One of the most essential parts of tactical gear is a shooters’ belt. It provides you with a flexible option for carrying pouches that allows you to distribute weight evenly and customise the pouch layout for intuitive access to the most vital pieces of kit. In this guide, we’ll take a look at the things you need to consider when choosing your own British army shooters’ belt.
A Brief History On The Shooters’ Belt
The idea behind the shooters’ belt evolved from the load-bearing equipment used in World War II. Soldiers used web belts to hold a wide array of equipment, including ammunition and canteens. It was functional, but it wasn’t very comfortable or optimal for mobility.
The Vietnam War saw more modular systems, such as the M1956 Load-Carrying Equipment and the ALICE system, which allowed for much better weight distribution but relied heavily on suspenders and shoulder rigs. Then, in the early 2000s, increased demand for mobility and modularity made it so that shooters' belts evolved into more streamlined, purpose-built rigs.
Shooters belts or Battle belts originated from multi-gun shooting competitions. They were originally designed to only carry ammunition pouches to enable the shooter to make very quick mag changes and handgun draws.
They were adopted for use mainly by special forces units for their lightweight, low profile and minimalist set-up when tactics changed to rapid response, high speed raids and urban combat.
In more recent times, the shooters belt’s design was influenced, emphasizing efficiency, speed, and reliability by roles such as CP duty, the fight lite concept and the FCF modernization programme.
Today, shooters' belts make use of strong materials like Cobra buckles and MOLLE webbing to withstand harsh conditions and allow for extensive customisation as required.
Choosing The Right Shooters’ Belt
There are a lot of different types of shooters’ belts on the market, but there are some key factors that you need to take into account when making your choice.
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Material - Keep an eye out for belts such as the Gingers Tactical Gear Shooters’ MOLLE Belt, which is manufactured from high-strength nylon webbing. Reinforced stitching and a strong buckle system, such as a Cobra D-ring system, are also things to look out for in your shooters’ belt.
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Two-piece system - Most modern belts make use of a two-piece system featuring a soft inner and a stiff outer belt. This allows you to quickly don and doff your gear, so it’s well worth ensuring your shooters’ belt setup makes use of this feature.
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Belt width and sizing - Always follow a proper sizing guide when you’re choosing your belt, and be sure to check the width too. If your belt isn’t properly fitted, then you aren’t using it to its maximum potential.
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Gear compatibility - Not all gear is compatible with every belt, so your choice needs to be informed by what’s going to work with the gear you have. Holsters and pouches have their own systems they require, such as MOLLE and velcro panelling and direct thread options. Check your equipment to make sure you’re making the best choice.
The Best Way To Set It Up
There’s not a single correct shooters’ belt setup, but there are some guidelines to follow to ensure that it's both efficient and comfortable.
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Distribute weight evenly. Putting too much weight on one side will unbalance you and disrupt your mobility.
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Always take your dominant hand into consideration. Position your gear so that it's accessible without too much exertion.
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Keep it minimal. Don’t overload your shooters’ belt with unnecessary amounts of equipment - carry only what you need to.
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Practice with your setup. Wear your belt in live drills and training scenarios. Practice reloads and medical drills with your gear in the exact positions you intend to use it.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any more questions about our shooters’ belt range or the other kit we have available from Taskforce.
