Women's choice of concealed gun

[pinklady]

I am trying to decide on a gun to carry. I would love to hear from some women out there who carry. What type of gun you carry, what have you found to be the best way to carry concealed. What type of holster you use. I am new to this so anything you want to share I would really appreciate it. I have never carried before, and have recently started getting interested in doing so.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[foots402]

I'm not a women, but I know a lot of women that carry the Glock 26. Some carry in there pocket book and some carry on there side in a black hawk holster. I don't like them carring in there pocket book because what if someone grabs your pocket book then what gun is gone!!!!!!

[JoJoGunn]

I'm not female either but here goes....

My wife carries a Ruger LCP in .380. She has a small leather in waist band holster but she carries it in her purse.

I gently remind her that if the theif grabs her purse, her pistol is a gonner. Hopefully she will start carrying the thing on her person and not her purse.

[Rugergirl]

While I am far from typical I do carry daily. Choosing a firearm is a personal thing and what works for one person may not work well for another.
When I first decided to carry I analyzed my lifestyle and wardrobe for a starting point of what I could conceal and how. I dress casually and much like the rest of the general public in my area, jeans and t shirts or sweatshirts are practical for me. That left me pretty much wide open for holster choices, and I decided on a OWB belt holster.
I've always been a revolver fan, but I decided to try a semi-auto. I still like the revolvers better, but I like the option of more rounds of ammo and a faster reload if I need it.
Start by deciding how you'll carry and then find the firearm that fits your hand and you feel most comfortable with. Many gun shops have a range and rental guns you can try, until you find what you like best. Don't let someone else pick your gun, it will be yours, you should decide what you feel most comfortable and confident with.

[REVMAN]

My wife also carries a LCP .380

[GunGeezer]

My daughter just got her CCP in Missouri. I told her to try as many guns as she could and when she came to visit us, I would buy her the one she liked best. When she arrived, she told me that she still couldn't make up her mind. So, I took her to the range and let her shoot a Lady Smith, Kel-Tec P3At, Glock 26, Walther PPK/S and Taurus 617. She opted for the Lady Smith. End of story.

[enk5]

I carry a Walther PK380 in a High Noon in the waistband holster. I find that to be the best way to carry for me because I'm only 21 and I like to wear my clothes a little tighter. With the IWB holster I find that I'm not as limited with my clothing choices as I might be with another type of holster.

[Jex]

When my wife decided that she wanted a weapon of her own we tried several guns. She can handle my HK .40 ok but it is a little uncomfortable for her. She decided that she liked the simplicity and reliability of a revolver. She settled on the Ruger LCR. Light weight, enclosed hammer, and very smooth trigger. We got the CT laser grip on it so it is very easy to aim, shoot, and get back on target.

[friesepferd]

I'll be honest. Women are shaped differently on average for sure, but the differane in shape from person to person is enough that it really doesnt matter.
You need to get what works for you. There are a lot of things to think about when considering a firearm.
1) caliber
2) ammo capacity
3) size (thickness- single vs double, barrel length, grip length, overall bulk)
4) reliability
5) accuracy
6) safety feathers (do you want a manual thumb safety or no?)
7) action (double, single, double/single, other)
and much more...

For holsters you also have tons of options
1) general type (iwb,owd (thats inside/outside waistband), shoulder, ankle, other)
2) material (kydex, leather, other)
3) position you carry if on hip (sob, appendix, 3oclock, other)
4) other options (tuckable, deep concealment, etc)

So many of these things depend on your shape, what you are comfortable with, etc.
If you want me to go further into any of those topics let me know.
Personally I am 5'8, 120 lb, skinny, no hips. I carry a kimber ultra aegis II (9mm 1911 syle 3" barrel) IWB at about 2:30 with a CTAC holster. When needing deeper concealment I use my smartcarry. See my review here.
For a non 1911 style gun I highly prefer the springfield XD. 9mm subcompact is great.

[purpledragon]

All good advice so far. As a woman I will add that it is more likely if you want to carry at all times in all situations you will most likely need more than one set up and possibly more than one gun as well. I have my favorites but I carry a variety of ways to ensure I am always armed.

My ways of carrying: bellyband, IWB various holsters with belt, pocket carry, Maxpedition bag (so far as back up only not main carry), one OWB holster- for a Glock 30 and I like OWB so I may get more, and occasionally purse carry also of a back up only.

Don't assume because you're female you need a "small" gun, what works for you may be something bigger. Try as many as you can to find what you like. From those you then can work on how to conceal and what will work best for your lifestyle.

[alexcantslee]

I am trying to decide on a gun to carry. I would love to hear from some women out there who carry. What type of gun you carry, what have you found to be the best way to carry concealed. What type of holster you use. I am new to this so anything you want to share I would really appreciate it. I have never carried before, and have recently started getting interested in doing so.

My mom carries a Glock 19 and my aunt carries an LCP. My other aunt carries a Beretta but I dont recall the model.

About the only advice I think I can give would be to get what you like but more importantly dont let anyone tell you what you need to do or get. People seem pretty prone to telling women they need something "little" or "Simple". Don't let anyone tell you your going to be too weak to rack a slide, that you cant handle a particular caliber or that you need a revolver because a semi-auto is "too complicated". I see lot of posts on here from guys asking advice on what sort of gun they need to pick for their wives which is weird because the general consensus on these boards is that your weapon is a hugely personal choice. Its all a balancing act and you may decide its important to have more kick and less comfort.

My wife hasn't made a decision to carry but she wants her own gun and wants to get her CHL so she CAN carry if she wants or when she IS ready. Shes been eyeing the Springfield XD sub compacts, she personally really dug the grip safety. She just cant decide if she wants a 9, a 40 or a 45.

[Guardian]

My wife doesn't do the internet, but reads this site with me. She wanted me to put her Rossi 38 Special down. Were looking at the Holster currently.

[Pepsi]

This thread will be good refrence for my gf in the near future

[goawayfarm]

Here is my wife's list: (which one varies on how she's dressed.)

Glock 23 .40S&W (Carried the most!)
Sig 239 .40S&W
Kimber Ultra Carry .45ACP
Ruger LCP .380
NAA Guardian .32ACP

[jwhite75]

It will defintiely matter how committed you are to dressing around the gun...not the other way around. My fiancee is waiting to turn 21 to get her permit. She has already been experimenting with guns and holster types. She is tall and very curvy. So far she has narrowed it down to a few guns and is leaning towards a IWB holster. Her first choice is a Glock 26, followed closely by a Kahr PM9 and Sig P239. The 9mm offers more shots generally and a quicker reload on average, but is still relatively on par with a .38 snubbie for power, and recoil is mild to moderate. Youreally need to go to as many gun shops as possible and handle evrything you can, and shoot them if possble. Pick whats right for you, and dont buy cheap just because is is cheap. Make sure you get a reliable brand...ask around here. You will get all the info you need and then some. Welcome to the fourm.