Be careful with handloads as self-defense loads. I was warned by more than one lawyer that they could twist handloading for self-defense into making you look like a wacko. Even my old NYSP shooting partner said never carry handloads in your carry piece.
Regarding holsters, it is not hard to make a holster if you have patience. I've made a few, including metal lined magazine holders for IPSC type events. You won't make it in 10 minutes, that's for sure. You start out with a pattern, first out of paper and then transferred to cardboard. You can form the cardboard to the gun to get final dimensions and shape. Then you transfer that to the leather. If you plan on lining the holster with leather, keep that in mind because it affects the fit. I personally don't like a lined holster because it does not want to let go of the gun.
Stitching is the tedious part. I used to hand sew mine while watching TV. Wear leather gloves because you will wear thru the skin on your finger pulling the thread tight. The leather has to be pre-punched with an awl or if you are anal, drilled with a small drill on a drill press. Stitching is then pretty easy. You finish the edges with a wood dowel, burnishing them using water and then Elmer's Glue for a nice smooth edge.
When you are all done, you put the gun in a plastic bag. Then you soak the holster in water until it is fully wet and then put the gun in and form the holster to the gun. Don't go crazy because you can make it fit so well that it is very hard to get out when you need it to. But if you do it right, you probably will not need a retention strap. A good dimple that goes into the trigger guard will hold the pistol fairly securely, unless you plan on doing cartwheels or flying Kung-Fu moves before you shoot your attacker. Another thing to keep in mind when you are forming the holster is that it will need to follow the curve of your waist. So, you need to account for that in the forming process. You could just strap it on while it is drying if you are going anywhere that day.
Another tip should you find that after stitching the holster is a little too small, use alcohol instead of water. It will allow the leather to stretch. This is an old trick for making racing leathers fit you after a winter of beer and wings. Soak them with alcohol, put innertube in them and blow them up.
Once it is dry, you can dye it to the color of your choice or leave it natural. A little Lexol will keep the leather from drying out. But don't go crazy with it as you want the leather to keep it's stiffness after drying. If you want a slick shiny finish on the outside, Johnson's Paste Wax or similar does a nice job.
