Carry for women question

[chris in va]

My girlfriend's daughter (25) decided its time to get her CC license. Yay!

Problem, she dresses in such a way it would be impossible to carry on her person, and considering how fashionable she is having a dedicated CC purse is out of the question. More than likely whatever she chooses will be carried in her purse and/or left in her car, then brought in the house when she's not working as a manager.

I've read the Cornered Cat site but need some advice on her situation.

[jimbob86]

Would this work for her?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S72aeGdKmZw

[colbad]

From your description it is hard to understand what she wears. Check out thunderwear. they show models in daisy duke shorts with full frame 1911s hidden.

[ClydeFrog]

If she can't learn or dress to pack a sidearm on her person, then she should not rely on a loaded firearm for defense.
It sounds harsh but what happens when she's attacked & her purse/bag/sack is 20 feet away from her?
New firearms are small, light & compact. If she "can't" get it to fit, then she should change her wardrobe or learn new ways to carry a firearm safely.
Guns are not props, political or fashion statements, toys, or accessories.

A carry license or permit does not mean a person can buy a weapon put it in a bag or purse then never use it or see it again.

[Romulus]

Problem, she dresses in such a way it would be impossible to carry on her person

Sounds like she can't conceal then...why get the license in that case?

[jimbob86]

It sounds harsh but what happens when she's attacked & her purse/bag/sack is 20 feet away from her

Or worse: The mugger knocks her to the ground and grabs her purse ..... and begins beating her to make her let go of it...... if she does, she's lost her best means of self defense, and has added another stolen gun to the street .....

Purse Carry is not a great idea, IMHO.

[Garycw]

In not familiar with thunder ware , but I like the flash bangs concept. Pretty catchy name too.

[jimbob86]

In not familiar with thunder ware ,

Here ya go:

http://thunderwear.com/holsters.asp

I would not wear such a thing ..... I'm not going to point a gun at my ..... um, er ..... inner thighs? ..... YMMV.

[redneck]

A purse isn't ideal but if done properly with some thought its a lot better than not carrying at all.
Carrying is something most people build up too, and telling them that they have to wear BDU's and pack a glock 17 IWB or not carry anything at all just turns them away. Let them start slow and get comfortable with the idea and eventually they may end up carrying on their person 24/7.

Look into a gun vault or something similar, preferably quick access, for when she has to leave it in her vehicle. Look at all the options on purses, I know nothing on the subject but recently helped my girlfriend get her permit and she was able to find a purse that worked for her, and is now carring IWB also. I was surprised how many styles of purses they make, and would be surprised if someone can't find something that works for them.

[Romulus]

A purse isn't ideal but if done properly with some thought its a lot better than not carrying at all.
Carrying is something most people build up too, and telling them that they have to wear BDU's and pack a glock 17 IWB or not carry anything at all just turns them away

Thank God no one here suggested specific firearms and BDUs. The point made by our posters, myself included, is that purse carry is ineffective compared to, well, effective methods. It will remain ineffective, and never be effective, even as the lady "builds up to." If you haven't built up to it beforehand in any case the point is moot...

[Brian Pfleuger]

I'd suggest contacting Kathy Jackson (our own Pax), the author/owner of Cornered Cat, and asking her specifically. Asking a bunch of men for advice about women's carry is like asking an accountant about nuclear reactors. They might have a basic understanding but it's best to go with the experience.

[Bill Daniel]

Have a look at this web site. wwwthewellarmedwoman.com. I found some carry options for my wife that she liked.
All the best,
Bill

[ClydeFrog]

I agree with post #10. You don't "build up" to carrying guns.
I've never heard of anyone buying a Baby Browning .25acp or Beretta Tomcat then 5 years later carrying a Glock 34 9x19mm or a 6" barrel Colt Python.

Bags & packs are not ideal for men or women.
Some well known figures packed sidearms in bags/briefcases.
The late Daryl Gates the long-time LAPD police chief wrote in Chief that he kept a S&W 9mm compact pistol in his briefcase.
He never wore a sidearm while on duty either in suits or uniform.

I've noted a few times in topics like this how not carrying on your body(off body carry like sacks, purses, bags) is a bad idea, citing the real event of a HUD special agent who was disciplined by his supervisors for constantly leaving his loaded SIG pistol in cases/bags at meetings.

A pistol or revolver in a purse or case 30 feet from you isn't going to save you in a critical incident!

[boondocker385]

it seems to me she isn't serious about carrying and having a gun is very serious business!

I respectfully disagree with off body carry. I do it from time to time with both handguns and small, full autos. you just have to constantly think about it if you go that route and most who are carrying are oblivious.

at a shooting class for "advanced" students everyone was required to clear their weapons but carry them at lunch. we announced we would be trying to take their guns....even with the warning we had no problem taking over 60% of the guns. by the end of lunch everyone got the point...and we spent the afternoon on retention.

[chris in va]

Thanks Brian and everyone, I'll ask Kathy what she suggests.

[redneck]

As far as "building up" to carrying a gun, I know lots of people who carry and not one of them went to packing a gun on their hip 24/7 the day they got the permit. You aren't building up to the idea, you are getting accustomed to doing it. It takes awhile to figure out what works for you and until it is comfortable most people aren't going to carry on their body full time.

You keep talking about what happens when the purse is 30 ft away. The purse isn't the problem, leaving it 30 ft away is the problem. If the person will commit to using the purse as a holster and the purse stays on their body its not an issue. Sure somebody can knock them down and take it but that could happen without the gun in the purse. You could take the same scenario and put the gun IWB at 5:00 and when the bad guy knocks her on her back on the sidewalk she lands ontop of it and still can't draw. When you sit around all day dreaming up worst case scenarios you can make anything seem like a horrible idea.

