Left handed DL-44 Holster: Can it be done?

Sticky Toes

New Member

• Oct 19, 2017

• #1

Hey all, I'm trying to make a left handed holster for a DL-44, and I could use some advice on making the pattern. Ideally, I'd like it to be similar to Han's holster, the 'Y' shape with the leg strap. Any of you leather workers ever tried something like this?

 

TerranCmdr

Active Member

• Oct 19, 2017

• #2

Seems like all you'd need to do is flip the "Y" portion. The main belt can stay the same as the "Y" attaches at the front and back buckles.

 

kingsley

Active Member

• Oct 19, 2017

• #3

Pretty sure I could do that for you if you needed one made.

 

A

Alan Solo

New Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #4

I always thought the scope was on the wrong side of the DL-44 (for a right-handed) user, and the reason was likely the difficulty in holstering it with the scope on the leg side.

 

Sticky Toes

New Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #5

TerranCmdr said:

Seems like all you'd need to do is flip the "Y" portion. The main belt can stay the same as the "Y" attaches at the front and back buckles.

Click to expand...

That was my first thought, but if I do that, theres no good way to account for the scope. I would need to notch it somehow.

 

Last edited: Oct 20, 2017

Egon

Sr Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #6

Do you already have the DL-44? If not, you could always just build it lefty.

 

Sticky Toes

New Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #7

Egon said:

Do you already have the DL-44? If not, you could always just build it lefty.

Click to expand...

I do, I picked up a full metal airsoft one: http://www.evike.com/products/64312/

 

TerranCmdr

Active Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #8

Ah, I didn't consider the scope. Well, you could try and modify yours to be lefty, or you could try and make a custom-fit holster. It might sight a bit awkwardly but I think it can be done.

 

Sticky Toes

New Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #9

TerranCmdr said:

Ah, I didn't consider the scope. Well, you could try and modify yours to be lefty, or you could try and make a custom-fit holster. It might sight a bit awkwardly but I think it can be done.

Click to expand...

Yeah the plan is to make a custom holster. Im just trying to see if anyone has done it before to get some idea as to what I’m doing lol


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Trooper_trent

Master Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Oct 20, 2017

• #10

I'm a lefty. I thought about it a lot actually. I ended up just giving in and doing it all right handed.
A) it looks weird on the left side with the non scope side pointing out
B) the scope would dig into your leg and cause the gun to sit further out
C) the holster would have to be completely redesigned to fit the scope on the inside

 

Sticky Toes

New Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #11

Trooper_trent said:

I'm a lefty. I thought about it a lot actually. I ended up just giving in and doing it all right handed.
A) it looks weird on the left side with the non scope side pointing out
B) the scope would dig into your leg and cause the gun to sit further out
C) the holster would have to be completely redesigned to fit the scope on the inside

Click to expand...

That just makes me want to do it more lol.

Now I’m thinking about some kind of spacer to keep it off my leg a bit. Like maybe keep the same holster design, just flip it. Then add a spacer, and rivet that to the ‘Y’ rig. The spacer would need to be just wide enough that the scope isn’t digging into my leg, and possibly tapered toward the back so the grip isn’t sticking way out.

I’ll have to draw up a design and post it later.


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Trooper_trent

Master Member

RPF PREMIUM MEMBER

• Oct 20, 2017

• #12

Sticky Toes said:

That just makes me want to do it more lol.

Now I’m thinking about some kind of spacer to keep it off my leg a bit. Like maybe keep the same holster design, just flip it. Then add a spacer, and rivet that to the ‘Y’ rig. The spacer would need to be just wide enough that the scope isn’t digging into my leg, and possibly tapered toward the back so the grip isn’t sticking way out.

I’ll have to draw up a design and post it later.


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Click to expand...

I mean.. if you're going to do a left handed holster, why not do a left handed DL-44? Make the holster a normal mirror image and flip the bracket and scope over to the other side. I'm looking at my Evike / AW airsoft blaster and it looks totally possible to me. The bracket would be in the way of the selector switch (which isn't even supposed to be there) but other than that, it looks totally doable.

 

Sticky Toes

New Member

• Oct 20, 2017

• #13

Trooper_trent said:

I mean.. if you're going to do a left handed holster, why not do a left handed DL-44? Make the holster a normal mirror image and flip the bracket and scope over to the other side.

