Questions about purse carry (no, not for me).

[flintknapper]

Ladies,

Those of you with purses designed to carry a handgun:

1. Is the weapon fairly accessible?

2. Is there a manner in which to carry the purse so it is least likely to be snatched/taken from you AND still have the weapon always oriented the same?


The reason I ask is, my daughter will be getting her CHL this summer. She is currently a student and will remain so for several more years. She will be in the medical profession, so... between school and her future job, she will not be carrying on her person very much (not allowed).

She is mainly interested in having a weapon for home protection, carry in her vehicle, and also in her purse (where allowed). I know this is less than ideal, but much better than nothing.

I told her I would buy her a pistol of her choosing, a concealment purse, a tactical light, any holster(s) she might be interested in, and pay for her CHL fees.

Problem is, neither of us know what a good concealment purse is, or what features it needs to have. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You in advance,

Flint.

[Venus Pax]

I don't do purse carry, so I can't give you many options. cornered cat will have some information.
Also, I think its wonderful that you're setting her up to carry by paying for the tools and fees. I know how much it adds up, and that's very generous.

If you bring her to the forum day in September, lots of other ladies will be there. She can get a lot of great ideas from them. Everyone has something they do that is a little different than someone else.

Also, I'm not sure where you live, but Donna offers some classes in Conroe at Thunder Gun Range. If you call up there, she offers classes, but I'm not sure how she schedules them or what spectrum she goes through as far as concealment.

[GlockenHammer]

I'm planning to buy Mrs. GlockenHammer (a.k.a. Chopped Liver) a concealment purse for Valentine's Day, so I'm watching this thread with keen interest as well.

[Crossfire]

I told her I would buy her a pistol of her choosing, a concealment purse, a tactical light, any holster(s) she might be interested in, and pay for her CHL fees.

Flint, would you consider adopting me?


Seriously, a good concealment purse has a wide strap to support the added weight of a firearm without digging into your shoulder. The strap should also be adjustable so that the purse falls right at the waist. That way, it fits comfortably close to the body and it looks natural when you carry it with your hand inside the hidden pocket.

I have had a couple of purses from Coronado Leather. They look good and wear well. Galco also makes a great looking purse, but a little pricey, so I haven'y invested in one. Coronado sells online and has a catalog, but if you take her to a gun show, she can try some out.

Oh, and it helps to have the firearm first, before you pick out the handbag. I love my G19, but it's a tight fit in a purse.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Martha has five different Galco purses and she really likes them. All have a separate zippered pocket for the pistol that is accessed through a vertical zipper.

I went to NRA HQ the first weekend in December for a budget meeting and I stayed to get certified to teach the new NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home course. We spent about two hours learning to draw from a purse and it was a real eye-opener. I learned that drawing from a purse can be much faster than I thought possible. It's not as fast as a holster (IWB or OWB), but faster than I would have believed possible. I'd be happy to work with your daughter some weekend, either at our range (PSC), or in your area.

Chas.

[flintknapper]

Thank you all for the replies.

Looks like a trip to Houston is in order.

[quidni]

I used purse & fanny-pack carry for some time when I got my permit. They aren't the best way to carry, but certainly better than leaving the gun at home. I'll still use them occasionally, although I really prefer on-board carry now. Here's some tips I picked up at the time...

1. Clean out the purse! Literally. One does NOT need to carry around 15 pounds worth of makeup, accessories, keys, "Honey-can-you-carry's," and 6 months of paid bill receipts & bank statements, everywhere you go. (I'm preaching to myself as well, here ) Pare it down to the minimum, & then see what else can be discarded. For example, my personal minimum for "in town" - small wallet or card-holder for cash/cc, another separate holder for DL and CHL, comb, cell phone, car/house keys, pen & small notepad, & small maglight. I tuck a copy of the auto insurance in with my CHL. I may add the checkbook but not always. The less clutter in a purse, the easier it is to remember which pocket everything is in, and the easier it is to get to the gun and get it out of the purse.

2. I've tried both CC purses and WalMart $15 specials for carrying. Best one I found so far is a rip-stop type nylon purse from WalMart, with two large center zippered pockets and several zippered & velcroe'd outside pockets. When I use it to carry, the gun goes in the "front" of the two center pockets, and my wallet & sundries go in all the others. ID/CHL case goes in one of the outside small pockets. The gun always goes in its own pocket by itself, oriented the same way each time, and I always carry with the same side of the purse towards me. NOTHING else goes into the gun pocket. Zipper is opened up just far enough that it's easy for me to jam a couple fingers in and force the zipper open. Price, $14.98.

3. Use a purse with shoulder straps, not just a hand strap, and keep it firmly tucked between your ribs & elbow with one hand on the straps as well. Never loosen that tuck unless you have a firm hand on the straps. And carry it more toward the front of the hip; don't let it get "bumped" into hanging behind the hip where it's easier for someone else to grab or reach into.

