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Carry belt

hukset402

Weld On!
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 24, 2020
313
347
nebraska
Tl:Dr I'm fat and need a new belt for ccw.



So I have been doing the off body carry thing for a while for many reasons (kids, work, I'm fat now..) with the evolution of the smaller yet still plenty capable guns. (Helcat, 365, g46 etc) in the last few years I've been carrying on my personal more when I can.

Years ago I bought a boxer tactical belt ( now a not so much tactical conpany) I lobe the belt still but alas I am now a fat shit, trying ti work on it, I need a belt. What's awesome? No appendix carry so cobra buckles are out. They stab me in my under carriage.


Thabks
 
The belt I mainly use right now came from Wright Leather.
ETA: They used to have a much larger belt selection.

The "holster" I use most often is a Bianchi Foldaway, it works for me. There are two sizes. One fits my P320 or my P229, the other fits the P365.

I'm happy with all of it.

Someone should be along shortly to tell you how irresponsible I am and it's all shit.
 
I use one from Hanks Belts (extreme belt 1.5”). While they have a 100 year warranty, I won’t need it for that long :) I carry a full-size 1911 in a Galco FL 212 holster with a 1791 dual mag carrier. Belt is great at holding everything in place.
 
I use a Kore belt. They’re good, but I like my Beltman better.

I switched to DCC holster clips this year when I moved to appendix carry. The clips are AWESOME, but they don’t fit over my Beltman belts all the way. The Kore is good quality, just not as stiff as the Beltman and I miss that stiffness.

If you’re going to run regular steel or plastic clips (offered on most holsters as the standard option), get a Beltman.
If you want to reduce some bulk and go with DCC clips, grab the Kore.
 
The one feature that I think is most important in a gun belt is torsional rigidity- the belt has to be resistant to twisting/rolling/folding over. For that reason I like heavy, reinforced, ballistic nylon belts like those from Wilderness products and similar. For leather I want a stainless steel, titanium, or carbon fiber core.
 
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Nexbelts are a good option. I have worn their edc belt for years now
 
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The Blue Alpha inner belt is all velcro for cinching it down good and tight. I don't use it as a ccw belt, but if I did, it'd be a damn good one IMO. I use a Vedder belt and holster for a 365XL but it has a cobra buckle.
 
Been using the SuperBio belt for years, better than leather to be sure, but they make Bullhide if you must.
 
Kore, easy. Their longevity is limited (I think I am on my 3rd or 4th in about 8 years of almost daily wear), adjustment is great, and the buckle is heavy enough to be a weapon by itself if needed. I always fly with a Kore belt...

To be clear, the ask is for a daily wear belt for CCW, it isn't for something fancy - is a pure utilitarian question - as I understood it.

Editing to add: Kore will support a weapon and holster as steadily and securely as a 2" double-ply leather belt, which is what I wore previously. The leather lasts almost forever with just a little care, but is an obvious gun belt to anyone who knows what to look for. The Kore is a more subtle tool with more versatility, just not as durable.
 
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Lots of great recommendations; besides Beltman, Armour Belts is another highly rated belt
 
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Here's the thing.

Do you want a rigid belt or not?

I own a kore, I own multiple $100+ leather carry belts including one that is insanely stiff, and other belts including ones I made myself. What I found is that the stiff belts actually don't work for me unless I have a specific reason, for example, outer waistband carry.

They don't contour well or at all, it's like cinching a steel belt across your waist, which can mean a holster doesn't cant properly, doesn't form to your body as it should, and so on, depending upon pressure points.

So I found I like a belt that isn't so stiff. One I've been using a lot lately is the Argali kodiak belt, I found, with belts that aren't as rigid I also like to hit that limit of wide, not go narrow, this belt has fit that with me.

Bought it for a belt to wear under a heavy pack, ended up liking it enough that it became a daily belt.

So, you don't NEED a rigid belt unless you need a rigid belt, they can, at times, be a worse option. And by the way, I carry a 500 S&W as well at times, now on battle belt rigs, very stiff rigs, so I do know about using a rigid belt even above and beyond the Kore and such, I'm not just speaking with some odd bias against stiff belts, they have uses.

I've thought about trying the normal Kore belt though, they note it isn't for carry, but that's because for some reason they think you have to have an insanely rigid belt to carry, really isn't the case.

My normal daily carry is a P320 carry with a twin port compensator, it's carried with a 21rd mag in the gun and an extra 21rd mag in a mag holster, on the belt.
But even my small rig is a 3.25" 2011 with a 17rd mag and a 19rd as backup.

So it isn't as though I'm carrying something super light either, still find a non-super stiff belt is my preferred most all of the time for inner waistband.
 
I get what you are saying. I don't agree, for me, at all. I have wilderness instructors, and a half dozen other soft belts, and I flat don't like them as a gun belt. If I am going to carry in a holster (I pocket carry a .380 in a sticky 24/7) like the support of a ridged belt. If I carried IWB or OWB with a soft belt I would have to make it considerably tighter to keep it fixed than I do with a ridged, steel core belt. If you use a big, pancake holster IWB (which I do not) I think that's probably more forgiving on stiffness as it's got more area to hold against your skin, but I find these hot and uncomfortable in the summer. I'd still go steel core and ridged so I can wear it much more loosely without it bouncing around.

