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I'm looking at purchasing my first gun belt, and would like some advice. I'm a larger guy i.e. fat. What should I look for in a gunbelt? do I need to have the kydex reinforcement that some belt makers offer? Also I've been talking with a maker about adding more then the normal 5 or 7 holes. I'm hoping to loose weight and keep it off. So want to try to extend the useful life of the belt before I have to get a new belt. I can get it made with 10 holes. He said he would even do more then that, but he wasn't sure how much if any strength the belt would lose because of a bunch of extra holes. What do you guys think?

I guess I could just go with 10 holes and if I have to purchase another soon thereafter because I'm losing weight I'll be happy.

I have two Aker's and couldn't be happier.

good quality, good look, good price

http://www.akerleather.com/off-duty-bel ... t/B21.html

I have been wearing a Galco belt for the last 5 years. There are a number of good, high quality belt makers and I am sure that others will tell you what they are wearing. The only advice I would give is beware of getting a belt that is too wide. I got a 1 3/4 inch belt. It has been great in every way, but it is too wide for a lot of common accessories such as cell phone holders that I used to wear on my belt. Next time I will go more narrow. The only problem is that this belt still has many years of service left so I won't be replacing anytime soon.

I have a beltman belt.
have had it about 6-7 months, and it is great
I did get it with the "stiffener" built in, and while I was told I wouldnt need it, I am glad I did.

There is absolutely no sag in the belt with a loaded weapon in a good quality holster in it.

One thing you will need to get your head around, a GOOD GUN BELT, is worth the money you spend for it, and for a good belt, expect to pay $75 + for it, + shipping.
If you cheap out, you will get a cheap belt, and in 6 months or less, you will be spending the $75+ for a better belt at that time.

No need for 10 or more holes. A quality belt will have the buckle attached with Chicago screws. If you lose a lot of weight, the beltmaker can remove the buckle, cut 3-6" off that end, and remount the buckle. The Beltman.net offers this.

The stiffener is worth the small increase in money.

I can't compare it to other gun belts, but if the belts offered by Crossbreed are good gun belts (I'm pleased with mine, anyway) there's a "cheap" option. My belt came from their seconds store. Can't see anything wrong with it, but it was $40 instead of $80. If you anticipate wanting to buy a different belt later, that might be a more budget-friendly option than buying two full-price belts.

i like my wilderness belt. got it this spring, so i have only carried my G27 on it. i dont see the G22 being a problem either once winter gets here.

god bless.

Jumping Frog wrote:No need for 10 or more holes. A quality belt will have the buckle attached with Chicago screws. If you lose a lot of weight, the beltmaker can remove the buckle, cut 3-6" off that end, and remount the buckle. The Beltman.net offers this.

The stiffener is worth the small increase in money.

I wish I had that problem.

A Wilderness instructor belt would be a good choice. Cheap enough that when you reach a new size, you can replace it (and probably sell your old one).

Aker's around $50 and has lasted me years.

wearing it every day

I'm very happy with my belt from Old Faithful Holsters. I got the kit and just left it unfinished and wipe on some neatsfoot oil once in a while (which has darkened it up a bit). Overall it has stayed pretty stiff without the reinforcement.

sdmahoney wrote:I'm very happy with my belt from Old Faithful Holsters. I got the kit and just left it unfinished and wipe on some neatsfoot oil once in a while (which has darkened it up a bit). Overall it has stayed pretty stiff without the reinforcement.

What size is your belt? If I remember correctly when reading their website they recommended reinforcing for the larger belts?

SQLGeek wrote:A Wilderness instructor belt would be a good choice. Cheap enough that when you reach a new size, you can replace it (and probably sell your old one).

This.

you should also check out

http://www.bullhidebelts.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
bullhide is very stiff and the measurement is straightforward. Just add 4 inches to your current waist size.
They have a clearance sale right now that is very reasonable. Their belts are usually in stock and there is no wait time other than shipping.

Other belts I have used include the Ares Ranger belt: very stiff, made of scuba gear webbing. I find it is perfect for securing a battle belt but hard to wear on normal pants because it is so incredibly stiff. There is a long lead time (4-6 wks) for the belt and it is pricey ($90).
http://www.aresgear.com/index.php?main_ ... ducts_id=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would recommend the bullhide for everyday use and the ranger belt for tactical battle belt applications. There are many excellent belt manufacturers out there and it seems like most of us are happy with our choices.

I own a Comp-Tac belt with stiffener. While it is cheaper, there are differences between it and the other quality 2 layer bullhide or horsehide belts. The Comp-Tac sacrifices leather thickness in one of the layers to accomodate the stiffener. However, they do not run the stiffener all the way to the buckle or all the way to the tip (through the buckle holes on the other end). This means that the holes can still stretch, and that the belt has a weaker zone where the kydex stiffener insert is not present. It is stiff enough for most small and medium framed guns for most people I think.

I prefer a two layer gun belt that is 1/4" thick. Kramer and Beltman are good examples. Tucker Gunleather and others also make good ones (bullhide and A&G are recommended by others on similar threads on this forum). Somebody makes one with a kydex stiffener that carries it all the way to the ends of the belt, but I forget who that is. I find that the quality 2 layer horsehide leather belt is sufficient without the stiffener in my size and with my firearms. Mine is stiffer and moves less than my Comp-Tac or my Wilderness Tactical 5 stitch instructor belt.

The Wilderness Tactical 5 stitch istructor belt is similar to the comptac in that it is perfectly sufficient for small to medium framed guns. It also has the weaker zone where the stitching stops near the buckles.

I'm not suggesting that you'd ever mount a gun in what I'd call the weak zone, but I'm suggesting that the lack of vertical stability in that section could allow some movement in the area where the gun is mounted if the gun is heavy enough.