Ratcheting Competition Belt

This design has been toyed with for some time now. There are quite a few special ordered competition belts that’s we’ve built for customers over the years that were mainly the classic overlapping style. After a sponsored shooter turned us on to these ratcheting buckles the wheels started turning and tester models started coming off the line

The buckle and strap is from USA based M2 Inc, who produce ratcheting buckles and straps for all kinds of applications; many of us will find the system similar to the closure on ski and snowboard boots.

The belt body is made with two layers of stiff scuba webbing, 1.5″ wide OR 2″ wide, with a flat webbing face and HOOK or LOOP lining to mate with an inner pants liner belt covered with the opposing material.

For the hoopleheads out there, “LOOP” is the soft fuzzy material, and “HOOK” is the stiff scratchy one, also called Velcro. If you don’t plan to use an inner liner belt then choose LOOP lining so the material doesn’t eat up your clothing.

After lots of testing, the softer of the two strap options has been settled on. Still quite stiff for ease of getting into the buckle, but with some flex to wrap the shooter’s body. The strap is also about TWELVE (12) inches long, giving around ELEVEN INCHES of adjustment, and the strap can easily be trimmed by the end user.
Both the buckle and tail are mounted via a simple hex screw, there is a threaded post embedded in the belt body. Loc-Tite or similar compound is recommended once your rig is set up. This lets you easily pop off one of the ends to slide on holsters and pouches.

SIZING: FOLLOW THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!
The size you choose when placing your order will be roughly the smallest size the belt will cinch down to, within an inch or less. Sizing has NOTHING to do with the pants size you wear! The strap is around 6 inches long so that would be the wiggle room. Since most shooters will want the maximum real estate of the belt body to mount gear, the recommended method to figure out what size to order is as follows:

1. Put on the pants you’ll shoot in most often and tuck in any shirts you’ll also wear.
2. If you plan to use an inner liner belt pop that on as well. If you are planning to order one with this belt just use a belt you already have as it will mimic a liner belt just fine.
3. Cinch your belt snug….how you would wear it when running a course of fire.
4. Take an ACTUAL MEASUREMENT over top where the outer competition belt will ride, nice and snug like you would wear your belt….round down to the nearest even number.
5. This measurement will be the Minimum Fit of the belt if you ordered this size. We recommend ordering the next size down from this measurement for some wiggle room. So if you measured 36″, order a 34. Measure 41″? Order a 38. If you think you might loose some weight in the near future, drop down a couple more inches for even more wiggle room.
6. (Patiently wait)
7. Be the envy of the other shooters at your next match.