I assume that if I ever have to skin a smoke wagon I will be running (forward, away, to the side, to cover) as I draw, and I want my rig to be exactly in the same place at all times. I don't like tight cloths or a tight belt, and if you're hanging weight on your belt you have to make it tight enough so it doesn't move. What's the other choice? It's not like I'm going to wear a 3" duty belt to get that stiffness, so I want a ridged belt with a core.

I have simply found it to be more comfortable to wear a belt you can keep at the same tightness you would without a gun, and if it's uncomfortable to carry you are not going to do it. I am not of the school of thought that you should just deal with it till you get used to it. I want it to be comfortable out of the box, and with the amount of options there are you just have to go through them till you find what suits you. Hence, I have a dozen belts and a holster drawer that is literally packed.
These are what I wear, and I'll wear them with or without a gun as equally comfortable.

These give you the rigidity without going so thick and wide. I guess there are other materials, but 1.25" steel core belt probably gives you the support of a ultra thick 2.5" belt.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions. Got em wrote down and gonna sift through the information.

My old boxer belt was 2 layers of nylon with kydex liner, and a cobra buckle. Changed the way I thought about belts.

I do think that stiff can be too stiff.

Thanks again for the recommendations.

In the past I carried a glock 19 in a cross breed supertuck, I picked up. A sig x macro and am obsessed with it. Such a great gun to shoot.

I'll chime back in with whay belt I went with.
 
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Have a saddle shop make you one. Two layers of leather stitched rough to rough. About 5/16 to 3/8 thick, stiff enough, won't roll, looks old school nice. And you can wear it on a plane.

I had 3 made in increasing sizes when I retired. On the medium now. Never made it to the small. What size do you wear?

Thank you,
MrSmith
 
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Very off brand for me, but I have been running the magpul Tejas 2.0 “el original” for about a year and have been pleasantly surprised. Looks pretty normal. Rigid enough for a carry piece like you’re talking (shield, 365, 43 etc). Pliable enough to stay comfy.

It isn’t custom and cool and all that stuff. It’s magpul if you can live with that… but it works pretty darn well.
 
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Have a saddle shop make you one. Two layers of leather stitched rough to rough. About 5/16 to 3/8 thick, stiff enough, won't roll, looks old school nice. And you can wear it on a plane.

I had 3 made in increasing sizes when I retired. On the medium now. Never made it to the small. What size do you wear?

Thank you,
MrSmith
This. My Mernickle belt is 15 years old and just as rigid as the day I bought it. All stitches are in place, no buckle issues. Just a little wear from the last 15 years of holding my pants up and a full size steel 1911. Goes with slacks just as easy as jeans, plus you don’t look like a tactard.
 

Have been using one of these for a few years, and it has been extremely sturdy and lasted quite a while. Even after gaining a few pounds the adjustability of the belt is nice.
 
Cruce+55+Inch+Large+Double+Hammock+with+Stand%2C+450lbs+Capacity%2C+Outdoor+Portable+Hammock+with+Curved+Sprea.jpg

bring your own bottled drinks it could double as a carry all pack and when you get tired or the wind hits you just right unfold it and take a nice nap . throw some steaks on the grill and make a day at the range something special .
 
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Sweetwater saddlery in Bailey CO used to make belts.

Pre curve cut and all. 1 layer cow hide, one layer horse hide. Stiff enough to carry whatever, all day, every day.
Not so stiff you worry yer belt OD’d on Viagra.

Top and goods and people.

The father Bill who started it made some custom stuff for me years ago.
Still as good now as day 1.
 
I carry daily and I agree with going with a Kore belt. They they are durable, I have had this belt for 3 years it provides awesome support, and their adjustability is second to none. The ability to tighten and loosen the belt when needed is what sold me on it to begin with. It's just an awesome platform for appendix carry or inside the waistband.
 
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I currently have Mernickle, Bullhide and Kore belts.

For everyday use, I have found I wear a Kore nylon belt most often. The almost infinite adjustability is a big plus. The "keeper" that they included with the belt is a joke. It lasted about two weeks before it started unravelling.

Does it look as good as my Mernickle or my Bullhide belts? No, not to me.

Will it last as long as either of the two leather belts? Probably not, but it's been working well for the past six months.

The Kore nylon doesn't scream tactical to me, but I work in an environment surrounded by current and former military along with industrial workers (welders, electricians and painters, among other craft). Bits and pieces of old uniforms are worn by quite a few of the workforce.
 
I’ve had really good luck with Magpul belts. Especially for the price. The polymer never sags, nor does it set off metal detectors.
 
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My newest one is a nextbelt as well.

Very sturdy, comfortable and multi adjustable
 
I’ve tried a ton of different belts over the years. The Zero by Tenicor has my favorite so far.


Infinity adjustable and super simple.
 

I've been wearing this or a frequent flyer for years. I like that it can be tightened where it needs to be not to the nearest hole. Carry either inside the waist band or on the belt depending on where I am.
 
I have a nylon webbing Nextbelt and a leather Kore, both similar and work well. Guess the other question to ask is how dressed up or not you're going to be during the day, might change the materials, etc. I do love these newer ratchet styles though, great for adjusting on the go.
 
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