4. If you can get away with it, fannypacks are a bit more secure than a purse. The CC fannypack usually has straps on the back of the back panel that velcro or snap around your belt as well, making it a little bit harder to grab away, and you don't need to "let go" of it or put it down if you need both hands for something. Just remember that both purses and fannypacks have straps that can be cut or grabbed, and while you can stop payment on a checkbook and credit card with a couple phone calls, it isn't so simple to "cancel" a stolen pistol.

5. If you carry in a purse, be prepared to sacrifice the purse. You may have to shoot through it, or you may have to drop it. In fact, if you have to draw your gun, DON'T RETAIN THE PURSE once you have your hand firmly on the grips. It's faster and easier to let the purse fall OFF of the gun than to pull the gun up and OUT of the purse. Plus, not having that extra weight swinging off your elbow makes it easier to steady your aim.

6. PRACTICE - learn how to draw quickly, with either hand, no matter how you carry!

Hope this helps.

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edited for spelling & to clarify a point....

[flintknapper]

Wow, excellent tips.

A lot there I would not have thought of. Exactly what I was looking for.

I will print this and show it to my daughter for her consideration.

Thanks everyone.

[RPBrown]

Both my wife and oldest daughter have Galco purses for those rare dress up times.

One thing to add to what quidni said is to shorten the shoulder strap so that it will bring the purse closer under the arm giving less to grab but leave enough room for comfort and accessability to the weapon.

In most cases when not on person, they both use a fanny pack.

[jbirds1210]

Flint-

I purchased Kimberly a Wilderness Safepacker. While I wish that she would use one of her holsters......this is what is utilized when she is travelling alone and has to stop for gasoline. She puts her ID and credit card in the packer and substitutes it as her purse. There is a strap on the device long enough for shoulder carry.

http://www.exxcess.info/detail.aspx?ID=222
These are availabe in a variety of sizes directly from the factory.

There is also a way to attach it to the seatbelt while driving......I must admit that I never took the time to figure that feature out.

The safepacker secures the weapon nicely and has a rip through style side that could be very fast with some practice. There is also a space inside for a spare magazine.

I liked the Coronado purses for her, but she just wasn't crazy about the styles.....the Safepacker to her was neutral enough to be a clutch purse.

There is all I know about purses....LOL
Jason

[PWK]

The Concealment Shop offers an good selection. http://www.theconcealmentshop.com/

She also designs her own. I had one custom made with the leather I prefer. She has a new small design that is delightful. It is a small bag that can carry a midsize handgun. She puts in the holster that fits your gun. It is secured with velcro. The guns are fast to access. Most have either velcro or quick release zippers that you have to see to believe.

She is at many of the gunshows in Houston. Contact her to see if she will be at the one you want to attend. Her number is 800-444-7090. She also carries other brands.

I agree completely with Quidni's first point. I had to search for a lighter wallet and not carry all those coins. We just dont need all that stuff that accumulates in a purse.

[longtooth]

Quidni & PWK have voiced Mom's decisions verbatum.
She found a 25.00 purse that she really likes. It has the wide adjustable strap & pockets positioned like she wanted them. Velcoro & zippers.
I too was ready to spring for a Coronodo or Galco for her. She said she could find one that she could try & she did.

[flintknapper]

Thank you everyone for the information (and links).

We will sit down this weekend and go over all that is posted here.

[XDgal]

You may want to check out Nevada Gun Leather at http://www.sagunleather.com. I've been carrying my 9mm in a hobo style purse from Roma purchased there and recommend it highly. It comes with a velcro attached holster that can be adjusted to fit the gun and your draw prefrence. The advise from Quidni about cleaning out unnessasery stuff is good advise indeed! My bag with the gun, a couple extra mags and my everyday stuff approaches 10 lbs.!!! My best friend says I could take out the bad guy by just hitting him with the purse! Access to the gun is almost as fast as lifting a cover garment and drawing from an IWB holster. Your daughter is lucky to have a Father who is looking out for her safety and is providing her real solutions to surviving in the real world. Best of luck on your search for a bag that works for her.

[flintknapper]

You may want to check out Nevada Gun Leather at http://www.sagunleather.com I've been carrying my 9mm in a hobo style purse from Roma purchased there and recommend it highly. It comes with a velcro attached holster that can be adjusted to fit the gun and your draw prefrence. The advise from Quidni about cleaning out unnessasery stuff is good advise indeed! My bag with the gun, a couple extra mags and my everyday stuff approaches 10 lbs.!!! My best friend says I could take out the bad guy by just hitting him with the purse! Access to the gun is almost as fast as lifting a cover garment and drawing from an IWB holster. Your daughter is lucky to have a Father who is looking out for her safety and is providing her real solutions to surviving in the real world. Best of luck on your search for a bag that works for her.

Thanks for your input XD.

I am not too worried about her here in small town East Texas, but she will be doing her residency and finishing school in Houston. She is not at all "street smart" and Houston will be quite an adjustment for her. I just want her to be prepared at all levels.

Jessica is an only child, so she is all I have. Naturally.. a father will look out for his daughter, but....I'm the lucky one, shes been good as gold.