Originally shown back at shotshow 2013 earlier this year, I finally got a hold of one of these 5.11 Maverick Assaulter's Belts and it is everything I hoped it would be. There are a lot of good Cobra based belts out there, but the attention to the small design details really makes the Maverick shine.
For starters the big show is definitely the Cobra buckle, which is a bad ass buckle; looks slick, quick/easy to use, and climbing rated. One down side however is most folks want about 1.75" of width for a rigger / gun belt and the corresponding 1.75" Cobra buckle typically doesn't go through pant loops so great. As a result one has to break down the belt each time they want to take the belt off a pair of pants (Hey we all gotta wash our pants eventually). It isn't the end of the world, but a hassle compared to say traditional belts. To fix this problem the Maverick has the main webbing still be 1.75" wide with a female adjuster Cobra side, while on the other side the belt tapers at the very end to a 1" male making great use of the Cobra interchangeable parts. This 1" male is much more manageable to push through belt loops while still having the heavy duty durability.
Another pant loop conflict seen on rigger's belts is usually they sport a big ass metal v-ring. Wanting to keep the backup carabiner clip-in capability the Maverick has a webbing loop that keeps the functionality while also dropping a lot of weight. One still needs to press down a bit on the clip-in loop to make it easier to pass through pant loops, but it is a hell of a lot easier than dealing with big metal hardware. Once in place the loop is pretty nice as it stays rigid enough to not collapse while being generally low profile.
I'm not sure how they do it, but a big plus is the shape of the webbing that makes up the belt is ergonomically curved so it contours to one's body properly. This not only looks better when bending over or sitting, but more importantly is comfortable for long term wear as well. The end result of the Maverick 2 ply webbing foundation is a good rigidity for general tactical use. It is plenty rigid enough to mount a pistol rig to while offering enough flexible give to keep the ergo comfort factor going. Topping off the attention to detail, the Velcro used to secure the adjustment slack is a more quiet version that still keeps a solid grip. Sure, most people aren't going to be adjusting their pants mid stealth OP, however such plus features are still appreciated.
As one might have guessed the Maverick Assaulter's Belt doesn't come cheap, but you certainly get what you pay for as it includes about every worthwhile feature currently applied to modern Cobra belt designs. The design really stands out by hitting all the big key points of ease of use, comfort, and durability. They even come with a hanger that interfaces with the Cobra buckle to add to the cool small details pile. Currently available in Black and Sandstone in sizes S all the way up to 4XL.
