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Belt Backwards or Forwards?


Chip_E

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First of all, I ran every search I could think of to find a thread about this. After 45 minutes, and doing a Google as well, I'm giving up.

So the question is, what's the deciding factor for having the closure for your belt on the front or or the back?

I'm running a WSM II with 3 DAA RaceMaster pouches on a CR Speed belt...Open Division.

Note, I'm not so much interested in what the cool kids do....more interested in what makes the most sense and why. So far I've come up with "If you have a mag pouch close to your navel, close the belt in the back...otherwise, close it in the front."

Thanks in advance for the knowledge and clarification.

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So far I've come up with "If you have a mag pouch close to your navel, close the belt in the back...otherwise, close it in the front."

Yep, pretty much. Though there's an additional factor: how far around back your mags go.

My #1 mag on my Open rig is at my appendix and my holster's just in front of or at my hip bone. Even with my girth, that's not quite enough room for the overlap of my belt. On my Production rig, the overlap's in the front since both the holster and the mag pouches have to be behind the hip bones and the pouches extend around back, where they'd interfere with the closure of the belt.

So, basic rule: put the overlap where it doesn't interact/interfere with the equipment on the belt.

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So far I've come up with "If you have a mag pouch close to your navel, close the belt in the back...otherwise, close it in the front."

Yep, pretty much. Though there's an additional factor: how far around back your mags go.

My #1 mag on my Open rig is at my appendix and my holster's just in front of or at my hip bone. Even with my girth, that's not quite enough room for the overlap of my belt. On my Production rig, the overlap's in the front since both the holster and the mag pouches have to be behind the hip bones and the pouches extend around back, where they'd interfere with the closure of the belt.

So, basic rule: put the overlap where it doesn't interact/interfere with the equipment on the belt.

What he said.....

Since I shoot mostly production, and since my belt set-up doesn't change for the other divisions, my belt closes in the front....

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Thanks guys, this makes a lot of sense. Essentially, avoid interference and overlap buildup as needed.

Thanks for the quick help.

Now that the wife and I have our new belts, holsters, mag pouches, and 4 mags each (two 170s and two 140s) we just have to wait for the guns to be completed.

In the meantime, we're shooting Production and doing re-shoots for classifiers as Open, so we'll be classified for next season.

This forum ROCKS.

Thanks,

- chip

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For the record, I run them: inner belt overlap in front, outer belt overlap in back. I shoot production.

Either way, I highly recommend one of these: Belt Keeper

MUCH easier to use than the velcro strip that comes with the belt. Plus, it stays on the belt all the time, so no need to worry about losing it.

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To avoid having 4 layers of belt overlap in the front, I had my underbelt overlap in the front and the overbelt overlap in the back.

+1 to this.

I have 3 different rigs:

Open/Limited - I run my mag pouches across the front so I really couldn't do it any other way than backwards.

Revolver - I have a North Mountain moonclip holder just off center so I also run this belt backwards

SingleStack - I run this rig the regular way as everything is behind the hip line.

Neal in AZ

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Both inner and outer belt overlap at 4 o'clock for me. That way I can run a magnet on my 6 o'clock for my stripper / barney mag.

It'll be awesome when they finally introduce pockets up there.

;)

Hah! :D

We've had a production guy get bumped into open because his stripper mag rested forward of his hip bone in his pocket.

And in my mind, having that last mag there for a "Oh crap" situation isn't the worst thing. 1 in gun, 4 in pouches and 1 stripper mag with 9 rounds is how I run production.

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From my RO class I remember a new ruling that it's OK to have your FIRST mag in your front pocket, but everything after the buzzer has to come from the belt.

As for the Arrendondo keepers...got 'em on the Production rig and on the Open rig. Not only do they work better, but now my wife can't loose hers (2 lost this year).

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I use a DAA Race master setup with the magnet on the mag pouch. I use that mag as my first mag, stripper mag on the large magnet on my back. That way I have 4 fully loaded mags, one in the gun, one in the pipe and a 9 round mag on my back.

My only advice is, try out different things until it feels right, then stick with it! Practice until the load and make ready routine becomes something you automatically do. I chose where my belt overlaps to help with my pouch placement as well as helping me index where the holster goes each time.

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Shooting production or ss, inner closes to the rear, outer to the front. This is for the same reasons as others have stated, my mag pouches wrap around to my back. Shooting 3gun, I wear the outer backwards because of my shell caddies.

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All my belts close to the front. Just offset them a bit, inner first, offset tot he left, then starting the outer against the end of the inner, wrap around and cross over. This works for all 6 divisions and three gun. Then again, I don't wear my gun pointing across my parts and I don't carry a magazine where a normal belt buckle would be.

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To avoid having 4 layers of belt overlap in the front, I had my underbelt overlap in the front and the overbelt overlap in the back.

+1 to this.

I have 3 different rigs:

Open/Limited - I run my mag pouches across the front so I really couldn't do it any other way than backwards.

Revolver - I have a North Mountain moonclip holder just off center so I also run this belt backwards

SingleStack - I run this rig the regular way as everything is behind the hip line.

Neal in AZ

Exactly! What he said!

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I have everything close in the back. On my Limited rig, I've got mag pouches at 9, 10, and 11 o'clock, holster at 2. The inner closes in back because if I close it in the front, there's a gap in contact near the closure, and I feel like I don't get enough velcro contact between the inner/outer. In the back, it can stack 6 layers high and not stick for 6 inches for all I care because there's no weight being supported back there.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Still setting up my belt, but I think I am going to have to end up closing the inner belt in the back, and the outer belt in the front so that I can get the pouches around my back. I will be in production, and I am pretty small so I will have to squeeze 4 around there somehow :).

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I use the same belt for everything but change where the overlap is depending on what I'm shooting. My inner I always overlap at my right hip, keeps me from having 4 layers of belt anytime. For singlestack the outer overlaps right in front, limited right in back, and for 3 gun the overlap in between 4 and 5 o'clock so I can have my rifle mag at 6.

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