Articles

Why Stiffer Really Is Better

     We wear a handgun for good reason. It is the best and most convenient tool for the job of protecting yourself without raising the hackles of our currently sheepish society. Face it, walking around with a rifle slung is likely to cause a stir. You could put your gun and holster combo on any belt. Then add a spare magazine (or two, or three), a light, and for you LEOs, cuffs and OC. Don’t forget about your cell phone, wallet, keys, pocket knife (or two), and whatever else you jam in your pockets daily. A simple 1.25", thin strap of leather is not getting it done.

 A stiff belt, one that fits your body, belts loops, and gear appropriately, is important for a lot of reasons. First among them is creating a functional weapon carriage system. Next is comfort. If it’s not comfortable, then you won’t carry for long. Last is durability, because it’s your hard earned cash.

Functionality

     Having any belt that carries your holster with a gun in it is functional, right? Not necessarily. Your belt must be the right width to match your holster and other gear, and it must be stiff enough that it does not sag or stretch, thereby allowing your gear to shift position. Your weapon (or OC, light, cuffs, etc) needs to be in the same place every time you reach for it. Your belt needs to do all of these while pulling these items in close to your body for better concealment and emergency retention.

 Equally as important, your belt must be stiff enough to support a proper draw stroke. Step One is to grip the weapon firmly, as close to the bore axis as possible, and is usually achieved by pressing the web of the hand onto the grip of the weapon firmly while wrapping one’s fingers around the grip, effectively “pushing the gun to the bottom of the holster”. Step Two, once proper grip has been achieved, is to rip the weapon from the holster and bring it to a high, one hand retention position with the muzzle pointed at the threat. How efficient will your draw stroke be if your holster moves a few inches down as you grab your gun, and rebounds a few inches further up as you rip it from the holster, assuming your pants aren’t already around your ankles? A stiff belt, that will not fail and that minimizes vertical movement, is indeed necessary for efficient weapon presentation and effective emergency weapon retention.

Comfort

     Carrying a gun should not be an “embrace the suck” proposition. A three pound gun, in a poorly fitted holster, that attaches to your sagging strap of dress leather with incorrectly sized belt loops, sucks. The right weapon, in a quality holster, supported by a good belt, will set you free. But how is possible for a super stiff piece of leather or nylon, doing it’s best to mimic spring steel strapping, to be comfortable? By spreading out the load, keeping your gear where you want it, and supporting your core. When your leather dress belt sags under the weight of your gun, it creates hot spots on your waist, where the belt rubs and your pant bunch up, and allows your gun to move outside the comfort “sweet spot” and rub uncomfortably and/or dig in to your body because it’s no longer firmly supported. A good, stiff belt does not sag, creating hot spots, or roll over and decrease the area over which the load is spread. It does spread the weight of your gear around the entire circumference of your body over the width and length of the entire belt. Finally, a good stiff belt supports your back, not unlike a weight lifting belt, by helping your core muscles do their job.

Durability

    A good belt is a lot like a good dog. You love it, it loves you back unconditionally. It’s expensive, but you don’t mind the costs of care and feeding, though the initial cash outlay may sting a little. You know that you’ll likely outlive your faithful companion—and that’s going to hurt. But it’s worth it. A good belt will last much, much longer than a cheap strap from a fashion store or a nice looking belt intended for your dress attire. When you factor in the frequent replacement costs, comfort (or lack thereof), and outright danger that accompany cheaper belts, a good, stiff belt is a tremendous value. Plus, you’re going to train, a lot, right? All those draw strokes, rolling around on the ground during realistic training, and hand to hand training with your Blue Gun learning retention and ECQB techniques. All that “high speed” training is pretty hard on your gear. 

     “Outright danger?” you ask. If your belt fails, you and your weapon could part ways when you need it the most. Imagine a fight in which deadly force is not justified, but you end up hands on. Your belt fails and the bad guy escalates to deadly force with your gun. Or, a bad guy tries to grab your gun from your holster. As you have been trained, you pin the gun into your holster for all your worth and begin the fight. Unfortunately, when you pinned your gun into the holster, your belt failed and your gun is now gone. Most inconvenient.

Pony up for a good belt because "Stiffer is Better".

- C. Marshall, 2010