hold the molding properly, and the leather will stretch too much. If it's too dry, spray a thin coat of water on it and allow to stand for a few minutes.

Coat the gun with a thin coat of some rustproof lube and insert it straight into the holster without twisting. DON'T put the gun in plastic bags or wrap, this will leave the holster slightly oversized.

With clean hands, gently massage the leather around the prominent features like the cylinder, trigger guard, slide, and frame, pressing the leather into the hollows of the gun.

If you want the "detail" look where the leather is so closely molded you can see cylinder flutes or slide stops, use rounded hard plastic or metal tools to press the leather around the features as though you were outlining them with a pencil. My favorite tool is a 1/2" ball bearing attached to a handle. This "detail" molding usually isn't necessary, or even disireable on most holsters, but works well on open, no safety strap concealment rigs where a very tight fit is necessary.

After molding the leather, gently remove the gun, without twisting. The gun will be bone dry, but will need another coat of lube.
DO NOT leave the gun in the holster. The gun will rust, and the holster will stretch too much, ruining it.

Allow the leather to dry overnight. Keep it away from sunlight and heat. After it's completely dry, apply your favorite leather dressing. For a finish coat, I recommend Fiebing's Resolene. This is an water-based finish coat that won't crack, peel, or flake off. It's nominally waterproof, and seals dyed holsters.

When moldiing, be careful not to stretch safey straps or thumb breaks until they won't hold the gun properly.

Don't put too much leather dressing or oils into the leather, and NEVER use gun oil. If you want real leather oil, get a small can of 100% Neatsfoot oil, NOT neatsfoot Compound, which is fish oil with just enough neatsfoot oil to allow the use of the name.

You cannot completely waterproof leather, but I've had good luck on heavy duty field gear with THIN coats of Thompson's Waterseal. Although sold for wood decks, this works well for canvas and stiff leather. Thats it!!!!!

I'm a Galco distributor, this is about all I can offer on the subject: Your new holster will require considerable break in as it is boned to the form of your gun, this will take a little while but what you're gonna need to do is first fully seat your pistol and remove it several times allowing it to "cut" a path for travel, then apply silicone (preferably liquid not aerosol) or a commercial product such as Galco Draw-Ez to the inside of the holster making sure to "wet" all areas that contact the gun, insert the pistol until it is fully seated, allow this to soak for approximately 5 minutes, repeat holstering and unholstering a few times, you may now apply a [b]light[/b] amount of the silicon again, (now the fun part) wear the holster for a while allowing it to conform to your body's curvature as well as the shape of your gun (when the holster flexes around your body it puts tension on the gun). After a full day or two of break in the holster should work flawlessly, remember it will still be snug as it is boned to the form of the gun and that snugness is the only retention that a Combat Master has to offer.

Hope this helps.
Jake

edit: [u]Do not[/u] use neatsfoot oil on a Galco holster. If you feel you need to treat the leather use a good quality leather lotion (Galco markets their own).

Thanks for all the ideas guys. Lastnight after I posted this I thought I'd try looking at a few leather sights and see what they have to say. Galco pretty much said not to put anything on the leather including water. They said it could soften it up too much. I used a technique that was on the Milt Sparks websight.

Heres what I did and it seemed to work pretty good.

I put the pistol (unloaded) inside 2 ziplock bags and stuck it into the holster for about 4 hours. I worked the belt loops back and forth with the pistol still inside to stretch it enough for when I'm wearing it. (it was tighter when it was conformed around my waist). After 4 hours I took off the bags and worked the pistol in and out of the holster about 15 or 20 times.

Now its tight enough to hold the pistol securely (there is no retention strap on the combat master) but I can remove it alot easier now with a quick draw while I'm wearing it.  

I just didn't want to put anything on it that would turn the leather a different color or make it soft since it has no thumb strap on it.

So you're saying that Galco has a proprietary oil that is superior?

I hope it has a high content of Neatsfoot oil in it, because that is about the only thing that works good on leather.

I'm with GSG9 on the neatsfoot.

I think with the Galco holster it really depends on the holster [i]and[/i] the gun.  A 1911 has some weight to it, so it's a little easier.  Don't buy a holster and expect to be able to use it immediately.  I suggest the following:

1. Wear the holster with the gun as much as you can.
2. Be carefull with the plastic bags.  They're good at the beginning, but you don't want to ruin the retention.
3. Use the silicone (make sure it's water-free!) sparingly.

[b]Be patient, and let the gun break the holster in.[/b]  You will have a longer lasting, better fitting holster in the end.

Oh yeah, and unless you really know what you're doing, don't use water on it.

Good luck.

They do, and so does Kramer.  They know their leather and their holsters better than anyone.  It's only a few bucks anyway.  I used neatsfoot on a Galco holster once and really regret it.

Galco makes no bones in stating that neatsfoot oil is not suited to their products. Neatsfoot oil will saturate and oversoften the leather. You have to remember that these holsters are custom fit, they are actually made in the form of the gun, get it too soft and you screw that up.

Jake

[green]Directly from Galco's website[/green]
[size=3][b]Care and Maintenance of Leather [/b][/size=3]  

-------------------------------------------------------------
 
Galco’s saddle leather, and premium horsehide holsters, belts, and accessories will need minimal care and maintenance throughout their service life.

Our saddle leather products are made from natural steer hides, that are range bred and grown. Therefore there may be natural range markings in the grain of the saddle leather. This is normal for top grain steer hide, and adds to the beauty and character of your Galco leather product. These same natural range markings will appear in our genuine horsehide.

By following the instructions below, you will add to the service life of your Galco product.

[b]DO[/b]

Regularly clean your leather product with Galco Leather Lotion or use a hard bar glycerin soap. Work soap and a small amount of water into a lather and apply to the surface of the leather, rub in and wipe off with a soft cloth (do not submerge or saturate the leather in water). Galco Leather Lotion will replace the natural oils of the leather. Do not use pure oils such as Neats Foot oil as they will saturate and soften the leather too much.

Holsters that come in contact with body perspiration on a regular basis may need to be treated as outlined above as often as once a month, to slow down the natural breakdown of the leather fibers.

Dry the leather naturally – do not use heat.

[size=4]DON’T[/size=4]

[b]Do not[/b] submerge or saturate your leather product in water or any other liquid. Do not dry your leather product with heat from a hair dryer, oven, radiator, direct sunlight, etc.

[b]Do not[/b] use pure oils such as Neats Foot oil as they will saturate and soften the leather too much.

[b]Do not[/b] leave your leather product on the dashboard of your car in summer, etc.

The above care and maintenance instructions cannot substitute for your good common sense. Following our recommended care and maintenance tips, along with common sense, will allow you to get the maximum service life from your Galco leather products.