TacShield is a new frontier for me. Before receiving their new Tactical Gun Belt I hadn't had any experience with their products. What have I learned since? That their gear is top-quality, made in the USA, and a great bang for your buck.

The double-layered, woven nylon Tactical Gun Belt comes in two widths: 1.75" or 1.5" depending on your preference. I always opt for wider belts as most pant loops will accept them and the extra width only adds rigidity. The Tactical Gun Belt also comes in four sizes—small through extra-large—and each claims 4 inches of adjustment. I requested a medium, which is designed to fit a waist measuring 34 inches to 38 inches. At the absolute smallest adjustment it fit well on my 34-inch waist but left over a foot of loop material remaining. I would imagine this size would fit waists well above the 38 inches claimed on the TacShield website. Keep that in mind when ordering.

As it is a true gun belt the TacShield has polymer panels sewn into the hip areas, where one would normally wear a holster and magazine pouch, to add rigidity to the triple-stitched nylon. The rear center portion is without this panel to keep it soft and flexible over your spine. These panels work very well and add superb rigidity to the belt while keeping it very thin. Others I've used over the years accomplish this by adding extra layers of nylon, which works but makes for a very bulky belt.

Securing the belt around your waist is a trusty Cobra Buckle. The heavy-duty aluminum buckle is not only lightweight and incredibly easy to disengage, its 2,000-pound load capacity also means it'll likely never fail you. I've been wearing mine daily for about a month now and it hasn't lost a bit of stiffness; great if you want a rock solid gun platform, not so great if you want a comfy belt for everyday wear. If a tough but comfortable rigger belt is what you're after, TacShield has those too. Keep your mission in mind before deciding to pick one up.

Available in either black or coyote tan, the Tactical Gun Belt is available straight from TacShield for just over $70. That's a great deal, but when you find out that TacShield donates a portion of their proceeds to veteran support organizations, it's almost too good to pass up. Pick up some great gear, support a great American small business, and help give our veterans a leg up as well at www.tacshield.com.

TacShield Tactical Gun Belt 1.75" Specs:

• Double-wall webbing reinforced with a special poly stiffener system

• Aluminum buckle with 2,000-pound load capacity and double release levers

• Adjustable up to four inches with hook-and-loop tail lock design

• Sizes: small (30"–34"), medium (34"–38"), large (38"–42"), x-large (42"–46")

• Colors: Black or coyote

• Price: $71.99

• www.tacshield.com

A.J. George is a sergeant with the Scottsdale (AZ) Police Department assigned to the Technical Operations Unit, Special Investigations Section. He has more than a decade of law enforcement experience in patrol, field training, and traffic enforcement.