CCW Belt - Page 3

Raider39a · April 21st, 2007, 11:57 AM

pardon my ignorance but what is the real difference with are regular leather belt vs. the dedicated gun belt? is the gunbelt just thicker and cinches better with a holster? the regular belts that I used do sag down a bit with a holster. thanks for any input.

AgentX · April 21st, 2007, 12:07 PM

A real gunbelt forms a more rigid support structure for your gun and gear...the gun doesn't just hang off it like it does with a regular belt. The whole belt now supports the weight and distributes it around your waist. It will hold the gun tighter to your body and help keep the grip/magazine from flopping around.

I work with one notoriously cheap, er, practical co worker who was just thanking me for hounding her into buying a real gunbelt instead of the Gap belt on which she'd been carrying a full rack of police/security gear. Helps her conceal better and be a lot more comfortable. She got a Galco or Don Hume or something else mass-produced and relatively cheap.

maclean3 · April 23rd, 2007, 03:23 PM

Absolutely, there's a world of difference between a dedicated gunbelt and a regular leather wardrobe belt. Generally speaking, the leather used is thicker and more resistant to rolling and stretching. The good ones use two layers of leather that are glued and stitched together to form a stable foundation for the entire carry system.
Jack

Blackeagle · April 23rd, 2007, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkat

http://thewilderness.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=3

+1 on the Wilderness belt. I've got one at use it for EDC.

Smith&Wessonfan · April 23rd, 2007, 07:59 PM

Update. Got my Wilderness Instructor Belt today. It was in a box waiting for me at the door when I got home from work.

I didn't even get into the house before trying it. I just ducked out of sight between my truck and toolbox and changed belts right there. The gun went back on and I have been wearing it now since 4:30 PM.

It is incredibly comfortable! Now a S&W Airweight is no big challenge, but even with the Carhartt belts I've been wearing, I could feel it dig into me every now and then. With the Wilderness belt, I literally forget I am wearing it.

Just out of curiosity, I stuck my Model 65 (all 2 1/2 lbs of it) in the snubby's holster as far as it would go and walked around with it some. Amazingly it was almost as comfortable as the Airweight.

I am sold. I will be ordering a tan one shortly (I started with the OD one).

Dan'l Boone · April 24th, 2007, 01:00 AM

I really like the Wilderness Instructers belt, it is my go-to.
I have three different Rafter S belts when leather is called for.

RM686 · May 19th, 2007, 10:34 PM

I have a rafter belt but it is to thick and keeps poping the snaps on my spitz v2 holster. I really think a gun belt can be too thick. The rafter measures about 1/4 inch thick.

ExSoldier · May 19th, 2007, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fed_wif_a_sig

I've used a Galco Contour belt for dress wear and a Galco training belt as well as belts from Rafter S Gunleather. All have served me well for 3 years (newest) up to 7 years.

I too use a Galco contour belt for dress. I even have a matching "CONCEALABLE" holster and a QUICK on/off mag carrier all in Havana Brown. Very nice. But when I carry IWB (casual) I use my Instructors belt which I love for the velcro fastener that makes it infinitely adjustable as I lose

or ~sigh~ gain weight

When I carry OWB I usually wear a belt sold by DILLON before he hooked up with Mitch Rosen. Double thick heavy duty leather, very comfortable.

Thumper · May 20th, 2007, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinkat

http://thewilderness.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=3

+1!

Deputy1199 · May 28th, 2007, 11:37 PM

A good, quality gun belt is essential to properly support an IWB or OWB holster. And there are many sources of belts from dedicated holster makers, at premium prices. You often get what you pay for, but if you find a genuine bargain, why not go for it. On a rainy vacation day recently in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, my wife nagged me into accompanying her on a shopping tour of the "Craft Village" in Gatlinburg, TN. Well, I'm thankful that she did, for I wandered into Teresa Ownby's leather craft shop and found that she hand crafts leather goods at fantastic prices. I bought two hand tooled solid leather gun belts, 1 1/2 inches wide and a measured 1/4 inch thick, the stiffest leather I've found commercially, cut to my waist measurement, one black and one brown -- for $29.95 each plus tax. I've been wearing them ever since, and have never had better support of any of my holstered guns. You can order from Teresa by mail or phone. Contact her at The Leather Works, P.O. Box 711, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, (865) 436-4014. Highly recommended.

