DIY: Bedside Holster System

Bedside Holster DIY

Very functional, very ugly, but also very FREE

Bedside holsters are a great system if you don’t have curious little toddlers running around the house (I don’t).  When you go to sleep at night your weapon is secured within reach in the exact same spot each and every time.  Your hand cannon won’t get knocked off of your nightstand when you attempt to hit the snooze button on your alarm clock and won’t end up on the floor accidentally because you tried to sleep with it under your pillow.  Additionally it’s also more accessible than if it were in a drawer, you just lean over the side of your bed and wallah, pistola at your service.

This past weekend I searched the interwebs and found that bedside holsters can range from around $35 to upwards of $75 for the ones made from really trick materials.  I started thinking (and this didn’t take long) that I probably had enough miscellaneous stuff lying around the house to build one of these things myself.  After all the main component is the holster and anyone who has a CCW permit has a drawer full of old holsters they will never use again.  The rest of the stuff is really not that hard to come by, I’m betting you have most of this in your garage right now.

Bedside Holster Supplies

Bedside Holster Supplies

The holster I selected was an old Don Hume belt holster, one I hadn’t used in a few years.  Everything else is pictured above with the exception of the spare mag holder, which was amazingly easy to come up with without utilizing one of my actual dedicated mag holders.

As you can imagine, step 1 involved eye protection,  a saw, and loud noises.  I’m pretty sure I cut the board into a 36 inch section for the brace and an 18 inch section for the face plate.  Once that was complete I used some small wood screws and brackets to secure the two boards together into the shape of a T.

T shaped boards

T shaped boards

The next step was to place the holster, spare mag holder and flashlight on the belt and test fit it to the face plate.  This really helped me establish how much spacing I wanted between each item.  I also made sure to place the holster on the far left, the reason being if I swung my right hand down to grab it I didn’t want anything to impede that movement.

Bedside Holster Test Fit

Bedside Holster Test Fit

At this point you might be wondering about my spare mag holder, it’s simply one of the speed loaders that Glock includes with the purchase of every pistol (which I have never used).

Glock Speed Loader

Glock Speed Loader

The speed loader is secured by heavy duty velcro, with one portion wrapped completely around the belt and the other stuck to the back of the speed loader.  I have tested this for 5 days and the weight of a fully loaded magazine does not cause it to break loose.

Velcro used to hold the speed loader in place

Velcro used to hold the speed loader in place

Once everything was lined up properly I took a few more wood screws and secured the belt to the face plate.  I also cut the belt and used a lighter to burn the ends so they would not fray in the future.  I guess it should go without mentioning but you really need to use a sturdy belt for this project, that leather braided belt from the 1990’s (which you used to fold over itself and tuck in) probably should stay in the back of your closet.

Bedside Holster Finished

Bedside Holster Finished

What you see above is the finished project prior to going up to the bedroom for installation.  This entire project took me about 20 minutes, was fun to complete and saved me quite a few dollars.  It did earn me a couple strange looks from my wife and daughter, but I’d consider that par for the course.  On a final note I should mention that I do have an LED 2 Cell Maglight near my bed which would be my primary should the need arise, but the little guy in the holster still makes a great backup.

[important] Never leave a weapon unattended in this system and use your best judgement…but personally I would not utilize this setup if I had curious little kids running around in my home.[/important]

 

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14 comments

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  1. This is a great idea. I can’t do it because of 4 kids at home, but still a great idea. This weekend I’ll finally get around to building my rocket stove and testing it out. Have a good weekend!

      • PJ on September 20, 2013 at 4:17 PM
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      Keep us posted, supply some pictures! I’m still in the market for a rocket stove myself.

    • Chris.C on September 20, 2013 at 1:52 PM
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    Love this idea, You need to put a patent on it.
    This weekend Im gonna expand on this with material and Ideas. Send you my pics when I finish.

    Yum Yucky, for your small one. replace the lvl1 holster with a LvL3 holster. As far as the magazine holder the LVL3 will allow you to have you locked and loaded. I just retired / purchased my G21 Gen3 so I have this system for it. I purchased also the extra attchment so I can go from thigh to waist. http://www.blackhawk.com/product/Level-3-SERPA-Light-Bearing-Tactical-Holster,1178,119.htm

    So if your still alitte if’y with the kids, you could just attach when its bedtime and remove when its time. Just a thought

      • PJ on September 20, 2013 at 4:18 PM
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      I consider my version the rough draft, or beta version. Definitely room for improvement and refinement. Send the pics over of yours and we’ll add it to the website.

    • Someone on September 21, 2013 at 12:21 PM
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    Using washers on the screws would remove any risk of the screws working through the fabric of the belt over time.

      • PJ on September 21, 2013 at 12:31 PM
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      Great point, thanks for sharing. 🙂

    • J on September 21, 2013 at 12:57 PM
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    KISS simple, no complicated parts….A great idea and excellent design, in my opinion. I might point out, also, this could be easily adaptable to hold other weapons, as well; pepper foam, stun guns, etc, for those that might not be comfortable with having a gun in such a place.

    I like the concept and design, thanks for sharing.

      • PJ on September 21, 2013 at 1:26 PM
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      No problem J, glad you like the simplistic design because that’s usually what I’m all about. I’m quite sure someone with a shop could make a very trick one of these utilizing stainless steel, kydex and diamond plate. LOL

  2. I like this idea, the grand kids are around a lot very seldom spend the night. I am going to build this, I will remove the pistol during the day and replace it at bed time. Thanks for the post.

      • PJ on September 25, 2013 at 1:17 PM
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      Ernie, glad you enjoyed the post and will be building your own. Hope it turns out nice!

    • Alice Birchfield on October 9, 2013 at 8:02 PM
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    That is slicker than cow snot. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

      • PJ on October 9, 2013 at 9:10 PM
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      Glad you liked it, now go build one! 🙂

    • Logan on December 4, 2014 at 10:00 PM
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    I plan on making one. What kind of holster would you choose for a ruger? (Can’t seem to find a holster to fit)

    Thanks

      • PJ on December 5, 2014 at 9:06 AM
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      Since all the gun has to do is sit in the holster (not being worn), try a universal holster like this one.

      Universal holster on Amazon

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