Gun belts - what to buy, what to avoid; what you need to know. MMReview

[Armadillofz1]

I have a couple of the 5.11 operator belts. they are quite stiff and work very well. My biggest complaint is that the velcro lasts about 6 months. Also have a locally made kydex filled web belt. has a fancy riggers buckle. It's a little too "operator" looking for me, but it distributes the weight very well.

 

[Chris]

I have a double layer leather belt while not a "gun belt" it holds my cell phone, magazine holder and holster. I don't get any flex or tilt with any of the three. Chris

 

[Minuteman]

Anyone purchased an Amish belt from Hanks?

Looks like a good deal:


http://www.hanksclothing.com/amish_belts_ccw.html

 

[fidelity]

Good find. Nice price.

 

[Baccusboy]

Just an FYI:

I own two belts from Milt Sparks, which I purchased with their holsters.

My experience with their belts has been less than stellar. I paid around $100 each for both of these belts, and both of them have had problems. You can say that Milt Sparks was concerned about the issues, and tried to take care of me, but for $100 -- a price more than what others are charging for better -- I was disappointed. I shouldn't be having such issues with a $100 belt.

I would buy their holsters again. Never their belts.

First belt was black, and bled black all over my dockers for a week, until they sent me some sealer (why the heck didn't they seal it before sending it to me?) They wanted me to send it in, but I was leaving the USA too early for a round-trip fix.

Next, my brown belt from them has areas where sweat or water bled into the belt, causing dark marks. Don't know how else to explain it.

Nice holsters. Poor quality belts for the money. Getting customers to buy their overpriced belts, while implying that other branded belts may not fit, just increases their profit.

 

[niftyvt]

For a gun belt I voted web belt but by 'web' I mean Ares Gear. Floppy web belts are useless in my opinion.
http://www.aresgear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=100_117&products_id=6

For CCW (appendix carry) and everyday wear I have 1 black and 1 brown bull hide belt from TheBeltMan (as previously linked). I want to get another black belt with a pattern stamped on it soon just to wear to work.

I have used both the stiff Ares and the bull hide belt from TheBeltMan extensively while carrying concealed and I prefer the flex and give of the bull hide belt much more when going about my normal daily activities. But for competition and classes the Ares gear belt is awesome and holds my holster and pouches rock solid. The most I have had on the Ares belt is a G19, 2 pistol mags and 3 rifle mags. The Ares belt holds everything great. I like it so much that I rarely use my padded belt set up.

I will probably grab a belt with a pattern on it from Gene instead of TheBeltMan. . . because Gene is awesome (ex owner of HSGI) and all around funny and nice guy (I have taken a couple classes where he happened to be there). Did I mention is work is gorgeous?
http://www.meangeneleather.com/

 

[Blaster229]

Just an FYI:

I own two belts from Milt Sparks, which I purchased with their holsters.

My experience with their belts has been less than stellar. I paid around $100 each for both of these belts, and both of them have had problems. You can say that Milt Sparks was concerned about the issues, and tried to take care of me, but for $100 -- a price more than what others are charging for better -- I was disappointed. I shouldn't be having such issues with a $100 belt.

I would buy their holsters again. Never their belts.

First belt was black, and bled black all over my dockers for a week, until they sent me some sealer (why the heck didn't they seal it before sending it to me?) They wanted me to send it in, but I was leaving the USA too early for a round-trip fix.

Next, my brown belt from them has areas where sweat or water bled into the belt, causing dark marks. Don't know how else to explain it.

Nice holsters. Poor quality belts for the money. Getting customers to buy their overpriced belts, while implying that other branded belts may not fit, just increases their profit.

But the belt still functioned as a good quality belt, construction wise. You just had a hiccup.

Ares gear, Jones tactical are great nylon tactical belts. I use an Ares.
Leather belts from the custom holster guys will work.
5.11 belts I have been guilty of using because of laziness, but I would not recommended a belt that relies on slide through friction as a buckle.
The weight and stress from the pistol will slightly loosen it up. You have to keep remembering to tighten them to tightness. Also could be detrimental in a weapon retention situation when you would need to rely on that belt to stay "buckled".

 

[Baccusboy]

Blaster, I had TWO hiccups. With TWO different belts. The first (and the last) two I bought from them. Holsters were perfect.

 

[Pinecone]

I'm pleased with mine from the Beltman.

http://thebeltman.net/index.htm

Another fan of The Beltman.

 

[jimbobborg]

Most of my belts are gun belts. I have one gun belt that I picked up in 1998 that I'm still using. That's for everyday wear. For competitions, I picked up a inner velcro-outer thick synthetic from Midway. I should have got three. They were about 1/3 the price of the Bladetech version.

 

[fidelity]

Man, I wish any of my belts from 1998 still worked for me.

 

[LONGSHOT]

uncle mike's instructor belt 30.$

 

[BigT5g]

I love this belt for the money:

http://www.amazon.com/Bianchi-Black...d=1440609438&sr=8-2&keywords=gun+belt+bianchi

certainly NOT fancy by any means, but super functional. I should note that I use this pretty much as a range belt only. For CCW I use a simple 1.5" leather belt from Walmart.

 

[Blaster229]

Man, I wish any of my belts from 1998 still FIT me.

Ftfy. :-)

 

[Shazam]

Yourtack.com sells custom belts, including gun belts, at attractive prices. Most are under $50. I've bought a coupe from them.

 

[jimbobborg]

Man, I wish any of my belts from 1998 still worked for me.

I'm wearing it right now

 

[JMintzer]

Anyone purchased an Amish belt from Hanks?

Looks like a good deal:


http://www.hanksclothing.com/amish_belts_ccw.html

I have two of them. Nice belts...

 

[Biggfoot44]

Along the theme of the above cited Amish Belts :

"Quality" leather belts fall into three broad catagories. Decent thickness single layer of actual leather ( vs the processed from leather scraps at dept stores). Dual layer. Dual layer , with stiffener inbetween.

Absolute "best" , meaning laast many years , money no object , would be the dual laayer with stiffener.

The most cost effective , and still plenty good , is the single layer of decent leather. At least if 1md (1.5in) minium , 1.75 even better. These are avaailable from sources other than holster makers , and often won't be marketed as "gunbelts" . Saddleries , any d. Saddle or harness maker , tack stores , quality western wear. Or my favorite , the belt guy at Charlotte Hall farmers mkt.

 

[slybarman]

Original wilderness instructors belt with the extra stiffener insert. Built like a tank.

http://www.thewilderness.com/tactical-belts/original-instructor-belt/

Sent from my note 4 using Tapatalk.

 

[Blaster229]

Original wilderness instructors belt with the extra stiffener insert. Built like a tank.

Sent from my note 4 using Tapatalk.

What and how do you carry with this belt?