DME Holsters » Help & FAQ’s » Kydex Holster Adjustment & Fit Guide

Kydex Holster Adjustment & Fit Guide

Every DME Holster is formed and finished for the firearm and options selected when the order is placed. However, firearms, finishes, accessories and individual carry preferences can vary. Occasionally, a small adjustment after receiving your holster can improve clearance, accommodate a change to the firearm, or make the holster more comfortable for the way you carry it.

Kydex and other thermoplastic holster materials are well suited to minor adjustments. The important thing is to make small changes. You can always remove a little more material or create a little more clearance, but once material has been removed, it cannot be put back.

The information on this page can also be useful if you are trying to adjust or fix a Kydex holster made by another manufacturer. If you are having trouble with another company’s holster, you are welcome to contact us. We may be able to help you identify the problem or explain how we would approach the adjustment.

Always unload and completely clear your firearm before performing any holster adjustment.

Adjusting the Sweat Shield

DME Holsters leave our shop with a full-height sweat shield unless the design of the firearm requires something different.

We do this intentionally.

Sweat-shield height is largely a matter of personal preference and can depend on the firearm, carry position and the individual wearing the holster. A full sweat shield provides the greatest separation between your body and the firearm and can help keep perspiration, clothing and skin away from the slide and controls.

More importantly, a full sweat shield can always be shortened later.

Once the material has been removed, we cannot put it back.

If the sweat shield contacts your body in an uncomfortable location or interferes with your preferred grip, it can be shortened or reshaped.

How to Shorten a Sweat Shield

Unload and completely clear the firearm.
Put the unloaded firearm in the holster and determine where you would like the new sweat-shield height to be.
Mark the desired cut with a pencil. We recommend pencil because the mark can normally be erased when you are finished. Start conservatively. You can always remove a little more material later.
Remove the firearm from the holster before cutting, grinding or sanding.
Carefully remove the unwanted material. Depending on the tools you have available, you can use:
- A barrel or spindle sander
- A Dremel or similar rotary tool
- A sharp utility knife to carefully score the Kydex before removing the unwanted section
Sand and round the newly cut edge. DME Holsters generally uses approximately 250-grit sandpaper for the initial shaping and 400-grit for the final finish.
Make sure there are no sharp corners or rough edges that could contact your body or clothing.
Clean away all sanding debris, erase any remaining pencil marks and test the holster again with the unloaded firearm.

If the sweat shield is still higher than you would like, repeat the process and remove a little more.

Trimming or shortening the sweat shield does not void the DME Holsters warranty.

Damage caused directly while performing the modification is not considered a defect in materials or workmanship.

Do not remove material that affects complete trigger coverage, retention, mounting hardware or the structural integrity of the holster.

Trimming or Opening the Muzzle End

The muzzle end of a DME Holster can also be shortened or opened without voiding the warranty.

There are several reasons you may want to do this.

For example, you may have originally ordered a holster for a 4-inch version of a firearm and later purchased a 5-inch version with the same frame and general external profile. Rather than purchasing another holster, opening the muzzle end may allow the longer slide and barrel to pass through the existing holster.

The same idea can apply if you later install a compensator or another muzzle device that extends beyond the original length of the firearm.

As long as the frame, trigger guard, rail, slide profile and any weapon-mounted light remain compatible with the existing holster, opening the end of the holster will often allow the longer configuration to work.

The procedure is essentially the same as shortening a sweat shield:

Unload and completely clear the firearm.
Determine how much material needs to be removed.
Mark the proposed cut with a pencil.
Remove the firearm from the holster.
Carefully cut, grind or sand away the necessary material using a barrel or spindle sander, Dremel, rotary tool or appropriate cutting method.
Smooth and round the newly cut edge. DME generally starts with approximately 250-grit sandpaper and finishes with approximately 400-grit.
Clean the holster and test the fit with the unloaded firearm.

Again, start conservatively. You can always remove more material.

Cutting or opening the muzzle end of the holster does not by itself void the DME Holsters warranty.

Before modifying a holster for a different version of the same handgun, you may find Handgun Hero useful for comparing overall dimensions and barrel lengths.

