About the Beltster™

By Scott Key Shelton, designer and maker of the Beltster™

Sometimes a person needs to carry a handgun. I more or less stumbled over the idea for the BELTSTER™ while searching for a truly satisfactory means of carry for a 1911 autoloader. While many holster designs address the problem, none seemed to solve the problem of integrating daily carry into one's life. It became apparent only two options were commercially available: inside-the-waistband (IWB) or outside-the-belt (OTB). Both depend upon the wearing of a belt, and both are secured to the belt by a slide, loop, clip or some kind of "paddle" device.

My problem was that none of the above really solved the problem, they just added to it. I don't, quite frankly, like the idea or the feeling of something in my pants that I wasn't born with. I imagine I could get used to it (IWB), but why get used to something you don't like, if you don't have to? My complaint about OTBs is similar; the feeling of some rather large, bulky, steel thing appended to the outside of my belt, jiggling with every step, bulging out under a sports jacket, and so on, was likewise unappealing.

So what was I left with? A gun and a belt. What about simply tucking the gun inside the belt? No good, it will not stay where you want it. Though the natural tension of a good leather belt holds the pistol quite snugly against the body, it is not secured against lateral movement. What if a simple leather strap was mounted, just so, inside the belt and so the BELTSTER™ was born. Many thousands are now in daily use, with almost 100% user satisfaction.

The pistol stays right where you want it, nice and flat and close to your body, but instantly accessible your holster right there, ready for use, as soon as the belt is on. No more: "Where's my holster?" or threading the damned thing on and off every time you want to carry, or not carry: your holster is always where it should be! And of course the BELTSTER™ allows the belt to be just a belt, when you don't choose to carry, or can't carry. But when you do carry, the pistol is IN THE BELT, not on the belt, which for my money makes a world of difference. The weight of the pistol is distributed around the waist, instead of just in one spot on the belt. The combination of gun-appropriate stitching and wet-molding to the specific gun shape, in combination with the belt tension, secures the pistol, safely, as well or better than any other modem holster design, minimizing bulk, while maximizing user comfort and convenience.

Certain guns lend themselves better than others for use with a BELTSTER™. John Browning's 1911 .45 auto is just about ideal. The new generation of lightweight 1911 clones is very nearly ideal. The BELTSTER™ is available for any autoloader (from Seecamp to Desert Eagle), and for J-frame S&Ws, which happen to carry very well in a BELTSTER™ made for a Glock, 200 series Sig, etc. Many large-frame autoloaders will carry nicely in any BELTSTER™ made for any other large-frame semi-auto, though every BELTSTER™ is made for one specific handgun, and recommended for use with that handgun only. IDPA approved!

Ambidextrous versions of the BELTSTER™ are available, as are ambidextrous-crossdraw (aka: "Carjacker Special") models. Please call Scott at 830-612-3909 with specific concerns or questions.

Thanks for your interest in the BELTSTER™. Happy trails and straight shooting!
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: GUN SAFETY DEPENDS UPON YOU!!!

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