Ordered a new gun belt this evening.

[Podmonkey]

As my defattification continues I find myself in the last hole of my current belt and it's getting loose there too. While I could add more holes of course I was never amazed with it in the first place. It was just a cheapish is leather number that came in a package deal with my Crossbreed holster.
I recently ordered a and recived a Tuff Products EZ feed 1.5 belt with a Cobra buckle but I screwed up the sizing and got it way too big. I had to cinch it up to it's minimum length and it barely fit still. The mini cobra buckle was also a right pain in the ass to feed through jean belt loops, I did like the material though. If any of you larger fellas are interested I'll be putting it up for sale later. I decided I wanted something tough and rigid but also simple and low key. I very nearly ordered an Ares Ageis belt but at about $110 I hesitated. Then I came across this on youtube:
It's exactly what I'm looking for so I just ordered one. With that guys little discount code it was $66 and change shipped. Not too bad. It should be waiting for me when I arrive back home on or about the first, along with my new PPQ holster, all ready for my class the next day.

 

[MilesTeg]

Ya I went through the same thing when I bought my belt. I was right in between sizes within the 1/8" measured in two different ways. So I decided to go with the larger one, come to find out the minimum length is a hard number and you can go a little longer than advertised. The good news for me is that it fits all the way cinched up, barley. I wish I had my gun that goes with it to give is an honest assessment.

 

[4excal]

Belt to big or small, go bigger..nothing a punch a flame and a hammer can't fix. But I never could see the justification of 100$ "gun belt". Unless you're in a free state that open carrys..it's just gonna be like a Thick leather belt I buy at Kmart

But. Congrats I guess, enjoy.

 

[Podmonkey]

Belt to big or small, go bigger..nothing a punch a flame and a hammer can't fix. But I never could see the justification of 100$ "gun belt". Unless you're in a free state that open carrys..it's just gonna be like a Thick leather belt I buy at Kmart

But. Congrats I guess, enjoy.

Well, you will note that I did not buy yhe $100 belt. That said I do not see the point in spending large sums of money on firearms only to cheap out on the attendant gear. Even a thick standard leather belt is not as rigid as a proper gunbelt. Even the gun belt I have allows my PPQ in it's OWB DeSantis holster to flop outwards and print horribly even under a jacket. This is unacceptable to me so a better solution was required. I also need this belt to serve not just for basic EDC but also for training and maybe even low level competitons with pistol and AR mag pouches, dump pouch and a small med kit all hanging on it. The material of this belt is the same as the too largeTuff Products belt and is extremely rigid. Unfortunately the cobra buckle of this belt is attached in a manner that precludes punching a new hole to make fit, and even then I would be left with an excessive amount of belt tucked around me. No, I think this new one I ordered will fit the bill nicely.

 

[Deplorable Me]

mmmmmmm.... belt fed.......

 

[Podmonkey]

Ya I went through the same thing when I bought my belt. I was right in between sizes within the 1/8" measured in two different ways. So I decided to go with the larger one, come to find out the minimum length is a hard number and you can go a little longer than advertised. The good news for me is that it fits all the way cinched up, barley. I wish I had my gun that goes with it to give is an honest assessment.

I'm losing weight at such a pace I went one size under. I based the size off my current belt's center hole. Should be plenty of wiggle room. If I ran the new belt to the largest size hole it would be one size larger than the center hole of my current belt, and I'm in the last,eg smallest, hole of that one. Hopefully I haven't fucked it up again!
I'm just about to drop another pants size again too.

 

[Criticalt]

Belt to big or small, go bigger..nothing a punch a flame and a hammer can't fix. But I never could see the justification of 100$ "gun belt". Unless you're in a free state that open carrys..it's just gonna be like a Thick leather belt I buy at Kmart

But. Congrats I guess, enjoy.

I thought that way for awhile.
My thickish kmart leather velt was fine, it did its job. It held the gun close...I thought.
Then on a whim I bought a belt from Alien Gear for $60.
Unbelievable difference. Not just a small difference, a huge difference.
With my Shield and SP101 it is just rock solid and makes drawing effortless and reholstering effortless also. You dont feel any bounce, in fact it makes the weight of the gun completely disappear.
Then theres my glock 20, SR1911 and GP100.
These much heavier guns were not comfortable on a regular belt. With the gun belt, they too completely disappear. Rock solid, no wiggle or bounce.
Im sold.

 

[alistair]

I'm tired of finding that I fit in the middle of two belt holes. These belts adjust on a 1/4" track.
Wonder how good they actually are?