Roll your eyes all you want but I think this attitude that people have to "commit" to on body carry, completely change their wardrobe or not even get a permit is over the top and turns people away. In Ohio you have to have a permit just to keep it loaded in your car. Give people a chance to figure it out instead of saying its my way or no way, and reciting all the ways someone is going to beat them senseless in the street and steal the gun nobody knows they're carrying.

[jimbob86]

I've never heard of anyone buying a Baby Browning .25acp or Beretta Tomcat then 5 years later carrying a Glock 34 9x19mm or a 6" barrel Colt Python.

In my experience, the reverse is true: Folks start out with whatever range gun they have (for me it was a steel framed 5" 1911), usually a full sized pistol..... and then as they learn how heavy and uncomfortable that is, graduate to smaller and smaller guns .....

As far as "building up" to carrying a gun, I know lots of people who carry and not one of them went to packing a gun on their hip 24/7 the day they got the permit. You aren't building up to the idea, you are getting accustomed to doing it.

You didn't know me, apparently ..... I carried for months around the house while waiting for our CHP law to take effect, and get a class taken and then the interminable wait for the State to process my application ...... I doubt I was the only one who did this .... I had the "how" figured out (for what I had to work with- it didn't take too long for folks with more experience, some right here on this very forum, to set me straight on my misconceptions) before I did the "Walmart Walk".....

[tobnpr]

and considering how fashionable she is having a dedicated CC purse is out of the question.

Well, unless she's one of those "types" that needs a designer label on her purse, there are plenty of attractive choices in dedicated carry purses.

My wife never leaves home without hers with the CW-9 tucked squarely in it's compartment. The great thing about these is the design allows her to literally be able to place the gun in her hand (finger far from the trigger of course) inside the purse should she ever find herself in a situation that would warrant it- very discreetly.

Has she even looked at carry purses, or is she, and you- dismissing this very relevant option out of hand?

[pax]

As far as "building up" to carrying a gun, I know lots of people who carry and not one of them went to packing a gun on their hip 24/7 the day they got the permit.

I did.

Granted, not everyone jumps in as enthusiastically as I did, but it is every bit as incorrect to say that nobody jumps in that fast as it is to say everybody has to ease into it. People do whatever they do. Everybody has different comfort levels to begin with, and everyone has a different way to approach these issues.

For attractive concealed carry purses, take a look at the Designer Concealed Carry (Woolstenhulme) line of purses. Very fashionable, still work well for concealed carry. If the high-end, designer line seems too expensive, you might also take a look at purses by Gun Tote'n Mamas. Their Heritage purse this year looks scrumptious to my eyes!

pax

[pax]

Also, the Flashbang bra holster works exceedingly well for fashionable young women. It really does hold the gun securely and conceal the gun quite thoroughly, even with snug clothing. Not my first choice for every day carry for those who are willing to make some wardrobe or lifestyle adjustments, but a good balance – as long as she gets solid training in how to draw safely.

pax

[pax]

at a shooting class for "advanced" students everyone was required to clear their weapons but carry them at lunch. we announced we would be trying to take their guns....even with the warning we had no problem taking over 60% of the guns. by the end of lunch everyone got the point...and we spent the afternoon on retention.

"It's okay, it isn't loaded," is one of the most stupid sentences in the English language. It kills a certain number of people every year. Please tell me I misunderstood your story!

pax

[BerdanSS]

I actually tried to talk my wife into a "gun purse" when she first stared carrying. I was pretty darn proud of her when she threw back (without thinking about it) " what happens if someone runs up behind me and cuts the strap off my shoulder, or worse grabs it and we get into physical confrontation because they couldn't "grab and run"?"

Now that being said the "gun purse" isn't the worst idea in the world. My wife is 5'6 about a Buck twenty and 27 years old. She wears lowrider jeans and tight fitting T shirts pretty much every day of the week. She carries a glock 26 in a very close fitting holster. With her jacket on or one of her little hoodies, its impossible to tell she has it. She carries just behind the hip so unless your behind her, in just the T shirt and jeans you can't see it. A cop was standing right behind us in line at the store and confused it for a cell phone. He said what a neat phone case. Is that carbon fiber? When she told him was her gun, he turned a little red and said you know how to use that? She replied yes....he nodded and said good girl.

[tobnpr]

Comments about the "stolen purse" are valid.

BUT...

There's a lot more to personal safety, and carrying, than just stashing the weapon in a purse.

You could get hit over the head with a pipe walking around a dark corner as well, and the 9mm on your hip would do you no good, either.

Situational awareness goes a long way.

When dress simply does not allow any form of on-body carry, the purse is the only viable option. Well, the "Sneaky Pete" (requires a belt) or an ugly fanny pack might be options...but what woman is going to wear a fanny pack?

We live in FL...jackets, sweatshirts, any sort of overgarment- well, just not gonna happen 9 or 10 month out of the year- and even then, only a few days where it's cold enough to wear a jacket.

If someone has another idea, I'd love to hear it.

[pax]

Also, someone upthread recommended SmartCarry or Thunderwear. Those do not work well for most women, especially women who enjoy wearing form-fitting jeans.

Trust me on this one.

Women who do well with SmartCarry type holsters nearly all find they work best under a skirt.

pax

[Bart B.]

Kathy, there is another option to carrying a weapon.....

Some of the new LED flashlights have enough energy they'll quickly melt butter several feet away. Guaranteed to blind an attacker at several yards away.

http://www.wickedlasers.com/torch