You’ve got your concealed carry gun.
And hopefully you’ve got your perfect concealed carry holster.
One more super important piece of kit is your gun belt.
I’ve used and tested a lot of gun belts throughout the years.
And they all have their place.
Some I like for carrying tons of gear. Some are better for a range day.
But for everyday carry…my new favorite is the Kore Essentials Tactical Gun Belt. Use code “PEWBELT10” to take 10% off.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
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25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
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Table of Contents
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Why You Need a Great Belt
Guns and holsters are heavy.
If your regular belt isn’t up to the task…things are going to sag.
Which will make you print more…and maybe even negatively affect your draw stroke.
Plus it’s going to be uncomfortable with improper weight distribution.
Oh…and adding a gun/holster is going to increase your waist even more than a delicious Thanksgiving day dinner.
You want a belt that’s slightly larger than your normal measurements. And ideally very adjustable.
Boom…enter Kore Essentials!
Super Adjustable
Their main differentiator from regular belts is that they don’t have holes.
Instead you have a hidden track that allows for 1/4 inch adjustments on the fly.
You press the hidden but not too hard to find lever to allow loosening.
I love it because I can choose to have a normal fit if I’m somehow not carrying that time period.
And then instantly adjust for when I do.
I also sometimes sit or drive for an extended amount of time. I appendix carry and like to ride the holster a little up for more comfort.
The Kore allows me to loosen a little bit. Then when I stand up or get out of the car I can instantly tighten again.
Just the Right Rigidity
For an everyday concealed carry belt…you want rigid but not TOO rigid.
My favorite model is the X7 belt buckle on the “tactical” nylon belt. The tactical version holds 6 pounds which is plenty for almost all gun/holster combos.
It holds its shape well and distributes weight pretty evenly. Coupled with a Hidden Hybrid Holster it’s a dream to wear.
Again…use code “PEWBELT10” for 10% off at Shall Not Comply…and check out our Pew Pew Tactical shirts while you’re at it!
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
The nylon belt also doesn’t scream GUN as much as some others.
I’m almost always wearing an untucked shirt so it doesn’t matter as much. But if you want something more business…
You can check out their leather gun belt options which hold up to 4 pounds. Still plenty but it is slightly flimsier. Use code PEWPEWTACTICAL for 10% off at Kore direct.
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
-
25% off all OAKLEY products - OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
If you’re packing a micro-compact like the P365…you’ll be fine!
My Favorite Model
There’s tons of buckle options that work on all the belts.
But I like the X7 Tactical Belt since it’s the lowest profile buckle but there’s plenty of other options and belt colors (including Multicam).
Given the design there’s going to be some sort of gap created by the buckle.
But since we’re talking CCW…it’s a perfect location for your holster!
I slightly shift the buckle over to the left and you can’t tell I’m wearing anything.
How To Set It Up
When you first get your buckle and belt it’s going to be pretty long. There’s one size and it will fit size 24 to 54 inch waists.
You get a sharp pair of scissors and cut the back to about 4″ more than your regular waist size.
I did 5 inches at first since you can always cut more…
You also get to see the reinforced cores inside the tactical and leather options.
Then you install it using the teeth clamp. Tactical models also include set screws if you want it SUPER secure.
Then you’re ready to rock and roll!
I snipped a little more after wearing it for a few days across different pants/shorts. If you have it too long the excess may poke out depending on your belt loops.
Conclusion
I’ve been wearing both for a few months and unless I’m testing out some other belts…I have no intention of going back to my other ones for everyday concealed carry.
Given how easy it is to swap out buckles and different colors, designs, materials of belts…I can see the Kore satisfying even fashion-minded folks.
But for me it’s the adjustability, perfect rigidity for its purpose, and comfort. It gets a full 5 out of 5 stars from me.
Check Kore Essentials out and one last time…use coupon code “PEWBELT10” for 10% off at Shall Not Comply and “PEWPEWTACTICAL” for 10% off at Kore direct.
Looking to perfect your concealed carry game? Check out these super helpful articles:
20 Leave a Reply
Can confirm these belts are legit. I wear a suit just about every day. The buffalo and black are excellent against any color I wear. I have the silver tactical for less formal attire. I can confirm they hold their shape very well. Their service is also amazing. 24 hours after my belts and buckles were ordered they had a 20% off sale. Their service team credited me for it. I couldn't believe it. I will never buy another belt from anyone but Kore.
Just purchased one of their USA made ratchet belts and damn its nice!!! Totally exceeded my expectations. I set up my rig and it’s very supportive and the track system lets me get it right on my hip. One of the better purchases Ive made this year.Â
I run their 1.75 inch wide black web belts for edc 3 years now. They dont recommend it for ccw but I like the extra stiffness for full size carry. I would buy again.Â
Mine lasted less than 3 years and the super thin leather layer started flaking off. It was NOT from being scraped by the clip either. I LOVE the buckle system and the look but a gun belt should last decades, not months (even if it's 30 or so months).
