So whats the deal with gun belts? I read over and over, get a gun belt, get a gun belt...Do they have some sort of magical quality I'm missing? I wear a regular, albeit sturdy belt bought at Wally World or some similar shop and it seems to be working fine. Educate me please.
So whats the deal with gun belts?
- Thread starter RichieOTR
- Start date
maine04619
New member
A gun belt is stiffer and has as built in as it's design the purpose of holding up your GUN not just your pants as a standard wally world belt does. The BEST way to understand is to try one on. Once you put on a QUALITY gun belt and hand your sidearm on it you will look in the mirror and I should have got one of these long ago! You spent the money for a carry then you spent money for a holster the last link in the chain is the belt. Wearing one your likely to get better draw times as well.
I had the same question and thought the hype about a "gun" belt was just that. Hype. Until I was at a show and found a dealer selling shooting leather and he explained it to me this way.
He had a gun belt and a very nice dress leather belt. He let me hold and handle each. Immediately I could tell thee was a difference between the two. The gun belt was a bit thicker and stiffer. Not from a bending stand point but he showed me that if the belts were buckled and i held the belts by the buckles out in front of me like I was holding onto the buckle of someone wearing the belts, the dress belt would droop dramatically compared to the gun belt.e
This belt in particular has a stiffener sheathed between the 2 layers of leather whereas the dress belt is just 2 layers of leather stitched together. The stiffener is the primary difference in the 2 belts and what makes a holster attachment more secure and offers more "stay in place" resistance when drawing a gun from a retention holster.
With the gun belt you get much less of the pants riding up or "being drawn with your gun" when you are presenting your firearm. THey do take a bit of getting used to because of the stiffness but after wearing one for a week or so, you start to not feel a difference.
He had a gun belt and a very nice dress leather belt. He let me hold and handle each. Immediately I could tell thee was a difference between the two. The gun belt was a bit thicker and stiffer. Not from a bending stand point but he showed me that if the belts were buckled and i held the belts by the buckles out in front of me like I was holding onto the buckle of someone wearing the belts, the dress belt would droop dramatically compared to the gun belt.e
This belt in particular has a stiffener sheathed between the 2 layers of leather whereas the dress belt is just 2 layers of leather stitched together. The stiffener is the primary difference in the 2 belts and what makes a holster attachment more secure and offers more "stay in place" resistance when drawing a gun from a retention holster.
With the gun belt you get much less of the pants riding up or "being drawn with your gun" when you are presenting your firearm. THey do take a bit of getting used to because of the stiffness but after wearing one for a week or so, you start to not feel a difference.
I was like you. The reason I bought a gun belt was because I couldn't find a good dress belt that lasted the way belts did 40 years ago. they were always coming apart. Daltech force is my belt of choice now at around $500 its pricey but well worth it. My pants don'lt sag lilke the kused to under the weight of my glock and they hold my pants in place even without the gun. Not only that but I won't need to buy a belt for several years now because I have both the brown and the black Daltech belts that seem to me will alst for ever.
Nightmare45
NRA LIFE MEMBER
Buy one wear one you will find out, just like any good piece of gun gear or wrench by the item designed to do the job.
Malachi
New member
Surely this is a typo?
Firefighterchen
OC for Tactical Advantage
I wasn't okay with just "fine." I wanted more out of my carry gear.
An ordinary belt makes a good holster okay. A gun belt makes a good holster great. A gun belt with a great holster is magical.
As for education, there's a lot of good information here all ready (quality, curvature, and stiffness). But you do what you need to do.
Deserteagle
New member
No they do not have any magical quality. As long as you have a sturdy belt, you are fine. Some people just love anything that makes them feel more "tactical", so they go out and spend money on plenty of worthless things.
My loaded full size gun weighs 2 pounds. I dont need some kind of fancy belt to hold up 2 pounds. I dont wear my dress belt when carrying, but I wear a thicker, more sturdy belt like you mentioned. That is all you need.
People are pretentious idiots.
As long as your belt is sturdy enough to do the job you'll be happy. All but the flimsiest, thinest belts will do.
Don't listen to the idiots.
I prefer a wider belt so it doesn't cut into me. But I've used a thin flimsy belt for years (before I realised this) and it worked just fine. It just wore out and deformed sooner and I had to replace it every couple of years. But since it was so cheap: it wasn't a problem.
I've never bought an overpriced "gun belt." And I never will.
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SR9
New member
I have a belt from Walmart that I use for my SR9 whether I carry OWB ot IWB. It is a belt that they sell, and I'm sure a lot of people have seen it. It has a double roe of belt holes that run the entire length of the belt. It is 1 3/4" wide and made of cowhide. Available in black and brown. I have been using this belt for almost 10 years, so there's no question of durability. The thing I like about this is, the holes make it and excellent utility belt that you can clip things into. Like I have a cell phone holster tha has a safety clip on it that I connect into my belt so I don't lose it (also helps stop theft). I also have a couple of western belts that are sort of fancy, but with a cover shirt on you can't see them, so I usually use my Wally World belt most. They cost about $15.00 dollars now. I think I paid about $11.00-$12.00 when I bought mine. Still a good deal.
I think "sturdy" is the key thing there.
In my experience pretty much any belt will work if you are going to carry iwb, as long as you can cinch it up enough so that your britches don't fall down.
owb holsters just don't do well at all with a thin, flimsy belt. Holster won't stay put, flaps around, etc. The wider and stiffer, the better.
Firefighterchen
OC for Tactical Advantage
The gun belt I have been using was just off the rack at my LGS. Was $29.99 and I've been using it for 2 years with just a small amount of the black rubbing off near the buckle. I expect this belt to last a decade or longer. My gun NEVER sags, even from sun up to sun down, in the hot or cold, and I don't expect it to sag for years and years.
So...call us idiots...call us pretentious...say we are wasting our money...that's cool with me, I will think the same of you
Idiot.I carried for two years with a regular belt, but everyone kept telling me to get a good gun belt. So I finally bought a gun belt and I would never go back to wearing a standard belt again. I have since bought a second gun belt so that I now have one in 1 1/2 width and also 1 1/4 width according to which pants I wear. No way a gun belt is a waste of money.
:victory:
:victory:
Firefighterchen
OC for Tactical Advantage
Seeking validation? From who? Are you losing your marbles Bob?
Mikey Idaho
New member
Got my gun belt made custom from a local leatherworker, $30, would never spend more than 40 for a belt... but a true gun belt is worth buying IMO
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