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Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:06 pm
by ed7232004
Is gun belt really nesscersary for IWB com tac holster? I m carrying an xd 40 service model and found out that my pants would fall down one side. I m a skinny guy weight 120 . And I also have the velco clip on .I don't think the belt matters since it don't hang on to the belt itself.it hang on the pants. Any recommandations? Thanks
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:28 pm
by USA1
ed7232004 wrote:I don't think the belt matters since it don't hang on to the belt itself.it hang on the pants. Any recommandations? Thanks
But the Belt holds up the pants...A good stiff Gun Belt makes ALL the difference .
It helps to distribute the weight of the firearm so that your pants won't sag on one side.
While some can be expensive , you can shop online to find excellent deals.
Personally , I use a 5.11 Leather Gun Belt. They can be purchased for around $ 35
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:30 pm
by WildBill
USA1 wrote:ed7232004 wrote:I don't think the belt matters since it don't hang on to the belt itself.it hang on the pants. Any recommandations? Thanks
But the Belt holds up the pants...A good stiff Gun Belt makes ALL the difference .
It helps to distribute the weight of the firearm so that your pants won't sag on one side.
While some can be expensive , you can shop online to find excellent deals.
Personally , I use a 5.11 Leather Gun Belt. They can be purchased for around $ 35

Excellent advice from USA1.
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:39 pm
by Oldgringo
WildBill wrote:USA1 wrote:ed7232004 wrote:I don't think the belt matters since it don't hang on to the belt itself.it hang on the pants. Any recommandations? Thanks
But the Belt holds up the pants...A good stiff Gun Belt makes ALL the difference .
It helps to distribute the weight of the firearm so that your pants won't sag on one side.
While some can be expensive , you can shop online to find excellent deals.
Personally , I use a 5.11 Leather Gun Belt. They can be purchased for around $ 35

Excellent advice from USA1.
One mo' time...suspenders don't hurt either. There was a thread on here not too long ago that listed suspenders to be worn under the shirt.
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:47 pm
by karder
I agree, a good belt, while a bit expensive, will last you for many years and make whatever rig you carry more secure. I wear a 1 3/4" Galco myself. When you are out in public and visit the little boy's room, you will appreciate a sturdy belt even more.
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:53 pm
by USA1
Has anyone else noticed that if you take off your pants with the gun belt still on them
that the pants retain your shape as if you were still wearing them ?
...or is it just me ?

Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:09 pm
by WildBill
USA1 wrote:Has anyone else noticed that if you take off your pants with the gun belt still on them that the pants retain your shape as if you were still wearing them?
... or is it just me?

Why do you think they work so much better than a regular belt?

Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:44 pm
by LostInAustin
karder wrote:I agree, a good belt, while a bit expensive, will last you for many years and make whatever rig you carry more secure. I wear a 1 3/4" Galco myself. When you are out in public and visit the little boy's room, you will appreciate a sturdy belt even more.
Absolutely!

Without the support of the belt your holster can flip upside down and dump all your goodies on the nice clean floor!

Then everyone stands there with

looking at the man with the gun!
Com-Tac makes a gun belt that is $75. It is custom made to your spec even down to the width and taper of the belt. If you are wearing the velcro (I do also) then the belt will come with a 1 inch strip of velcro sewn and glued onto the inside of the belt. It is the length of the entire wearing area of the belt so that you can wear your holster in any position. Well worth the money. It also has Kytec sewn into the belt for support. Stiff as a board when you get it and you will think it was a BIG mistake!

Just keep wearing it and the velcro and the leather will relax and will fit like a glove.
Belt support is important(I carry an all steel 1911)....don't leave home without it. Once you get used to it, it will be like putting on any other clothing. I never wore belts and hated it at first. No problems now!!
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:48 pm
by ed7232004
Right now I m using regular dress belt and it feels so heavy for me .may not be used to it yet or might be the belt I m using
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:10 pm
by WildBill
ed7232004 wrote:Right now I m using regular dress belt and it feels so heavy for me .may not be used to it yet or might be the belt I m using
A regular dress belt is going to "feel heavy" because most of the force from the weight of the gun is concentrated in one area. As USA1 explained, the purpose of a stiff gun belt is to distribute the weight evenly around the waist so that no particular area will feel heavy.
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:23 pm
by mikeintexas
USA1 wrote:Has anyone else noticed that if you take off your pants with the gun belt still on them
that the pants retain your shape as if you were still wearing them ?
...or is it just me ?

I had the same problem. I got a Double Duty belt from Cabelas for about $25.00. They don't cost as much, but they seem to work fine for me.
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:26 pm
by LostInAustin
No comparison between dress belt and gun belt. Even those cowboy belts with names in back, no comparison....gun belt is a lot of leather.

Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:42 pm
by TheBrit
Over on another gun forum someone posted a link to a site selling 5.11 Tactical gun belts for $3 each!!! (They are normally $35 or more). They only had 2XL and bigger sizes (but I have a leather punch so can make adjust to any size). The site specializes in selling end of line products for pennies on the dollar.
I'd always read I should get a good gun belt. But what exactly is a 'gun belt' anyway, and how do you tell if its a good one. I had been using a wide belt I consider to be good. Anyway, my 3 belts arrived yesterday and what a difference they make. I mean NIGHT AND DAY. The gun belt is much thicker, and much more rigid. I cannot express this enough, if you don't have a good gun belt then get one, get one RIGHT NOW. This info should be part of the citizenship test, seriously.
I got a steal of a deal on my belts, but having worn one I wouldn't skip a heartbeat to pay full price for one. I used to unholster when I got home, because of the annoying pants sag. I keep it on now. Its so comfy I'm going to sleep with it on tonight, OK not quite that comfy.
Buy a good gun belt!
I'm not going to clutter this thread up with lots of inline images. So click each link below if you want to see what a good gun belt looks like (I posted these to the other gun forum):
Look how much support the belt offers my fully loaded Kahr PM40, notice the minimal belt sag.
A GOOD GUN BELT DISTRIBUTES THE WEIGHT, I mean I should have known this, but it wasn't until I tried it that I realized why carrying was previously a PITA.

See more by clicking the links:
http://www.wish-sandwich.com/my511belts/1.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wish-sandwich.com/my511belts/2.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wish-sandwich.com/my511belts/3.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wish-sandwich.com/my511belts/4.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wish-sandwich.com/my511belts/5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wish-sandwich.com/my511belts/7.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:21 pm
by C-dub
With a belt, the clips, when properly attached will also keep the holster from coming out of your pants when you draw. This happening at a critical moment would be extremely undesirable.
Re: Belt problem.
Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:44 pm
by USA1
TheBrit wrote:
A picture is worth a thousand words. ..Great photo
I don't think any dress belt will do that.