Gun Belt and Carry Options

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

Hello,

My wife has a M&P .40c and a Galco Combat Master holster for it. I have been trying to get her to wear it around the house especially when I am not there but she says that she needs a good belt.

I am turning to y'all for advice on where to get one. She is about 5'2 and 110-115. I have looked at Galco, Midway, Desantis and any other big name you can think of but all I have found are men's sizes. Where is a good place to get a good carry belt for a woman?

Also, what are some ways that y'all carry? She wouldn't mind purse carry but hasn't found a purse she likes. For regular purses she likes the kind sold at Cavenders and Sheplers. She likes the OWB carry but like I said needs a good belt. So, I am just looking for some extra options for her.

Thanks!

[cbunt1]

I see you list as being in Korea. Is your wife stateside, and if so, what area? Might be able to suggest some local shops.

Hard as it sounds, try to get past his/hers sizes in gun belts. Due to the slot sizes in holsters, they're best suited to 1.5" widths for most off the shelf holsters.

5.11 makes some good leather and nylon belts that do a good job of supporting a holster and gear, at a good price--comparable to a decent dress belt.

many army/navy stores carry them in stock, Top Brass in Houston specifically has a good selection. Might help in the first look process anyway.

that's my suggestion for a quick fix. From an order-and-wait perspective, comp-tac, Beltman, galco, Mitch Rosen are all comparably priced, and comparably featured, imho.

hope this helps!

[SewTexas]

last time I was at Cabelas they had a couple of purses, this was at the one in Buda....they had a Coranado, messenger style, I think and at least one Gun toten Mama...this was a couple of months ago.

I'm not familiar with her gun, but I know it's bigger than my LCP (lol) I carry IWB, I don't use any special belt, I didn't use a special belt for my little revolver either though...just a decent belt.

[SewTexas]

you know what.....it might have been Bass Pro that had the purses, not Cabela's

[Teamless]

Not sure if Blackhawk sells "womens" belts, but I have a couple blackhawk belts - very cheap price and very good at keeping the holster up, even comparing to my Crossbreed Belt, the blackhawk at $30 is way better the $90 at Crossbreed

[Middle Age Russ]

My wife and I just got a pair of belt from AG Custom Gunleather (http://www.agcustomgunleather.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;), and we are quite pleased with them. I got a 1.5" width and she got a 1.25" width to fit more of her dress slacks. Each of them is quite thick and stiff. For another color dress belt, I also have a Comptac leather belt that is very nice, but more expensive than AG. We each have 1.5" Instructors Belts (Nylon web) for casual dress.

Re: purse carry, my wife does not care particularly for it, but she does have one holster purse she likes that she picked up at a gun show. I don't know off-hand the name of the vendor. I have also heard that a pocket holster inserted in a dedicated compartment of a regular purse is often a good way to go.

[bluejay71]

When I started carrying around the house, I put my Comp-Tac with M&P9c on a western belt I had in my closet that I bought from Cavenders a few years ago. It is thick, stiff, 1.25" wide, and when I layed it out to measure it, discovered that it is a contour belt. I'd like to try a dedicated gun belt (need a black one, anyway) to see if it makes a big difference.

I was looking into the women's forum just now to post some things I have discovered as I've been carrying at home in preparation for taking my CHL course THIS SATURDAY!!!

Okay, so I'm 5'9", 125 lbs and like to wear my clothes rather fitted, yet modest, so I was eager to see what I could do with the clothes I have. I tend to wear a first layer like this http://www.downeastbasics.com/wondertee.aspx for some additional length (and sometimes to cover where a low cut top doesn't) and then another shirt (also fitted) on top.

First, I like my Comp-Tac at about 4 o'clock, but noticed that the blunt edge of the kydex really created a hard, visible edge on my butt. So, I took a heat gun to it and softened the end to curve it under just a little. It really did help to make a not-so-obvious line.

Second, as I go around my daily activities, my shirt (both layers) rides up and ends up on top of my pistol. There is no way I could leave the house carrying until I found a solution to this problem. Yesterday, I discovered that if I take the hem of the under shirt and tuck it under the clips just a little, it stays put even when I bend and sit. I'm also doing this today with an under-armour type t-shirt I am wearing today as a single layer. Since I am only wearing the one layer, I also tuck the shirt under the belt slightly on the non-gun side just so it looks even.

Warning of the embarassing kind...when you go to the restroom and pull your shirt out from under the clips, make sure the holster clips are still secured on the belt. I kinda found this out the hard way when my pistol-holster and all-fell onto the floor. Good thing I'm practicing at home, right?! Would hate to find this out at Walmart!

I would post some pictures if I could figure out how. Can someone point me towards a tutorial? Hope this helps some of you girls out there.

[Fisherman74]

This is just a thought. Do a search for lightning arms sports and give them a call.

Very nice folks and they may have something that works for her and if not, they are the type that will point you in the right direction, even if it costs them a sell.

[A-R]

Measure her waist. Then use the sizing charts available at quality gun belt makers web sites

http://www.thewilderness.com/storepinna ... t=142&pg=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.511tactical.com/BeltComparison.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.thebeltman.net/sizing.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Wilderness apparently goes as small as 24 inches. others stop around 28 inches - if she's thinner than that ... I dunno

[hpcatx]

5.11 makes some good leather and nylon belts that do a good job of supporting a holster and gear, at a good price--comparable to a decent dress belt.

Not sure if they have women's styles, but for guys this is a great option. Other than initially scratching mine up with the kydex clips on my holster, it's great -- and very supportive.

[tacticool]

I am turning to y'all for advice on where to get one. She is about 5'2 and 110-115. I have looked at Galco, Midway, Desantis and any other big name you can think of but all I have found are men's sizes. Where is a good place to get a good carry belt for a woman?

Custom holster and belt maker go by actual inches rather than sizes. Make sure to follow instructions because some like http://www.thebeltman.net/sizing.htm tell you to include the buckle in the measurement and others say to exclude it, like http://www.miltsparks.com/Belts.htm, but if the tape measure says 30" then it doesn't matter if the wearer has boy parts or girl parts.

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

Thanks gals and guys!

I appreciate the help. If there are more opinons/options out there keep 'em coming.

For right now (until I get home) I will suggest she wears her Ariat belt from Cavenders. It is pretty thick and should support the gun weight pretty well. I just want to get her an actual gun belt for when she starts carrying. I showed her the nylon webbing ones and she said she would prefer leather. So, leather it is!

[Jumping Frog]

If she wants woman-specific advice on gear & carry issues, have her look at http://corneredcat.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a website run by a woman focused on women & firearms. They have equipment advice for what works for various women.