So took my first official class from a guy I know. Worked some red dot pistol stuff. Trying to break my iron sight habits & get better with the dot.

Was just using a simple OWB holster which works okay. But would rather eventually get a better "range belt" or battle belt or something. So I can eventually get a better holster & some mag holders. Work my way up to getting some coaching all the way around.

I usually don't' buy the cheapest options available. But usually buy the "best Budget" options. If that makes any sense...

So are there any "Bust budget" range belts / bettle belts that you'd consider for classes?

I like and use a variety of equipment made by Condor Outdoor. they have a good selection of belts for what seems to be reasonable prices.

I started with a battle belt. Worked good but it moved around a lot and I was constantly moving it back into place. I settled on the 2 piece system where you put the first belt on through your belt loops. It has the soft side of Velcro on it. The the actual belt goes on and it stays in place because the backside of belt has the hook portion. As you move around the belt stays in place. I ended up with 2 belts set up for 2 ideas, real life pistol, rifle, dump pouch, and blade and one for pistol matches. I went with Esstec. They make great stuff.

More tactical or more like a regular belt?

For regular-ish belts try Wilderness or Comp-tac.

For affordability, look at police duty gear manufacturers, like Bianchi or 5.11. Lots of options out there on Amazon. A two-piece system with an inner and outer belt with velcro and keepers like Pedropcola described above will stay put and not move around on you.

I am actually starting to build mine and am using my old US Army LBE belt. God Bless

Definitely go with a two-piece "police duty belt" style setup, with a more flexible inner pants belt with loop velcro on the outside and a more rigid outer gear belt with hook velcro on the inside.

Not the older type of military style battle belts with the wide MOLLE panel with rubber backing that you thread a belt through. Those are not only bigger and bulkier, requiring the use of MOLLE pouches instead of normal belt pouches, but are also less stable and slide around more.


More like this:






Not this:

Look at the AWS SMU.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
More tactical or more like a regular belt?

For regular-ish belts try Wilderness or Comp-tac.

I've got a decent EDC belt for a holster & gun. I'm thinking more of a range belt. Something that'll hold gun holster & some mags. Depending on the needs of the class.

Rogue's picture is basically what I am talking about.
The wide battle belt with belt threaded through works, but it also moves around as you do. I found as I was resetting targets and painting between stages that the belt would shift and I would have to resettle it where I wanted it.

The inner soft velcro belt is threaded through your pants like a regular belt and just Velcros to itself. Before a match or range day I would just put on that inner belt like any other belt and drive to the range. It looks kinda like a regular nylon belt. Then when you get to the range the outer belt with holster and pouches goes on. A cobra buckle set up for your waist makes it a 10 second evolution.

I use the Safariland QLS system (there are other good options but I like this one) and keep the female part on the belt and swap out the holsters with the male part for a good half dozen different guns. I tend to change out my match gun like some guys change socks. Variety. lol

Tacticon Armament has a decent two piece belt that won't break the bank, plus they have 50% off thru 7/16.

quote:

Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Look at the AWS SMU.

This, or their LAB belt if you don’t want the MOLLE all around it. They are great belts at a very reasonable price.

Www.awsin.com

High Speed Gear. I use their belts and pouches. Good stuff.

ESSTAC, Blue Alpha, Snake Eater Tactical all make good stuff.

Be aware most will be 1.75” so you’ll need keep that in mind when getting holsters and pouches.

RDRGear makes some good stuff too and has a nice starter package. https://rdrgear.com/collection...-3-free-mags-edition

If you think your training will include one handed slide racking etc., I’d go with hard Kydex pouches, at least one, vs HSGI Tacos or similar.

Inner belt.

Outer belt.

Pouches.

Tegris is the way forward on this stuff - lighter than Kydex for similar or better stiffness and strength. Much lighter. I got a belt put together with the above stuff and it feels like it weighs nothing. I started with Malice clips and went to Onewrap and recommend it. It is far more convenient, much less of a pain in the ass than Malice clips, and as sturdy as you need because everything is sandwiched together with velcro and held solidly in place with tension from the belt.

LBX for other various and sundry pouches like blowout/medkit and dump pouches. They often bundle them on sale, which is what I did last year - got everything in the top row except the radio pouch for like, $50. I have their dump pouch riding behind/under my Esstac pouches which works pretty well, and their blowout pouch neatly fits the loaded insert from an IFAK II pouch with half the footprint. LBX is LBT's non-Berry compliant division, made in South America when they got caught doing it by .gov. So they just made a sub-brand and sell that stuff outside of procurement. People like to crap on it and call it airsofter gear, but it's solid stuff. For the price, I don't think you can do much better.