An online dimensional comparison does not guarantee holster compatibility. Two firearms may have similar overall dimensions and barrel lengths while having differences in the trigger guard, frame, accessory rail, slide profile, controls or other areas that affect holster fit.

Damage caused directly while performing the modification is not considered a defect in materials or workmanship.

Removing a Comfort Hot Spot

Everyone’s body shape and carry position are different. An edge or corner that one person never notices may contact another person in exactly the wrong place.

Before removing any material, first identify the area you believe is causing the problem.

A simple way to confirm the location is to place a small piece or several layers of tape over the suspected hot spot and wear the holster again.

The tape temporarily changes the shape and softens the edge slightly. If the discomfort changes or disappears, you have probably identified the correct area.

Once you know exactly where the problem is, you may only need to lightly round or smooth that edge or corner rather than removing a large amount of material.

Remove a small amount, smooth the edge and try the holster again. Several small adjustments are much better than removing too much material at once.

A Note About Hand-Finished Edges

DME Holsters makes every effort to ensure that the edges of your holster are smooth and comfortable before it leaves our shop.

Our holsters are finished and sanded by hand. We do not have a machine that automatically produces the final finished edge.

Because each holster is individually trimmed, sanded and finished by a person, there can be slight variations from one holster to another.

If you find a small edge or corner that bothers you in your particular carry position, it can normally be corrected with a small amount of hand sanding.

DME generally uses approximately 250-grit sandpaper for initial shaping and 400-grit for the final finish.

Minor trimming, sanding or rounding of an exterior comfort area does not void the DME Holsters warranty.

Do not modify an area that affects trigger coverage, retention or mounting hardware.

If the hot spot is located around the trigger guard or another molded retention area, contact DME Holsters before using heat or substantially altering that area.

Adjusting Holster Retention Screws

Some Kydex holsters have adjustable retention and some do not.

If your holster has adjustable retention, the adjustment is normally made using a screw, threaded post and rubber spacer located near the retention point.

The threaded post may also be referred to as a Chicago screw, binding post or screw post.

Before making an adjustment, make sure you know which screws actually control retention.

Not every screw on a holster is a retention screw. Other screws may secure a belt attachment, ModWing, mounting system or other hardware.

Always unload and completely clear the firearm before checking or adjusting holster retention.

How to Adjust Retention

Insert the unloaded firearm into the holster.
Locate the retention screw or screws.
Make adjustments in small increments. Approximately 1/4 turn at a time is normally enough to determine whether you are moving in the right direction.
Turning the screw clockwise generally increases retention.
Turning the screw counterclockwise generally decreases retention.
Test the fit with the unloaded firearm after each adjustment.
Continue making small adjustments until you have the amount of retention you prefer.

Do not back a retention screw out so far that only a small amount of the screw remains engaged with the threaded post.

If the screw must be extremely loose before the firearm releases properly, contact DME Holsters before continuing.

Likewise, you should not normally need to excessively tighten a retention screw to obtain proper retention.

Threadlocker

Once you have the retention where you want it, DME Holsters recommends applying a small amount of removable blue or purple threadlocker to help prevent the screw from gradually working loose during normal use.

Blue removable threadlocker is commonly used for holster hardware.

Purple is a lower-strength removable threadlocker designed for smaller fasteners and can be easier to break loose later.

Use only a small amount.

Do not use permanent or high-strength threadlocker.

Holster hardware may need to be adjusted, serviced or removed later.

Clutch-Head Posts and Other Hardware

Some DME Holsters hardware uses clutch-head posts. These do not have a conventional screwdriver slot on the back.

Other applications, including some Level II retention hardware, may use a screw on the backside that can be held with a screwdriver while the opposite screw is tightened or removed.

Because hardware configurations vary, contact us if you are unsure how a particular screw or post is intended to be adjusted.

Replacement Screws, Posts and Holster Hardware

Holster hardware is exposed to movement, vibration, repeated draws, belt movement and everyday use.

Occasionally a screw, post, spacer or washer can work loose and become lost.

If you purchased the holster from DME Holsters and have your original order number, contact us.

We are happy to provide at least one replacement hardware pack at no charge upon request for an original DME Holsters order.

We would much rather help you replace a missing screw or post than have a perfectly good holster sitting unused because a small piece of hardware disappeared.

