Buyer's Guide to Gunbelts
Informational guide about gun belts, and how to select the best gunbelt for your needs.
Cary, NC (PRWEB) February 9, 2005 -- A good gun belt is a fundamental
necessity to the proper wear and performance of a holster and/or related belt
based shooting accessories. A true gun belt is different from a standard belt. A
true gun belt is going to be:
- Designed to be rigid and strong in the
areas necessary to properly support a holster and any accessories.
- Thicker
than a normal belt. This extra thickness equates to additional strength and
support.
- Significantly more durable that a standard belt. Most standard
belts are made of a thinner leather. Over time and use, the thinner leather
tends to break down. This break down causes the belt to stretch and sag. Have
you ever put a regular belt on only to find that you now have to move the buckle
in to the next closest hole? If you haven't lost weight, then you're probably
experiencing the stretching referenced above.
But when searching for a
quality gun belt, what factors do you look at to help make an educated
purchase?
We'd recommend evaluating the following when making your
decision:
- Gun Belt Material
- Gun Belt Sizing
Let’s look at each
of these topics in more detail.
Gun Belt Material – Today gun belts are
typically produced from one of the following materials:
- Leather –
Usually either cowhide or horsehide leather. These is the most traditional and
common material.
- Ballistic Nylon – Ballistic nylon has some unique
properties that make it desirable as a belt material. It tends to be very light,
less expensive than leather, and is extremely strong for its weight.
-
Exotic Materials – These usually include animal hides like sharkskin, ray skin,
elephant hide, alligator hide, etc. Depending on the hide type, belts from these
materials are usually very expensive, and only produced on a custom
basis.
Gun Belt Sizing – Gun belts are generally produced in 3 width
sizes:
- 1 ¼” width – This is the smallest width gun belt that we would
recommend. Anything smaller than 1 ¼” probably won’t provide enough stability to
adequately support a loaded weapon over time.
- 1 ½” Width – 1 ½” width gun
belts seem to be the most popular, and many within the shooting industry
consider it the optimum width size. As a result, nearly every holster makers
produces products geared towards this width. In addition, most all pants belt
loops will fit a 1 ½” belt.
- 1 ¾” Width – A very sturdy sized belt, but not
as common as 1 ½”. The 1 ¾” gun belt width usually won’t fit through the loops
of standard pants, and will most likely require some type of tactical pants. In
addition, some holster manufacturers don’t produce items to fit a 1 ¾” gun
belt.
Some additional points about gun belt widths:
Consider
selecting the largest belt width that your gear will accommodate while ensuring
that it will not require special clothes. For example, a holster with 1 ½” belt
slots will accept either a 1 ¼” or 1 ½” belt. In those cases, the larger 1 ½”
belt will provide better support, while fitting standard belt loops.
For
more information on gun belts, and a look at gun belts that we think are the
best value on the market today, please visit http://gunnersalley.zoovy.com/category/accessories.belts.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/2/prweb206443.htm