A good belt

B

Bluecthomas

New member
I picked up a holster, finally, and a spare mag holder. Spent a little while wearing them for feel, with my every day belt.
Had to go an extra notch tighter to keep everything where it goes. Wasn't quite comfortable...

Do the purpose made gun belts provide support without tightness, and fit belt loops on normal pants?
Any suggestions for affordable alternatives to the every day belt, that can be worn every day?
 
Can't suggest anything without knowing what your EDC is.

Mine is either a snubby revolver or a S&W Shield and I wear a Beltman 1.25" Bullhide Dual-Layer Gun Belt.
 
Bluecthomas said:
I picked up a holster, finally, and a spare mag holder. Spent a little while wearing them for feel, with my every day belt.
Had to go an extra notch tighter to keep everything where it goes. Wasn't quite comfortable...
Click to expand...
Ya dress belts pretty much suck for this purpose.. If you have a thick leather belt you can get by but I still recommend a "gun belt"

Bluecthomas said:
Do the purpose made gun belts provide support without tightness, and fit belt loops on normal pants?
Any suggestions for affordable alternatives to the every day belt, that can be worn every day?
Click to expand...
They do to some degree, Gun belts are either going to be thicker heavier material or have a stiffener in them, usually plastic or sometimes metal bands.

I carry OWB (Outside Waist Band) meaning the holster is outside the pants.
So I'll give you my exp from that perspective, I suspect IWB (inside) where the gun is in a holster sandwiched between your body and pants/belt would be a little less belt sensitive, but others will have to give you their perspective on that.

Gun belts help keep things rigid so they don't roll over like most common belts.
You will need to keep things tight, I mean.. you won't have to cut off your circulation but you don't want a sloppy loose belt either even if it does not roll over on you it'll move if it's slack.

wider belts are better but 1.5inch belts generally still fit thru jeans.. I don't wear khakis so maybe someone can chime in on that.

When I first started out I use to wear thick leather dickies belts.. they worked.. mm.. ok but they never lasted more then 2 years.

I finally got a "gun belt" uncle mikes reinforced instructors belt, it's kinda like the wilderness instructor but cheaper.. they run around 30 or less.

It's made of 2 strips of nylon with a plastic stiffener in the middle & has served me well for several years now, I'd buy another in a heart beat.

Personally I like the Nylon but there are plenty of good leather gun belts out there if that's your fancy.
 
Bluecthomas said:
Do the purpose made gun belts provide support without tightness, and fit belt loops on normal pants?
Click to expand...
Yes. Gun belts are thicker and stiffer than normal belts, with some having a kydex (or even steel) liner to provide support. I've been carrying concealed for ~7-8 years, and I've had three different gun belts. My EDC is a G19 with an extra mag, both belt-carried, about 8 months out of the year, and a Ruger LCR in my pocket the other 4.
1) Aker B21 -- Runs about $65. Good quality belt. I used mine for about 7 years before retiring it to yard work duty.
2) DeSantis Econobelt -- Synthetic material, runs about $30 (or did the last time I checked). Designed as an underbelt for police officers. Remarkably durable for the price.
3) Beltman -- Ran me about $100, but far and away better materials and workmanship than the first 2. Dual layer bullhide with kydex sandwiched in between. I also got outstanding CS while trying to decide what to order.
 
JoeSixPack said:
wider belts are better but 1.5inch belts generally still fit thru jeans.. I don't wear khakis so maybe someone can chime in on that.
Click to expand...
Yes, 1.5" belts fit in the loops for khakis. I regularly wear khakis and a Beltman 1.5" belt.
 
I carry OWB. Aker, Bigfoot, and Hanks have all worked well for me. I have a widerness too which works well. I go with the leather most of the time. ..grey man and such....
 
I have one commercial gun belt, steel lined, that certainly holds thing up nicely. It's pretty nice and I only wear it on formal occasions with my nice nickeled 1911 and a snazzy holster. All the rest are hand made of stiff, 1/4" thick steer hide, and match the holsters I made out of the same stuff. With a little care, my great great great grandchildren will still be using these gun belts, holsters, and saddle scabbards. Good thing it is easy to do or I would be screwed.
 
Do the purpose made gun belts provide support without tightness, and fit belt loops on normal pants?
Any suggestions for affordable alternatives to the every day belt, that can be worn every day?
Click to expand...

Yes, a good gun belt will provide support without tightness. You should not have to tighten your belt to a tighter notch/hole than you usually do. In fact, when carrying a gun, the holster adds enough bulk (I usually carry IWB) that I go a notch looser than my usual.

If you go with a standard 1.5" gun belt, it will fit in most khakis and all jeans belt loops. It may be tight in some dress slacks. You can also get a 1.25" gun belt, and they will fit in all dress pants belt loops as well.

As for cost, there are some lower cost alternatives that are comparable to what you buy at a regular clothing store, but most good gun belts are significantly more than department store fashion belts. However, they also tend to last 3-4 times longer. I wear my gun belts everyday, they last me several years, on average I'd say at least 5-6 years before I have to replace them if my weight doesn't change enough to have to change sizes.

Pretty much every major holster maker also makes gun belts so check out a few websites and see what you like. My last few gun belts have been from Bullhidebelts.com (unless they are running a sale, they typically start around $70 but they last forever- I haven't had one of theirs actually wear out yet, though I have had to replace some hardware when the buckle's finish started looking a bit poor or I lost a Chicago screw). I had two 1.5" Bull Hide Belts (one black and one brown) that I replaced when I lost weight with two more I've had for several years now, and I just bought one brown 1.25" gun belt as a dress belt since the 1.5" won't fit one pair of suit pants (and I hated the cheaper Macy's fashion belt I was using with that suit).

Gun belts will support your gun better because they are thicker and/or they have a kydex or metal insert. Because they are made to support a gun, and they are built thicker, they are more sturdy overall. So, they also make a terrific everyday belt even if you don't carry a gun everyday. They will last significantly longer (as mentioned earlier) than a regular belt. Overall, they are more than worth the price and they are a good long term investment (even if you never carry a gun).
 
Let me just throw out a list that I compiled a few years ago while searching for my carry belt:

A&G (that's the one I eventually got...great, stiff belt...hasn't let me down in 10+ years).
DM Bullard
Cross Breed
Two Fools Leather
Lenwood Leather
Mean Gene
Sam Andrews
The Beltman
Galco
ElPaso Saddlery
Murray Leather
Milt Sparks
Lobo Leather
Looper

This list is FAR from all inclusive, but it's a start and it gives you something to "search" for on EBay.
 
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