X2 GUN BUCKLE & BLACK REINFORCED BELT SET

 

[Bananabandit]

I like my Hanks Belt. Thing is very solid. I think I paid $45 for it...maybe more. Ive been on And1 shorts kick all summer but for winter its a great belt

 

[Podmonkey]

I'm tired of finding that I fit in the middle of two belt holes. These belts adjust on a 1/4" track.
Wonder how good they actually are?

X2 GUN BUCKLE & BLACK REINFORCED BELT SET

I looked at those too. MAC is running one of those, he is holding off on a review but says he likes it well enough so far. I myself wanted to move away from leather.

 

[alistair]

I looked at those too. MAC is running one of those, he is holding off on a review but says he likes it well enough so far. I myself wanted to move away from leather.

I want to stick with leather and something that i can wear with my dress work pants.

 

[cardinalny]

I like my DeSantis econo belt, much better support and thicker than Walmart belts and it's only $20. Looks nice too

 

[ICEMAN]

I have a lenwood leather hybrid belt that has held up to 2 years of every day duty use. It still looks new. Just bought a flagrant beard ballistic 2.0 belt and it may be the most comfortable belt I have owned. I highly recommend both of those and they both look like an everyday leather belt. The flagrant beard has the support on all , but the last 6-8" which makes it feel like a normal belt even though the rest of it is very supportive. The lenwood is thick leather with a synthetic material bonded to the inside of the leather. Both are 1.5"

 

[Podmonkey]

I want to stick with leather and something that i can wear with my dress work pants.

The X2 would probably do for you then. Jeans or shorts are my work pants. I also wanted something that would be equally at home around jeans or 5.11 type pants.

 

[Bananabandit]

They make 5.11 pants in lumberjack size?

 

[Podmonkey]

They make 5.11 pants in lumberjack size?

They make em in my size anyway. However I'm opting for some Nylon pants from Duluth Trader. I wish to avoid appearing overtly "tactical".

 

[HEX]

Belt to big or small, go bigger..nothing a punch a flame and a hammer can't fix. But I never could see the justification of 100$ "gun belt". Unless you're in a free state that open carrys..it's just gonna be like a Thick leather belt I buy at Kmart

But. Congrats I guess, enjoy.

It isn't the same. I couldn't disagree more but your post confuses me either way. What does open carrying or not have anything to do with it ?

 

[S&W Fan]

I like my Hanks Belt. Thing is very solid. I think I paid $45 for it...maybe more. Ive been on And1 shorts kick all summer but for winter its a great belt

+ 1 here.
Hank's Belts makes several types of good solid leather gun belts at reasonable prices. If you sign up to receive their email you will often get discount offers from them as well.

 

[togmaster]

As my defattification continues I find myself in the last hole of my current belt and it's getting loose there too. While I could add more holes of course I was never amazed with it in the first place. It was just a cheapish is leather number that came in a package deal with my Crossbreed holster.
I recently ordered a and recived a Tuff Products EZ feed 1.5 belt with a Cobra buckle but I screwed up the sizing and got it way too big. I had to cinch it up to it's minimum length and it barely fit still. The mini cobra buckle was also a right pain in the ass to feed through jean belt loops, I did like the material though. If any of you larger fellas are interested I'll be putting it up for sale later. I decided I wanted something tough and rigid but also simple and low key. I very nearly ordered an Ares Ageis belt but at about $110 I hesitated. Then I came across this on youtube:
It's exactly what I'm looking for so I just ordered one. With that guys little discount code it was $66 and change shipped. Not too bad. It should be waiting for me when I arrive back home on or about the first, along with my new PPQ holster, all ready for my class the next day.

I have a questions on the Tuff Products Belt you ordered. Does that belt have velcro on the inside so you can use it an inner belt?

 

[Marine Cpl]

It isn't the same. I couldn't disagree more but your post confuses me either way. What does open carrying or not have anything to do with it ?

IWB, it doesn't matter what belt you use. Your body supports it.

 

[Podmonkey]

I have a questions on the Tuff Products Belt you ordered. Does that belt have velcro on the inside so you can use it an inner belt?

There is no velcro. Its a one peice belt, just one narrow enough to thread (barely) through typical belt loops. I think it is a good belt, just not what I need. I have come to the conclusion that there is no "everything" belt. I have ordered a more traditional belt for EDC use. The BFG belt pouches will work just fine with it too, I'll post pics of the setup when I get home next week or so. I will next get the BFG Tenspeed chestrig, the EDC belt will suffice till I can afford a more dedicated "battle belt" setup. For that I will go with something like the Ronin belts mentioned above with the two piece, inner velcro loop setup. I like that the Ronin belts are still fairly narrow and the that inner velco belt should keep everything in place and not riding up on me. I belive Viking Tactics has a similar product as do some others.