I was definitely skeptical before buying Kore belt. They have what appears to be a ton of 5 star reviews online but I needed a new cc belt. My previous web belt was ok but it tended to slip and not have enough stiffness. So I have to admit after a year of use that I am pretty impressed with Kore and I am not easy to impress. I have to have a comfortable belt that snugs to whatever firearm I have one that day whether its owb or iwb. Kore does that. One negative initially when I got my order it was missing the belt hanger that I ordered with it but there customer service did send one out asap so they seem like they are on it.
I have 3 of the Kore Essential belts, black and brown dress and a tan canvas. I love all 3 of the belts. They are stylish and comfortable. I love that I can interchange the buckles as want. They hold up well with or without my holster.
Purchased there new Kores battle belt in Jan because I saw that it adjusts like their edc belts that I use to edc with and love. I think it is absolutely genius that they figured out how to make the track work on these large molle belts. More me it is perfect for large loads at the range when I tend to torque out my belt super tight. As far as I am concerend everyone else in the industry is on auto pilot and defers to non adjustable cobra belts. Peach out.
The kore around my waist right now is 5 plus years old and still my daily belt even if I am not carrying which is rare.
2 years switched to kore from my nexbelts because both my nextbelts frayed so badly and those bcukels seem to jam up easily and frequent. Kore is def more sturdy and bucles lock in place better. Got it at my local ffl here in Sacramento.
Ok, I just ordered one nylon 1.75" and one leather 1.75" for EDC on-duty and off-duty respectively. I'll follow up with an evaluation later.
I love Kore belts but you need to be mindful of your intended application because they do have limitations.
I used the Kore Gun Belt as my EDC, range belt, and as a duty belt for security. Everything in this article is spot on in terms of rigidity, adjustability, etc. However, Kore Belts do come with weight limits on the amount of gear you can hold, which is where my belt failed catastrophically.
During security training, we were practicing using tubular webbing to create a web drag harness (hasty harness) to rescue downed teammates and patients. After the harness is applied, you attach the webbing to your belt via a carabiner to enable you to walk backward while dragging the patient hands free to engage potential threats. I had an ALS Safariland holster, unloaded M&P 2.0 , and empty Kywi double mag pouch attached to my Kore belt, which was well under the weight limit.
As I dragged my teammate (estimated weight of 215 lbs.), I felt my belt pop and come almost completely undone. I originally thought I had accidently pressed the adjuster lever and the ratchet skipped over some of the Trakline teeth. What had actually happened was the Kore Trakline failed under the dead weight of my teammate and the ratchet dug into and "cored" out the Kore Trakline, leaving a hollowed out groove where the Trak had been.
Fortunately, the stripped plastic Trak material bunched up at the belt opening and prevented my belt from coming completely undone, which would have resulted in me performing a hilarious backward tumble. But the Kore belt was completely unusable due to the missing Trakline and I ended up using a cheap Walmart reversible dress belt to finish the drag portion of training. While unrecommended, the terribly floppy Walmart dress belt surprisingly survived the drag portion of training resulting in only a bent prong.
I did go ahead and order another Kore belt because it is a great range belt. But for my security duty belt and EDC with volunteer fire fighting in mind, I need to find something else. But mileage does vary because not everyone is expected to use their belt as an anchor point to drag a body down the length of a basketball court.
Also, for users who happen to carry a tactical shelf around their midsection, the larger Kore buckles can dig into that flesh causing bruising and irritation. Purchase the smaller and lower profile buckles for comfort. Or, preferably, reduce the tactical shelf to more of a tactical handhold.
I’d email them and see how they’d respond. They’d probably give you a new belt free of charge as a warranty issue
How do these work - or do they? - with OWB carry?
Mine has worked great, I haven't had any issues with IWB or OWB. My OWB gun is a Beretta 92FS.
Mine works great with OWB carry.
I like their leather belt. That big "star" buckle though, not so much. But anyway I have one of their leather belts and like it.
Outstanding belt! Way better than Hanks. I own 3, including the nylon tactical, and 3 different buckles. Like you, I mostly have an untucked shirt, so the tactical is what I'm wearing most of the time. Anyone ordering a belt should also consider ordering the hanger, which is unique to Kore and only works with Kore, and also consider ordering the velcro "belt keeper" which prevents the end of the belt from sticking straight out. I would recommend these to anyone.
I've got 4 Kore nylon belts in both 1.5" and 1.75" widths. They're as comfortable as gun belts can be. I usually hang either a 4 5/8" Blackhawk in .45 Colt or a 4" Redhawk in .45 Colt on mine. Kore may be located inside a post office too because that company has the world's fastest shipping in my experience.
So I own a half dozen KORE belts(different colors) and buckles(different styles)and hangers to place them on. I personally think Kore has the best belt system with the ratcheting system. I wear a Kore belt every day with my EDC gear. It is the best system to carry all your EDC gear in complete comfort. Buy the belt and buckle of your choice. Once you wear it and you will never want to buy another brand again that was my experience.
So I own a half dozen KORE belts(different colors) and buckles(different styles)and hangers to place them on. I personally think Kore has the best belt system with the ratcheting system. I wear a Kore belt every day with my EDC gear. It is the best system to carry all your EDC gear in complete comfort. Buy the belt and buckle of your choice. Once you wear it and you will never want to buy another brand again that was my experience.