Your Privacy Choices
One of the most critical components when it comes to carrying a firearm is your belt. Without a stable platform to hold the weight of your pistol, holster, magazines, and IFAK, you’re in for a frustrating and embarrassing afternoon at the range. Of course, there are different considerations for concealed and overt carry, so let’s focus on the latter today. My wife recently attended the A Girl and A Gun National Conference and has since been in the market for a new battle belt. Due to the consistency of 5.11 Tactical’s gear, we thought the Maverick Battle Belt would be a great place to start. This is my…well, our review.
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The 5.11 Tactical Maverick Battle Belt: Specifications
- Colors: Ranger Green, Black, Kangaroo
- Materials: TAC-LAM
- Sizes: S-2XL
- Width: 1.75”
- MSRP: $145.00
Kitted Up
The Maverick is made from dual nylon webbing and wears 5.11’s proprietary TAC-LAM laminate. The outer portion of the belt is covered in laser-cut MOLLE, while the inside is lined with hook. The hook links with the loop that surrounds the inner belt. Slip the inner belt through your belt loops, then attach the outer belt.
The outer belt also allows you to weave pouches in from the top or bottom. They make their own, called the Flex pouches. Unfortunately, I don’t have any to use with this belt, so I used some AttackPak Double Pistol Mag Pouches. The buckle is a legitimate COBRA buckle. Look out for fakes! On the back of the belt is her tourniquet holder from One Shot Industries, and the gat bucket is a Blackhawk T-Series L2C Overt OWB holster.
One feature I was immediately impressed with was the ergonomic curve. For a while, I was only aware of one company that did this, but it seems 5.11 has caught on. This curve makes the belt fit the human shape better. Fit around the curve of your hips is especially important when the belt is worn by someone with wider hips. My wife and I were all set to attend the Raven Wing Limited Performace Pistol class hosted by MODTAC Training Group in Elizabeth, CO.
Hitting the Range With the Maverick
It was an all-day class with a fairly high round count, making it a perfect opportunity to see how the belt holds up. She also just bought a brand new Shadow Systems DR920 that needed to be broken in. Over the next seven hours and 500 rounds, we built our stance, grip, and skills from the bottom up. This means astounding numbers of draws and reloads, all of which put stress on the belt.
(The Maverick is) super durable and sturdy and the cobra belt buckle was strong. I was never worried with the belt falling off while I was moving around.
Thanks to the webbing and MOLLE, holsters and pouches can be attached in various ways. If you prefer Malice clips, you’re good to go. Velcro One Wrap your thing? That will work, too. The way it integrates with the Blackhawk holster is so nice, it almost looks like it’s on purpose. One of the issues with belts is the fit with different clothes. I usually just use my street clothes when I shoot, and belt loop spacing, among other things, has made some belts and holsters impractical to use. Fortunately, my wife had recently acquired some good range pants.
The belt fit perfectly and comfortably. It was able to fit all of my pants (jeans, leggings, shorts, and tactical pants).
The 5.11 Maverick: Take It or Leave It?
Since this class, the Maverick Battle Belt has been used in a few dry fire sessions and some live fire with my photographer and me. The belt sits at a quality level that makes sense for the cost. Some high-end belts are going for $200 plus, while they’re $50 to $80 on the cheap belt side. The Maverick costs $145, which is a great middle ground, especially considering the features it utilizes. Like the TacTec Plate Carrier, the belt is a bit thick and overbuilt, but for a belt that I’m going to abuse, that’s a good thing. The stitching is strong and no ends have frayed.
I loved that it had plenty of space and MOLLE to help make customization easy. My setup for this class was minimal but even with more gear, I don’t expect the Maverick to be overloaded.
If you’re looking to get your first battle belt, or maybe set up a second one for a specific purpose, you can pick up a Maverick Battle Belt from the 5.11 Tactical website. Don’t forget to like and follow 5.11 on all of their social media pages. Find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. Keep training!
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