To get started in making a leather holster pattern you’ll want to first unload your handgun and make sure it is safe. Next we are going to lay out a vertical line on the poster board to act as a reference when creating the 15 degree forward tilt also known as the FBI cant. This makes it easier and a bit more ergonomic to draw the weapon. Using the protractor aligned with the reference line make a mark in the bottom hole and a mark at 15 degrees.

Connect these two marks with a line and place your handgun aligned against it so that the line is parallel to the slide. Go ahead and trace the outline of your gun as close as possible, being aware of the angle you have on your pencil (it can make the outline larger or smaller when tracing). Also trace inside the trigger guard area for this pattern. Last step here is to make a mark where your mag release is, and then sketch it in once you remove the gun from the paper. We will be altering the shape of the top edge of the holster pattern to avoid the mag release, that way you don’t drop the mag when re-holstering.

Another important aspect of the top edge of this holster pattern is grip clearance. You need to be able to comfortably grab the grip while the gun is holstered. A decent starting measurement here is 3/4 of an inch, but if you have thick fingers, you may need a bit more wiggle room. So consider measuring your digits to be sure. We will take that clearance measurement and make marks underneath the grip until the trigger guard. Then connect the marks with a line.

Now to get this holster sitting right on your hip, we will need to figure out where the belt will slide through the slots. There’s a bit of a design constraint with this style of leather holster pattern, in that we can’t go too low or it will mess with the design of the reinforcement panel. I place my belt across the pattern so that the top edge touches where the grip clearance line meets the trigger guard….