Any Advice for Gun Belts?

[mountainclmbr]

I am in my winter carry mode where a jacket or sweater can cover an IWB carry 45ACP. I am using a Milt Sparks Versa Max II holster. Right now I am just using a regular 1" leather belt, but I start feeling sore on my opposite hip bone after all day of carrying. I was wondering if anyone using a specifically designed gun belt can let me know how much it helps and brands that work (or to stay away from). It looks like the Milt Sparks belt snaps will fit over 1 1/4" and probably 1 1/2" belts depending on thickness of the belt. Thanks in advance and I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year.

 

[HighVelocity]

I like the Wilderness Tactical 5 stitch instructors belt. It works really well and has no trouble supporting a 5" 1911 all day. A lot less expensive than a leather gun belt too.

http://www.thewilderness.com/

Happy Holidays!

 

[LBTRS]

Nothing but good things have I seen about http://www.thebeltman.net/. I have read many reviews about his belts by gunowners and all have been happy. I have an order in with him myself.

LBTRS

 

[Sir Aardvark]

I use the Milt Sparks Contour belt with my Milt Sparks holsters. I've not run into any problems yet.

By reading the posts here on THR I've noticed that the most common complaints are holster migration and poor holster-to-belt fit in general, but not so much pain in the other hip.

A lot of things other than belt quality come into play, such as weight of your carry firearm, method of carry (IWB, OWB, etc.), length of time carrying, body habitus, etc.

It could be that your carry weapon is too heavy for you to carry for the length of time you are carrying it, but that's just a guess since I don't know what you have.

All that being said, having a good quality gun belt, instead of just a plain leather belt, is the foundation that everything else rides on so it probably wouldn't hurt to get one. Also, I've read a couple post where people use suspenders to help distribute the load when they carry heavier weapons like full-size 1911's, etc.

 

[carebear]

You'll hear gun belt brand names all day long, but a gun belt just has to be heavy/durable enough to not break down with continued use.

I buy Redwing brand (but not for the name) 1-3/4" leather belts for wear with jeans and such. They have a nice finish and cost about $30, good solid, good-looking buckles. They are made of a heavy, thick leather with double stiching on the edges that retains its shape and spreads the weight well, which are the key things to look for. You don't want the belt to go all soft on you and allow the holster to move around.

Specialty "gun belts" will often have liners or double layers and will probably last longer, but at many times the cost (usually). I tend to buy new belts as soon as they look too "used" (clotheshorse ) so I'm not spending much more money anyway.

I usually carry IWB, which gives me a little more leeway since the gun/holster is stabilized by the pants themselves with the belt providing "squeeze" pressure to keep them and the gun up, not supporting the holster alone. But my DeSantis pancake OWB carries stable and fine as well.

Bottom line, don't be afraid to try just good, solid and less expensive (but still quality) belts while you figure out what you're looking for. THEN spend the bucks on a "gun belt" if you feel you need to.

 

[carebear]

Also, where are you wearing your pants?

If you wear your pants below the waist, with the waistband around the width of your hipbones as is the fashion nowadays you are going to be having to cinch the belt in tighter to keep the gun up.

If you move your beltline up to your waist (or just below) where God intended it, the outward cant of your hips will provide additional support and geometry to keep the belt and gun from sliding downward. Then you can back it off a notch and not cut yourself in half.

 

[Ringer]

I use a Mitch Rosen 1.5" belt with my VM2's and other holsters with 1.5" loops. Are you using the tuckable clips? Not that it should make a difference but I have not really used those. Never had discomfort on my offside and never tried any other gunbelts. Have tried a regular 1.5" leather belt and hated it, too flimsy. Try a Rosen or Sparks belt, I bet it will help, but they aren't cheap .

 

[double0757]

Double leather belt.

Sir A, I too use the Milt Spark Versamax II., on an H&K USPC .40. For about a year I carried it with my dress belt of 1". Occacianaly I had the hip on opposite side of carry bother me. I went to a double leather belt that cost me about $70.00. I don't remember the manufactorer. But it does a world of difference on the position of the gun and how eassy it comes out and goes back in.

However it did little to rid me of the hip disconfort I get at the end of the day. I think it is a matter of how wide is the belt to distribute the weight on your hip. It is better than my dress belts, and i can shift the weight easier during the day too. I have notice that when i ride the belt up above my hips a little I don't get the disconfort that comes from long time carry.

Hope it help. Double O

 

[mountainclmbr]

I wear my holster at about 4:00 IWB with a Para Ordnance 12.45 commander sized gun and a double-stack 12 rounds of 230JHP to add to the weight. Being IWB carry, the belt just holds it in and does not really have to support it much. I was born in the 1950's so I don't do the "pants falling around my knees" style of dress. I am fairly active so I may not have enough in back to keep my pants up without cinching up the belt. This causes the bottom edge of the belt to rub the top of my hip bone on the offside. Perhaps a gun belt with padding would provide the most help.

 

[CB900F]

Mountainclimber;

I'm with Sir Aardvark, in that I've carried for years with the combination of the Sparks holster and belt. If I remember correctly, I bought the Exec's companion & belt as a package in 1997. The holster's fine, but the belt is finally starting to ask for a rest. Considering it's life span, it was a pretty cheap belt that's performed extremely well.

900F

 

[carebear]

You'll probably solve your problem with a wider belt then. It will spread the load around more evenly so there is less of a point pressure on the off hip bone.

That's a lot of weight for a 1" belt, might as well be wearing a rope. If you aren't wearing a suit I'd go minimum 1.5". Also, if you aren't carrying a spare mag on the offside you are really putting a lot of pull on just the gun side with no balancing weight to offset it, that will cause a pressure point no matter what you do.

If you are going to go the full-on gun belt direction, go into a stocking dealer and try a few on, wear them around the store with your rig on, do some calesthenics, that sort of thing. Treat it like a shoe purchase, if you are going to be spending real money, you want to make a thorough choice.

 

[Ringer]

carebear makes a good point about trying them on. Not only for comfort but for size (length) with your IWB setup. Gun shops will commonly stock Galco belts so you can get a feel for a thick 1.5" belt.

 

[Chip Dixon]

www.thebeltman.net

I have 2 of Jim Speidel's belts. ( www.thebeltman.net )
I love them, and you can get 2 for the price of one from another comparable source. They are top quality work.

 

[JerryM]

Go to a 1.25 or 1.5 inch belt from RafterS, and it will take care of the problem at a minimum cost for a first class belt. Their sharkskin belts are very pretty and cost about $75.
Jerry