Click to expand...

So my blaster is a working airsoft gun, and if I flipped the scope mount to the other side, it probably wouldn’t fit right because of the fire control. And even if it did fit, I wouldn’t be able to switch fire modes. Also, being a lefty, I like the scope on the right side.


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K

Krel

Sr Member

• Oct 22, 2017

• #14

I can't say for sure, but it is likely that they put the scope mount on the right side of the C96, because it ejects the spent shell casings to the left, like on a Walther P38.

David.

 

Mara Jade's Father

Master Member

• Oct 23, 2017

• #15

I'd say that the scope was probably moved to right so it could be worn in a holster.

If you are in a situation where you only can have one blaster in your collection and you want it to be replica of Han's blaster, the only way I can see you wearing it on your left is if you have a specially created holster that would be large enough to hold the blaster with scope and maybe some sort of insert so that it cradles the scope side. It's going to stick out a lot more than Han's holster. Of course, I have no proof of concept. Just trying to figure out how it might work.

I am a lefty too. If I was going to try to carry a DL-44, I would opt to have a mount that would place the scope directly over the top. I know not an ideal position if you need it to function as a Mauser. But as a fictional weapon, that would be my choice. Honestly, I might even go sans scope. Never made much sense to me. I get that they idea is to be reminiscence of Buck Roger type laser. I guess you could argue it could serve as a HUD type device more than being an optic device.

Anyhow, good luck. I would love to see how you solve the problem.

 

K

Krel

Sr Member

• Oct 23, 2017

• #16

Mara Jade's Father said:

I'd say that the scope was probably moved to right so it could be worn in a holster.

Click to expand...

That didn't matter with the Sterling. It could be done, the holster probably wouldn't look that stylish, but it is possible.

Remember, they were using live fire guns in the first couple of films. Because the majority of the population is right handed, most pistols eject to the right side. However some firearms designers, designed theirs to eject to the left, Walther seems fond of this with their pistols. If the weapon ejects to the left, then the scope must be mounted on the right side. In the case of the C96 Mauser, it has a bolt, rather than a slide, so the scope cannot be mounted close over the top of the pistol, where it would block the empty shell from ejecting.

I'm not saying that this is the only reason why they did that with the Mauser. But given that the scope is mounted on the right side of the pistol, and the pistol does not jam when firing. I have to say that I believe the C96 ejects to the left.

David.

 

H0llyw00d

Sr Member

• Oct 23, 2017

• #17

When the scope mount and rings were used in The Naked Runner (1966) with Sinatra the scope was on the left but a different scope than that used in ANH:



In 1972 in Sitting Target the Hendsoldt Wetzler was added but still on the left side:



That's how the guys on the 3 Greeblies thread figured out the lower for those movies wasn't used in ANH and the scope, rings and mount were probably moved to the right side with a different lower to facilitate holstering.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's how it was supposed to have gone down...

 

H0llyw00d

Sr Member

• Oct 23, 2017

• #18

Yeah, there's no doubt the upper was the sawed off Naked Runner upper (I'd recognize that bull barrel anywhere):



And the Sitting Target lower is an m712 so that's definitely out:

 

Last edited: Oct 23, 2017

A

Alan Solo

New Member

• Oct 24, 2017

• #19

I always felt the "mystery disc" was a leftover from an attempt to mount the scope on the logical, left side of the pistol (in exactly the same position as on the sitting target pistol pictured above, same scope same mount). They then realised this would be difficult to holster, so moved it to the right side, and made a new, more stable two point mount (not possible on the sitting target gun because of the selector switch on the schnellfeuer).
I'd have thought a holster for left handed smuggler would probably have to be of the rigid plastic type, that encapsulates the scope, rather than keeping it exposed as with the screen-used holster. I'd love to see it done. Maybe the new Solo movie will show him acquire the pistol from the cold dead left hand of an enemy!

 

K

Krel

Sr Member

• Oct 24, 2017

• #20

I looked up images for a scope mounted C96. The majority of the photos show the scope mounted on the right side, a couple mounted on the left side. There were even two that had a mount that mounted the scope above the ejection port, but high so the empty casings can clear. This would seem to indicate that the C96 ejects straight up. So mounting the scope on the right side most likely was for holstering.

David.