IWB, it doesn't matter what belt you use. Your body supports it.

I disagree, to a point. One's body does support an IWB holster to a certain extent but dress belts will still begin to sag under the weight. A good gun belt is not so expensive, you should try one. I bet money you will find that a good gun belt makes all forms of carry more comfortable and secure and will reduce printing to a much larger extent. The belt I just ordered is pretty standard, with a regular type buckle, but is made from stiff scuba webbing. It only cost $65. Anyone that can afford a decent firearm can afford that as well.

 

[kev74]

IWB, it doesn't matter what belt you use. Your body supports it.

I can definitely tell the difference between a regular leather belt and one of the Hanks gun belts. With the regular belt, it feels like the gun and holster are going to flop out of my wasteband. With the Hanks belt, the gun and holster feel like they're locked in. That's with the same gun and holster.

 

[GTN]

I want to stick with leather and something that i can wear with my dress work pants.

5.11 makes a nice dress leather gun belt for I think $45. I've had mine for 3 years now

 

[rpf427]

I like my DeSantis econo belt, much better support and thicker than Walmart belts and it's only $20. Looks nice too

Me too. Carry every day and on my second one. First one lasted prob close to 10 years. Very comfortable, and very stable, gun never moves. Last one purchased in Thruway Sporting goods for I think $30.00.

 

[HEX]

IWB, it doesn't matter what belt you use. Your body supports it.

Perhaps that is what he meant in the post I was questioning. I still don't agree with that, but I suppose that might depend somewhat on the body type of the individual, holster choice, carry location, etc (like so many aspects of carrying).
I found the comment strange regardless because not open carrying hardly means relying on any specific kind of carry as a per-determined alternative. I've carried, with a proper gun belt, generally with quality leather OWB pancake or belt slide holsters (usually at 3 o'clock) every day for a heck of a lot of years now. Slacks and a standard button down shirt untucked most of time; or shirt tucked with a suit vest sort of thing covering the holster. I'm not even sure if I currently own an IWB holster or not.

Like most newbies I'm sure I started out all those years ago with a bad belt and crap holster. I vaguely remember it. Thankfully that period was a very short one for me, and I had skilled folks around to tell me what I dumbass I was being.

That said , while I've never been the kind of gun owner with a ton of money to throw around, I am definitely in the camp of not understanding why some people will spend a ton of money on a gun and consider themselves well defended with poor 'support gear'. A good gun belt effects everything involved with training properly. It may be a little judgemental , and it may wind up being wrong, but even when I know someone has a good gun , and even may be proficient in a range setting, when I see someone with a bad carry setup it makes me instanly question if they actually have any actual defensive training, or just have the gun and maybe shoot a little at a range and think that's sufficient.

 

[GTN]

I'm a firm believer in more than a regular leather belt even for IWB. Somedays I forget and have my reg belt on and as I try to unholster the belt flexes and you have to pull on the gun extra hard to get it out of the holster.
I won't wear operator belts, just to much and those big buckles get in the way for aiwb. This is what I use
5.11 Tactical Leather Casual Belt 1.5" | Official 5.11 Site $40
Very stiff and looks good

 

[Podmonkey]

The problem I've had with the 5.11 leather belts is that after a while the layers start to seperate. If I were going to get another leather belt I'd get one with a single thick layer of harness leather. That seems to be the proper construction for a high quality gun belt, stiffer too. My current gun belt is of the leather two layer type and its flexes too much for my liking. It has developed a permanent sag too and that just from IWB carrying a little ol' Shield. I think the scuba webbing material will address these issues while not standing out at all in my line of work.

 

[GTN]

The problem I've had with the 5.11 leather belts is that after a while the layers start to seperate. If I were going to get another leather belt I'd get one with a single thick layer of harness leather. That seems to be the proper construction for a high quality gun belt, stiffer too. My current gun belt is of the leather two layer type and its flexes too much for my liking. It has developed a permanent sag too and that just from IWB carrying a little ol' Shield. I think the scuba webbing material will address these issues while not standing out at all in my line of work.

hmmm.... I haven't had that problem yet. I went and looked at my belt and I can't even see any layers that make me think it's a 2 pieces sewn together. Maybe I'm just having good luck with mine

 

[Marine Cpl]

Walmart or Target belt. I cannot remember which. I've had it for years. It's thin, flimsy, and has not failed me yet IWB.

 

[Uzi]

Can we see the full pictures with the duck face?