April 21st, 2007, 11:57 AM	#21
Raider39a Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: CT Posts: 254	pardon my ignorance but what is the real difference with are regular leather belt vs. the dedicated gun belt? is the gunbelt just thicker and cinches better with a holster? the regular belts that I used do sag down a bit with a holster. thanks for any input. __________________ "embrace the suck" - our warriors in the sandbox... it implies that do the best you can in impossible conditions. "no plan survives intact upon contact with the enemy" - wisdom of the Grunts.

April 23rd, 2007, 03:23 PM	#23
maclean3 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 3,062	Absolutely, there's a world of difference between a dedicated gunbelt and a regular leather wardrobe belt. Generally speaking, the leather used is thicker and more resistant to rolling and stretching. The good ones use two layers of leather that are glued and stitched together to form a stable foundation for the entire carry system. Jack __________________ "The sheep are everywhere. We are raising up a nation of cannon fodder types and we are screwed." HotGuns

May 28th, 2007, 11:37 PM	#30
Deputy1199 New Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 10	Quality Gun Belts A good, quality gun belt is essential to properly support an IWB or OWB holster. And there are many sources of belts from dedicated holster makers, at premium prices. You often get what you pay for, but if you find a genuine bargain, why not go for it. On a rainy vacation day recently in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee, my wife nagged me into accompanying her on a shopping tour of the "Craft Village" in Gatlinburg, TN. Well, I'm thankful that she did, for I wandered into Teresa Ownby's leather craft shop and found that she hand crafts leather goods at fantastic prices. I bought two hand tooled solid leather gun belts, 1 1/2 inches wide and a measured 1/4 inch thick, the stiffest leather I've found commercially, cut to my waist measurement, one black and one brown -- for $29.95 each plus tax. I've been wearing them ever since, and have never had better support of any of my holstered guns. You can order from Teresa by mail or phone. Contact her at The Leather Works, P.O. Box 711, Gatlinburg, TN 37738, (865) 436-4014. Highly recommended.

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April 21st, 2007, 12:07 PM	#22
AgentX Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 476	A real gunbelt forms a more rigid support structure for your gun and gear...the gun doesn't just hang off it like it does with a regular belt. The whole belt now supports the weight and distributes it around your waist. It will hold the gun tighter to your body and help keep the grip/magazine from flopping around. I work with one notoriously cheap, er, practical co worker who was just thanking me for hounding her into buying a real gunbelt instead of the Gap belt on which she'd been carrying a full rack of police/security gear. Helps her conceal better and be a lot more comfortable. She got a Galco or Don Hume or something else mass-produced and relatively cheap.

April 23rd, 2007, 07:59 PM	#25
Smith&Wessonfan Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 508	Update. Got my Wilderness Instructor Belt today. It was in a box waiting for me at the door when I got home from work. I didn't even get into the house before trying it. I just ducked out of sight between my truck and toolbox and changed belts right there. The gun went back on and I have been wearing it now since 4:30 PM. It is incredibly comfortable! Now a S&W Airweight is no big challenge, but even with the Carhartt belts I've been wearing, I could feel it dig into me every now and then. With the Wilderness belt, I literally forget I am wearing it. Just out of curiosity, I stuck my Model 65 (all 2 1/2 lbs of it) in the snubby's holster as far as it would go and walked around with it some. Amazingly it was almost as comfortable as the Airweight. I am sold. I will be ordering a tan one shortly (I started with the OD one).

April 24th, 2007, 01:00 AM	#26
Dan'l Boone Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Indiana Posts: 58	I really like the Wilderness Instructers belt, it is my go-to. I have three different Rafter S belts when leather is called for.

May 19th, 2007, 10:34 PM	#27
RM686 Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 26	I have a rafter belt but it is to thick and keeps poping the snaps on my spitz v2 holster. I really think a gun belt can be too thick. The rafter measures about 1/4 inch thick.