Defensive Carry banner

Does your belt really matter???

5K views 50 replies 45 participants last post by  scgunlover1 
#1 ·
My Wrangler western belt seems to carry my holster just fine. Does a 50-100$ holster belt really make a big diffrence??
 
#3 ·
Yes it def makes a huge differance. If you have a Gun Friendly military Supply shop or even a local gun shop that sells belts go by there with your carry piece & see if they will let you try i on with your gear. The few in my area will let you. I can almost guarantee you will notice the diff immediatly. If you dont want to spend 80.00-100.00 on a belt check out the wilderness tactical belts they can be had anywhere between 35.00 to 40.00 & they work great.
 
#7 ·
YES! I was a skeptic, but am now sold. A thick, sturdy belt makes a huge difference for both IWB and OWB holsters. The sturdy belt holds the holster instead of the pants.
 
#8 ·
I'll let you know on Monday. I finally ordered my Wilderness belt last week. Can't quite afford a beltman belt. I bought a decent belt a few months ago when I began carrying, it was fine at first...but lately it has definitely begun to sag and pull on the opposite side of the holster.

I didn't expect the belt I had to last, but I had to wait til I could afford to buy a nicer belt (college student and all).
 
#10 ·
I agree that buying a quality gun belt makes all the difference. Maybe there are some decent quality department store belts that will work just fine, but in my experience, thick leather gun belts or nylon belts like the Wilderness brand really do work better.
 
#11 ·
I thought I had a wide sturdy stiff belt. I am wearing my sig p245 owb and my sig is flopping away from my body instead of fitting snug against my side. I really need a stiff wide belt and I am hoping the convention has them
 
#13 ·
The fact that a real gun belt is MUCH better than a regular belt is a given.

The real point is that while the gun belt does what it is supposed to do, it will outlast your regular belt ten fold. If you pay $15 for a Wrangler belt and have to replace it every few months due to sag (and you will), that adds up to $60 a year.

Still think a gun belt that will last a minimum of 5 years is not worth it?
 
#15 ·
Speaking of belts...

I was just at wally world making my rounds after work and looked at a few new belts. I bought two black wrangler belts model A99 on the little paper thing hanging off the hook. They are 1 1/2 belts and are really stiff as far as walmart belts go. Pretty forward looking too. Made of not of this earth synthetic what ever but I have tried it and will easily support my Taurus pt92 no problem. And the best part they were 10 bucks each. Thought all you wally walkers might keep an eye out for um. :wink:
 
#18 ·
It's not the money. It's the stability. The only way to know is to compare. Yes: more stable is better, from the standpoint of keeping the gun where it's supposed to ride on the hip. Of course, comfort and looks are also important. Generally speaking, you don't get those three things (excellent stability, comfort and looks) on the cheap.
 
#19 ·
It is not only a matter of thickness, but also layers. A single layer belt like most regular belts can start out stiff. Over time however they begin to stretch and that is when your gun starts to flop or lean away from your body. Gun belts are multiple layers to add stiffness and to prevent stretching.

I just received my Wilderness instructors belt (5 stitch) and it makes a huge difference. I am currently waiting on my belt I ordered from the Beltman. I am looking forward to getting it.
 
#20 ·
It is not only a matter of thickness, but also layers. A single layer belt like most regular belts can start out stiff. Over time however they begin to stretch and that is when your gun starts to flop or lean away from your body. Gun belts are multiple layers to add stiffness and to prevent stretching.

I just received my Wilderness instructors belt (5 stitch) and it makes a huge difference. I am currently waiting on my belt I ordered from the Beltman. I am looking forward to getting it.
To the OP...
The above words point out the difference between most Western belts and a good leather gun belt.
I've had some Western belts that seemed OK at first, and I wondered the the same thing as you, why get a gun belt? It took several months, but the Western belts did stretch...none of my gun belts have...Wilderness :hand10:, Looper Leather :hand10:

You'll see in time.:yup:
 
#21 ·
Yes, I recently made the switch from a "regular" belt to a Galco "Cop Belt," and it did make a huge difference. Since the holster is pulled close in, I get much better concealment.
 
#22 ·
Not sure what belt you have but as long as you get a good quality double layer belt that is stitched all the way around you should not have a problem. I wear a $30.00 belt from the local farm and ranch store that works just fine. The belt holds my pistol tight to my body with out the sag.

There seam to be two classes of belts on this forum. The cheap $5.00 Wal-Mart belt that most start out with and find to be junk and the very high priced "gun belt" that most of the guys that bought the Wal-Mart belt go to. Over looked is the Cowboy type belts in the mid price range.

As I see it Cowboys have been wearing belts for a long time and understand what makes a good belt we don't need to pay for the "gun belt" title attached to a leather belt.
 
#25 ·
... we don't need to pay for the "gun belt" title attached to a leather belt.
Agreed, that the issue isn't "money" or "gun." It's stiffness and the specific ability to wear day-in and day-out with up to a ~40oz of gun and holster riding securely in place. There are many belts that do that, and not all say "gun" on them.
 
#23 ·
I suggest getting one that has a plastic insert sewn inside. It keeps the belt nice and stiff and really holds your holster firmly and snug to your body.

On duty I carry my Beretta in an Aker holster that is very tightly boned, when I bought it I also bought a regular belt that felt very stiff so I thought it would be a good match. But because the holster held the gun so tight I could barely draw it because of the belt flexing. I ended up carrying in a looser holster for a while until I switched to a 5.11 gun belt with the insert. Now I can wear the Aker holster and have no trouble drawing from it because the new belt holds it so securely, the gun comes free because the holster and belt don't move.
 
#26 ·
As posted elsewhere, I'm not big on belts although I do believe it depends on the style of holster, and weight of the gun. Typically, they provide a more snug fit, and stable draw.
Regards,
 
#27 ·
Some non-gun-specific belts will indeed work fine. I bought a non-gun-specific elephant leather dress belt at a western wear store, that has become one of my favorites for toting firearms. It is elephant on the outside, and cowhide on the inside, and though each layer is quite thin, the double-layer construction makes it stiff in the direction that counts, even though it is quite pliable in the direction that makes it superbly comfortable.

A big factor is the type of holster and the pants. IWB rigs, worn with pants made of sturdy fabric, may not need a very stiff belt for everything to work well.

Body type is important, too. The more one's body deviates from vertical and firm at the point where the holster is worn, the more importance a sturdy, stiff belt becomes.
 
#28 ·
It usually makes a big difference for me.

The heavier the gun the more it matters. My LCP doesn't seem to care. My all steel J-frame 640 sags a bit with a regular belt.

I wear fairly thin 1 1/4" belts with dress slacks. 1 1/2" belts may make a difference.

I sometimes wear OWB with an IWB holster (between the slacks and the belt). It depends on the tightness of the particular slacks I choose that day. I can wear OWB this way almost as well as completely IWB because my guns all have very short barrels. I like the belt to hold the holster in tight. The gunbelts do it better than the regular dress belts I have.

I use a kydex insert type belt from Loopers. About $40. That's cheap enough that I can afford one in black and one in brown.
 
#30 ·
Def worth the money...when you see a holster on a gun belt and it stays upright and does not fall over when off of the pants....that is rigid and supportive.
 
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