Additional replacement hardware is also available through our Parts page.

Standard Chicago screws, posts, spacers and related holster hardware can also be purchased separately.

If you are unsure which replacement part you need, send us a picture of the holster and your original order number whenever possible. We can usually identify the correct hardware for you.

Check Your Holster Hardware Periodically

A holster is working equipment, and its hardware should be checked periodically just like other equipment you depend on.

Retention screws, belt attachments, mounting hardware, ModWing hardware and other fasteners can gradually loosen from movement and vibration.

Every so often, take a few seconds to:

Check that all screws and posts are present.
Make sure mounting hardware is secure.
Check adjustable retention to make sure it has not changed.
Inspect rubber spacers and washers for damage or deterioration.
Make sure your belt attachment is still securely mounted.

An Easy Way to See if a Screw Has Moved

After you have your retention or mounting hardware adjusted exactly where you want it, you can make a small witness mark across the screw head and adjacent hardware.

A small mark made with White-Out, a silver Sharpie or another visible marker works well.

If the marks stop lining up, you can immediately see that the screw has started to rotate.

If a screw repeatedly works loose, remove it, clean the threads and apply a small amount of removable blue or purple threadlocker before reinstalling it.

Avoid permanent threadlocker.

Creating Additional Firearm Clearance

This section can be used for most Kydex or thermoplastic holsters, whether the holster was made by DME Holsters or another manufacturer.

DME Holsters are intentionally designed so that, whenever the firearm design allows it, the slide has clearance inside the holster rather than being tightly clamped between the sides of the holster.

We generally try to have the slide free-float as much as practical, with the primary contact and retention occurring around the frame and/or weapon-mounted light.

The frame and many weapon lights are commonly polymer, making these better locations for controlled holster contact than the finished surfaces of the slide.

Because of the way we design and fit our holsters, significant contact along the entire slide should not normally be necessary with a properly matched DME Holster.

However, there can still be dimensional differences between individual firearms.

Over the years, we have occasionally encountered earlier SIG and Springfield firearms with greater dimensional variation than we normally see with their newer production.

Most of those issues appear to have been corrected on later models, but older firearms can occasionally fit differently even when the manufacturer considers them to be the same model.

Finishes and coatings can also add slight dimensional differences, and individual firearms are manufactured within tolerances.

Some Firearm Wear Is Normal

It is important to remember that a firearm is a working tool.

If you regularly carry, draw and train with your firearm to develop reliable muscle memory, some normal finish wear is likely to occur over time regardless of the holster material.

No working holster can realistically guarantee that a frequently used firearm will remain completely free of wear.

That is different, however, from unnecessary contact along the entire slide.

DME Holsters are designed to minimize unnecessary slide contact whenever the firearm configuration allows it.

If you have a holster from another manufacturer that is contacting your firearm more than you would like, the following procedure may allow you to create a small amount of additional clearance without purchasing another holster.

The same procedure can also be used for a minor adjustment to a DME Holster.

If the adjustment involves one of our holsters, you are never required to make the adjustment yourself.

We provide these instructions because many minor adjustments can be completed in just a few minutes at home. This gives you the option of correcting a simple fit issue immediately rather than having your holster unavailable while it travels back and forth through the shipping system.

The choice is yours.

Using Painter’s Tape to Create Additional Clearance

One simple method is to use blue painter’s tape as a temporary spacer.

Unload and completely clear the firearm.
Identify exactly where the firearm is contacting the holster.
Place one layer of blue painter’s tape over that area of the firearm.
Insert the taped firearm into the holster.
Using a heat gun, slowly and locally warm only the corresponding area of the holster.

Do not heat the entire holster.

Heat the material gradually.

You want it to become hot enough to relax slightly, but not so soft that the molded shape begins to disappear.

While warming the area, you may gently move the firearm slightly in the holster to determine when the material begins to relax.

Once sufficient clearance has been created, leave the firearm fully seated in the holster and allow everything to cool completely.

Remove the firearm, remove the tape and check the fit.

If additional clearance is still needed, add another layer of tape and repeat the process.

It is much safer to make two or three small adjustments than to try to create all of the necessary clearance at once.