You didn't say anything about holsters, but if you want something a little more flexible than the Safariland UBL, there's the True North MHA. I haven't messed with it, but I keep hearing and seeing rave reviews about it. So far, the only downsides I've seen mentioned is that it's more expensive than the UBL and if you fall on it, it hurts. The latter is kind of a "no shit" statement, but there it is.

For a pistol only course where I'm carrying OWB or, IWB, I wear a Ares Gear Aegis Belt. Kore Essentials is another I've heard good things about.

For carbine course I have a Crye Precision Modular
This is current trend, is the double belt method; its a really good set-up if you're in/out of vehicles or, climbing up/down.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

You can go high-end like Ronin Tactics, Crye Precision, Blue Force Gear

Known as the War Belt circa 2006-2017. SOF guys wearing FR flights suits needed a way to carry their pistol while wearing armor. The concept took a basic LBE belt, updated it with better features and materials. It still works, Viking Tactics, High Speed Gear are a few that make great mid-priced war belt. If you're patrolling this is a good set-up, however if you're out for many days at a time, you want little as possible around your waist/legs anyways so, choose your set-up wisely.

quote:

Are the course requirements driving this?

Some of you wear this stuff for work, I get that. For those that don't, is it not best to train with the same items you have every day?

If things are that uncomfortable for the time it takes to do a training course, well, that should also point towards a different direction right?

I have a Grey Ghost battle belt, you can get them on sale for about $50 or they are about $100. Depends on if you can wait until Black Friday or one of their other sales.

I haven't used the LBX BB specifically but their stuff is great. I have one of their 6094s and have been through much poop with it. It still looks great and has no real wear spots.

I will second apprentices comments of trying to find something you are most likely to wear to build neural pathways with the setup you are most likely to have but I will also say some practice is better than no practice and if you are wearing a carrier then sometimes your EDC stuff is blocked as it sits on top.

You'll definitely do better in classes with your kit exposed so that's a thing. A good happy medium is running everything in similar positions or locations so you are at least reaching for the right area/section of your body for the tool you need. Alternatively, you can see if you can run a few exercises with a different setup and then swap to your EDC gear.

For what you are doing a battle belt is probably overkill. I've had for over a decade and honestly found it easier to put my stuff on my IOTV. A battle belt works well if you are wearing a plate carrier. However, if you are going to load alot of stuff on your belt like pitol and rifle mags, lights, dump pouch, medical,etc. then the padding on a battle belt is worth while. VTAC makes a good one, but you have to part it together Link. The other down side to the tradition battle belt is that they can shift up and down or left and right if you are really moving around as they aren't anchor to your pants belt.

What I think you need is a shooting or competition belt. It's really a system where you wear a light weight pants belt aka inner belt and a larger equipment bearing outer belt. You connect the two together with velcro or belt keepers. It's basically a lightweight Policeman's duty belt setup. take a look at the Blade Tech Competition Shooters Belt,, Bianchi makes a similar product in their duty gear line and there are several other manufacturers. If you want a more "tactical style one" check out the ATS Tactical Enfilade Belt.. It's the inner and out belt combo with Cobra Buckle, but lets you put 1.5" or larger looped accessories. I've owned their Skirmish belt system for a while and liked it. I would not recommend the skirmish to you as the molle loops add bulk and weight and are useless unless you are going to molle your stuff directly to the belt.

I'd also recommend you check out what your instructor is wearing/recommends and see what the local competitors are wearing. Whenever I've shot with good competitors I've noticed their gear is always set up for efficiency, consistency (the mag pouch is always in the same place), and reasonable comfort.

quote:

Originally posted by apprentice:
Are the course requirements driving this?

Some of you wear this stuff for work, I get that. For those that don't, is it not best to train with the same items you have every day?

If things are that uncomfortable for the time it takes to do a training course, well, that should also point towards a different direction right?

Certainly follow the course recommendations. Nothing worse than showing up to a basic/beginner pistol course and you're all jocked-up wearing a drop-leg holster at your knees.

Many pistol courses don't allow for IWB holsters, given safety issues, as most students aren't familiar with wearing a holster and draw/re-holster fundamentals. A more advanced course/defensive course will likely allow for other carry types.
Carbine courses, to reduce the amount of back n'forth for reloading, the course may require you carry at-least five magazines on you, along with a pistol and its magazines; so everything is either all on your belt, chest rig or, some combination of. Some courses are requiring students to have some kind of IFAK on them so, more real estate needed.