Whats the advantage of a Gun Belt?

[jcabin]

I've read here and there people talking about Gun Belts. Now I've tried several holsters on my every daily belts, and they seem to fit just fine. I can yank, tug, pull, bend, jump, leap, run, climb stairs, and none of the holsters I've tried ever gave me a problem. They didnt pull one side of my pants down lower than the other, or make life uncomfortable.

That being said, whats the advantage of a real Gun Belt?
Also, I havent done much research on them, I'm about to do some now actually, but I always imagined them being extremely blah looking and not stylish at all. If i find out they are advantageous to regular belts and I go ahead and purchase one, I dont want to look like some kind of a weirdo with some extreme belt on. Thanks much.

[CommonHighrise]

Gun belts are usually just double-thick leather or nylon belts, made for rigidity. They slip through belt loops and are worn like a regular belt. The advantage is that they help keep the holster more stationary and solid, and help support the weight.

If you go to any good gunshop that sells quality holsters, you should be able to try out a gunbelt or two with your carry holster, and see if you like it.

My reccomendations;
-If youre not into the maintenanc of leather, Maxpedition makes a very nice synthetic gunbelt called the Liger. Its pricey, but not terrible, considering youll never be able to destroy it, and if you do, Maxped. is great on warranty replacement.

-If you want a cheaper gunbelt, Cabela's has a nice line of solid leather belts (not laminate leather like most fashion belts). I wear a 1-3/4" daily, and it works and wears great, and was less than $30. Not as rigid as a double-layer gunbelt, but more substantial than a fashion belt.

My best reccomendation is to use a belt suited to your holster's slots. If they have 1-3/4" slots, then a belt that width will feel far better than one of 2" or 1-1/2", regardless of thickness.

[jtkratzer]

Get one. If you like it, you'll notice the difference, if not, sell it. Someone will buy it.

I like my double thick, 5-stitch nylon belt as I'm not limited to a set of holes for the buckle. The "buckle" on it allows you to change the tightness of it to whatever you want it to be.

[JayBell]

I have an older Galco gunbelt.
Its double thickness, full stitched all around, and reinforced with a natural fiber insert to prevent sag, and deformation.

It hasn't stretched, tore, broken, cracked, or sagged, and will NOT sag with a holster.

a gun belt is not just belt, its a good investment, it lasts longer, and can be gotten in dress styles.

Yeah its more expensive, but buy something quality, not a crappy split leather laminate belt that will rapidly look and feel awful when holding up a leather or synthetic holster.

My other belt is a riggers belt, which i wear with BDUs, its also sturdy enough to pull a car

[soberbyker]

I just bought one here:

http://www.thebeltman.net/bullhide.htm

Take a look, they appear very stylish to me. I went with this company specifically because I will be able to change the buckle if I want.

Haven't gotten it yet, here is a quote from the site they may answer the OP question.

Q. Why do you use two layers of leather instead of one thick layer?
Using two layers solves two problems.

A. No matter what kind of leather it is, a single layer belt will stretch! Leather is composed of collagen fibers (just like your own skin) that have a grain-like quality. It's not quite like the grain in wood, but it is similar. When you put two layers of leather together, with the grains opposing one another you get a "plywood" effect that virtually eliminates stretching.

B. Using two layers allows us to leave the inner layer undyed, or "natural". This prevents leather dye from "bleeding" on your clothes if you get wet or perspire heavily. If you lead an active life or are outdoors a lot, don't tell me this hasn't happened to you.

More Q & A about these belts here:

http://www.thebeltman.net/faq.htm#16

Bill

[DPB]

I've used leather belts from Bulman Guleather and the Beltman, and nylon from Specter and Galco. I highly recommend all of these.

Everything that has been said is correct. The gun belt keeps the gun from migrating on you, and keeps the holster in a consistent angle.

I like the 1 3/4", but not all pants have loops that fit them. 1 1/2" is probably the best way to go.

The first time you put one on, especially if you have a double thickness leather one, it will feel like you are wrapping a 2x4 around your waist. A week later, any other belt you put on will make you feel like your trying to hold your pants up with a piece of kite string.

Think of it this way: Your gun is "life support equipment." By virtue of the fact that your belt and holster are what hold your gun to your body, they are also life support equipment, and should be treated as such.

[jcabin]

Most of you seem to have had an issue with your belt "stretching", which i imagine is why you are telling me a gun belt won't stretch?
I havent had my belt stretch at all, that could be because i dont wear mine all day every day, just a few times a week for a couple hours?

Here's my situation, now that summers here, no more classes till late august, i'll be working mostly 6 days a week all day long, and wont be able to wear my loaded holster. So in fact, i'll only be wearing my holster all day just 1 day a week, i dont imagine that is enough wear time to damage my current belts.

Am I wrong?

[jtkratzer]

It's your choice. I found that wearing a dress belt caused some pain and discomfort. I had to have the thing so tight to keep it from sagging and what not, it started to hurt. The hole in the belt for the buckle stretched.

I wear my nylon Wilderness Tactical belt pretty much all the time I'm wearing jeans or shorts. With it being completely adjustable, I can wear with or without my IWB rig.