Looking for best deal in gun belts

[19-3Ben]

Here's the deal.
I'm about to sell one of my guns in order to fund a bunch of needed accessories (night sights, ammo, etc...). One of the things I want is a gun belt.
Now, I'd love to get one from Beltman, but can't really afford to throw down $80+shipping it wold take to get one.

Is there a good alternative in the ~$40-50 range?

 

[bigfatdave]

BeltMan sometimes has blemished and returned belts for a lower price, EMail or call and ask if they have one you'd like.

CrossBreed makes a slightly cheaper belt, there are fabric belts that are well reviewed (google "original instructor belt") ... but I can't imagine ordering a belt from anyone but the BeltMan at this point.

Save up and get one belt, or get one now and end up spending the money on the BM belt in the end anyway.

 

[FastMover]

Yes there is!

The Wilderness Tactical 5 Stitch. I purchased mine locally for 45.00

 

[swinokur]

Also depends on the intended use. I need a combo dressy/casual belt for work/casual situations. Beltman fills the bill. Little more money but you only have to cry once.

www.thebeltman.net

 

[Zundfolge]

Yes there is!

The Wilderness Tactical 5 Stitch. I purchased mine locally for 45.00

If you're one of those guys that wears nothing but 5.11 pants, the Wilderness Instructor belts are great.

For those of us that need a good leather belt not so much.

The Belt Man is a good place for belts, but if you check around with various holster makers you can get good belts at a little better price. For example Lobo makes a good belt at a good price (if you have a holster maker in your area talk to them ... often times these guys love to deal with local folk).

Belts from DeSantis and Bianchi can be had in that $40-50 range.

Also, I've heard a few folk say the Carhartt belts are pretty good and cost less.

 

[Guillermo]

5:11 Trainer belt, reinforced.

30 bucks

Great buy. It changed my carry life.

 

[Lou McGopher]

I haven't tried this guy yet, but his products seem like they'd fit the bill. A lot of options and customizations, costs a tad less than Beltman. He's been in business for decades. I'll be ordering something from here for xmas.

[noparse]http://www.leathergoodsconnection.com/[/noparse]

I emailed him once with a simple question, and got a reply back almost right away.

 

[19-3Ben]

Have I ever told you guys you're the absolute best!

Thanks for all the great advice. I'm glad to finally be joining the ranks of guys using proper belts, rather than the stiffest belt I could find on the rack at Marshals!

 

[JTQ]

A couple of other options

A&G Custom Leather
http://www.agcustomgunleather.com/

High Noon
http://www.highnoonholsters.com/Pro.../Magazine_Carriers/Pocket_Holsters/belts.html

 

[Varob]

Take a look at Looper Leather. I have several of these belts and they can be used for dress or casual wear.

Very good quality.

http://www.looperlawenforcement.com/looper-reinforced-holster-belt.html

 

[JTQ]

Mernickle is another one.

http://www.mernickleholsters.com/bm_belts.html

 

[JEB]

5.11 operator belt with the permastiff insert. $30 at scheels

if you want a good belt for ccw and dont want to spend the big bills that a nice leather belt requires then this is an excellent choice. you may get a mall ninja joke or to but oh well....its worth it.

 

[Guillermo]

BTW, the 5.11 trainer belt is 1.5 inch, the operator is 2 inch. Check your belt loops before you decide.

Also, if you decide to go leather I need to promote a great guy, Cotton of Cotton's Custom Leather. Do NOT be scared by the word "custom". His prices are VERY reasonable. Heck, he made a custom holster for a Diamondback for me for Bianchi price.

http://www.tex45.com/index.htm

Have I ever told you guys you're the absolute best

There are a lot of nice folks at THR and are happy to help if they can. It is a great board.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Don Hume

 

[Sunray]

Hi. $80 is cheap. Can't imagine buying stuff that is so easy to make. Hardest part is finding a decent buckle.
A gun belt needs to be stiff enough to keep the holster from moving. That isn't hard to do. Tandy's sells belt blanks in assorted thicknesses. 6 to 8 oz leather is enough.

 

[SR_]

It depends on the look you want:

If you like nylon - the Wilderness belt is probably the #1 seller.

For leather
> The beltman - a truly great guy and product.

> but for 49.95, this one is really hard to beat. They were on display at the 2010 Carolina Cup (One of he world's largest IDPA matches).
http://www.blade-tech.com/Blade-Tech-Looper-Belt-Series-1.5-wide-pr-1250.html

 

[TX expat]

I have a Cabela's Double Duty belt and while I'm sure it isn't as nice at the high end belts, it's a whopping $20 on sale, so for the money I think it's well worth it.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Clothing/Mens-Casual-Clothing/Mens-Clothing-Accessories/Mens-Belts-Suspenders|/pc/104797080/c/104746680/sc/104446980/i/103911480/Cabelas-Double-Duty-Belt/733280.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fclothing-mens-casual-clothing-mens-clothing-accessories-mens-belts-suspenders%2F_%2FN-1100924%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_103911480

The one thing I'll add is the buckle just plain sucks. I put a different one on it immediately. Other than that, I've had mine for over a year now and it's still holding up well.

 

[DasFriek]

After looking at punka rocka's link i saw the same exact belt i wear which i thought was a bargain at $25 i paid. But the website for the store i bought it from didnt list it and you would have to call them to get it.
But this is what i wear: http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...dexId=103911480&productId=733280&type=product

Ive worn mine a year mostly with a 5" 1911 pulled about as tight as my body humanly allows and i see no signs of stretching or wear except for scratches one of my holsters clips put on it. Its buckle is more user friendly to wear imo as i have a spare tire and it dont cut into my gut, I just cant breath when i tie my shoes. But thats not the belt but the tire.

Ive considered better belts, But then i thought "Just how much better can they really be?" Im sure others may be thicker or reinforced and fancier. But this one gets the job done as im 6'4" 270lbs and like my belt tight with that all steel 1911.
If it can look this good after 1 year it will last many more.

 

[MikePaiN]

Nice Belts Das...and even better on sale at $14.99
I'm only 30min from the Cabelas CT store, I'll have to go check them out in person.

 

[swinokur]

80 dollar gun belts may not be the best deal, but if they last 10 years they are the best VALUE, Cheap belts either perform poorly or wear out frequently or both. As someone said, better to save up and buy one of the quality belts already mentioned. I am a Beltman fan myself.

Buy once Cry once.

 

[bigfatdave]

80 dollar gun belts may not be the best deal, but if they last 10 years they are the best VALUE

The only reason I'd need to buy another belt in the foreseeable future would be major weight loss or gain.
... OR ... I could buy off-the-rack junk every 12-24 months forever

The same goes for holsters, you can buy a drawer-full of cheapo generic holsters, or one quality custom-fitted holster for each gun type you intend to carry.