Cartridge loops very tight - Galco Model 1880s Cartridge Belt 44/45

Bought this belt, together with a strongside holster and a crossdraw to get started in Cowboy Mounted Shooting. This rig from Galco offers good quality at a reasonable price, which is somewhat rare for a CMS rig, because most prices border on the outrageous.
The only concern I had with this belt is that the cartridge loops are so tight that I couldn't even force a .45 Colt round into them. I had to use bottleneck rifle cartridge to wedge into the loops to open them up enough to get the straight-walled rounds in. Actually thought perhaps the belt was mismarked, and had .38 loops. Contacted Galco customer support, who told me that this fit is normal, and just work with it. So I did, and finally got them sized to accept the .45s.