Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Could you (or anybody) elaborate on what characteristics a good gun belt possesses and how they are useful?
Yup! Stiff (as Vern said), and substantial. It has a lot more of a job to do than just keeping tension on your pants.
That stiffness will help distribute the weight around more of your waist, as well as not letting the gun sag away from your body.
A bit more width (at least 1-1/2", though I often wear a 1-3/4" Instructor belt) will make that weight more comfortable and feel less like it's digging into your flesh.
It really isn't complicated -- but such quality of construction can't be found in the $10 belts from Sears or Walmart. In fact, most "rugged" work pants belts really aren't what they should be, either. A GOOD leather belt consists (at least) of two decently thick layers of leather, stitched together.
A GOOD nylon gunbelt is not simply a piece of nylon strap with a buckle, but consists of several layers stitched together with multiple lines of stitching, and a REALLY good one has a stiffening liner of rigid plastic buried inside as well.