Important Retention and Warranty Information

Creating minor clearance in a non-retention area does not automatically void the DME Holsters warranty.

However, do not heat the trigger-guard area of a non-light-bearing holster without contacting DME Holsters first.

The trigger guard is normally a primary retention point on these holsters.

For a light-bearing holster, do not heat or reshape the molded retention area around the weapon light without contacting us first.

Heating these retention areas can permanently alter the function of the holster.

Unauthorized heating or modification of a functional retention area is not covered as a material or workmanship defect under the DME Holsters warranty.

If you are unsure whether the area you want to adjust affects retention, contact us before applying heat.

Adjusting Ride Height and Cant

Depending on the DME Holster and mounting system you selected, you may be able to change the holster’s ride height, cant or both.

DME generally does not design our Inside-the-Waistband holsters around large amounts of ride-height adjustment. We build the attachment configuration for the intended carry position.

Outside-the-Waistband holsters and some mounting systems may provide additional adjustment depending on the attachment being used.

Small changes in ride height or cant can make a noticeable difference in:

Comfort
Access to the firearm
Grip position
Concealment
Where the holster contacts your body

If your mounting system has multiple mounting positions, make changes in small increments and try the holster before changing it again.

After repositioning any belt attachment, make sure all mounting hardware is secure before using the holster.

ModWing Adjustment and Removal

DME Holsters uses the ModWing on applicable holsters rather than a generic concealment claw.

The ModWing is designed to help rotate the grip of the firearm toward the body and improve concealment.

If you order a DME Holster with a ModWing and later decide that you do not like it, it can be removed.

However, adding one later may not always be possible because the holster must be built with the appropriate mounting location and hardware.

For that reason, if you think you may want a ModWing, it is generally better to order the holster with one.

The ModWing option is currently $9.99, and you can remove it later if you decide you prefer the holster without it.

Prefer DME to Make the Adjustment?

You do not have to make these adjustments yourself.

If you would rather have DME Holsters shorten a sweat shield, open or shorten the muzzle end, remove a comfort hot spot, or make a minor fit or clearance adjustment, contact us and we will be happy to help.

It is helpful to mark the exact area you would like changed with pencil or removable tape and include pictures or a short description of what you are experiencing.

First Adjustment

For the first customer-requested fit or comfort adjustment, DME Holsters will cover reasonable shipping costs to DME and back to you.

We want you to be comfortable with your holster, and if a minor adjustment is needed after you have had an opportunity to wear it and use it, we are willing to make that adjustment for you.

We also provide the instructions on this page so customers who are comfortable making a simple adjustment themselves have that option.

In many cases, a minor adjustment can be completed in a few minutes rather than having the holster tied up in shipping.

Additional Adjustments

If the holster is returned to DME again for additional customer-requested fit or comfort adjustments, the customer is responsible for the cost of shipping the holster back to DME Holsters.

DME Holsters will pay the cost of shipping the adjusted holster back to the customer.

If we determine that the problem was caused by an error on our part, DME Holsters will cover reasonable shipping costs in both directions.

Please contact us before shipping a holster so we can discuss the issue, make sure we understand exactly what you would like changed and, in many cases, help determine whether the adjustment can be handled without shipping the holster at all.

Having Trouble With Another Manufacturer’s Holster?

The adjustment information on this page is not limited to DME Holsters.

If you have a Kydex or similar thermoplastic holster made by another manufacturer and are having a fit, retention or comfort problem, you are welcome to contact us.

We may be able to help you identify the problem or explain how we would approach the adjustment even though we did not make the holster.

We cannot warranty or take responsibility for another manufacturer’s product, but we are happy to share our experience when we can help.

Not Sure What to Adjust?

If you’re unsure where the contact point is, how much material should be removed, which screw controls retention, or whether the area you want to change affects retention, contact DME Holsters before modifying the holster.

Send us a few clear pictures showing the firearm, holster and area causing the problem.

If it is a DME Holster, include your original order number whenever possible.

In many cases, we can tell you exactly where and how we would make the adjustment ourselves.

Small fit and comfort adjustments can occasionally be necessary because a holster has to interface with both a manufactured firearm and an individual person’s body.

Our goal is to help you get the fit and comfort that works best for your firearm and the way you carry it.