Thinner women

[kurtsara]

My wife is thinking of starting to carry but is worried being thinner that it will stick out like a sore thumb, some of you thinner women, where do you carry, on you or in your purse to make it easier

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ErnieNWillis]

My wife is petite and her XD9sc sticks out pretty far off her hip. She is waiting on her CHL so she doesn't carry right now. She will more than likely carry it unchambered in her purse unless we can figure something else out since she hates IWB holsters. On the other hand I may just get he a Bersa 380 or something thinner and smaller than the XD.

[wraymusicman]

I am not a woman, nor am I thin but I would think that a single-stack handgun like the PPS or CW9 would be ideal in this situation. May even be able to get away with a compact 1911. Good luck, and stay safe!

[Fish slayer]

My wife has the same problem. I think most women do as their hips are shaped differently which will cause a holster on the hip to stick out. Plus most do not like to wear the baggy shirts that us guys use to cover our guns.

My wife bought a Galco shoulder holster which she can cover with a light jacket or over shirt. It is not perfect but it can work for her if she is willing to dress for it.

[9MMare]

Well there is the purse option, which is what I do. I use purses specifically made for carry, with special sections and holsters velcroed inside. I carry with a round chambered, but with a thumb safety on.

And you can even shoot without drawing...thru the purse...but with a semi-auto you'll probably only get one shot and then have to draw and rack the slide (slide will likely jam in purse). I've practiced aiming & angles this way too.

Here's more from a current thread over in the Scenarios section:

btw, I dont have to dig thru my purse for my gun. It's in an attached holster in a special zippered section. When I feel the need, like at nite in parking lots, I'll even leave that zipper open. I can even have my hand on my gun as I walk.

Does she have a purse like this? If not....hubby can take her shoppin'!

And with practice, a woman with good SA can have her gun ready and/or drawn as fast as a man. She can have her hand on her gun at anytime she chooses.

The main drawback is retention. Yes, you may have the purse stolen from you. To me, that's not likely any worse than a regular mugging if they just take it and go. You lose the gun. Argh, yes. But the gun is just a thing, like a wallet.

If they grab or hold you up for your purse, and you havent already prepared, give them the purse and start heading in the opposite direction asap. Dont wait around for them to find it.

(And I never forget my purse. Not since the early 90s anyway)

[Rob P.]

My wife is thinking of starting to carry but is worried being thinner that it will stick out like a sore thumb, some of you thinner women, where do you carry, on you or in your purse to make it easier

I see this sort of thinking and I wonder why people are so concerned about it. There are solutions though.

First, buy a leather holster. Kydex sticks out on ANYONE. I don't know why but I can see a kydex holster a mile away without even looking for it. (<- ok, a slight exaggeration but...)

Secondly, why worry about it? If it sticks out a bit very few will ask what "that" is. Of those who do, most will back off when told "cell phone." For those who are obnoxious, a: "Talk about rude, its a...colostomy bag" or "insulin pump" works wonders at providing red-faced embarrassment to the questioner.

[imaghn]

LIMALIFE a lady on youtube has a series of videos on concealed carry. they may give your wife some ideas. searching"limalife concealed carry" should bring it up I think

[friesepferd]

I am rather thin (5'9" 115lb) and have plenty of suggestions for ya.
1) you really need to have a single stacked gun. a doublestack just aint gunna work
2) you need a short-gripped gun, and probably also a short barreled gun. (might as well get a 3". could get away with 3.5 or 4")
3) you need a IWB holster that is thin and will hold the gun close to your body. one that either happens to be at that perfect angle, or one that is adjustable. i recommend the ctac/mtac
4) depending on her dress syle, she may need to change it a smidge. now you dont need to wear super baggie clothes or hoodies all the time, but a slightly more baggy shirt and some kind of looser over garment will help a ton here. though i am a tomboy and dont mind tomboy clothes, i do wear more girly stuff now and again and can just fine. you just need to find the right stuff.
5) regarding alternative carry methods: i dont really recommend off person carry such as a purse, but if she is going to carry in a purse or not carry at all, then please please get her a nice purse designed for carrying!
6)I also highly suggest taking a look at smartcarry for her with a small gun. I prefer to carry on the hip but when i REALLY need it concealed or want to wear something tighter than iwb will allow. it works great. i would have no problem suggesting it for every day carry. carrying my 1911 in it is no problem with almost any clothes. see my review here:
http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...w-females.html
If you had an actual small 'pocket gun' such as a kel tech or small kahr, then you could really wear anything and the smartcarry and get away with it.
7) for sure, you should both check out this website: Cornered Cat
it has some great info on girls carrying. read the whole thing.

Personally. I carry a Kimber Ultra Aegis II (9mm 3" 1911) in a c-tac holster (would have bought a m-tac if they had them back then) with a very heavy cant around 2:30 or so.

Anyways, I would look for a small single stack gun and a good holster. which gun depends on what features she wants (double action vs single, safeys, etc)

I got some good suggestions way back when i first made a post asking what gun to get for a skinny girl. you may want to read through it: http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...amed-girl.html

would be happy to provide any more info or pictures just let me know.

[Mic]

I'm not a woman, but at 5' 9'' with a 31in waist I found the same problem with hip caring a large frame auto, (Glock 22 and RI 1911) winter attire is not a prob but summer is mostly shorts and a t-shirt, a SOB or IWB holster at 5 o'clock works great for me

[trekkiejt]

Belly band and blouse out your, uh, blouse. Also ankle carry may be good if you don't wear boot cut jeans. It's also an excuse to wear bellbottoms. There are also holster T-shirts, where you can access via the "cookie jar". Pocket carry. Or if you dress like a Bond girl, try a garter holster. :)

[120mm]

With some women, it's not just "thin"; long torsos can be a pain to conceal in.

My business partner is 6 foot, 116 pounds and she'd print carrying a safety pin. So far, she goes with "in purse" carry, but we're working on better means of concealment.

Her current gig requires a full-size SIG, but once she quits that, she's going to a PPS, which should help a bunch.

I'm a thin guy, but with us, if you have enough shoulder, you can conceal about anything.

[Bogieb]

I carry IWB at 2 oclock - not at the hip. Also, having a single stack 239, helps.

I have, however carried with my paddle holster, at 3 oclock, during the winter without any trouble. Just had to make sure that I wore one of my longer sweatshirts to ensure full coverage even while stretching for something.

[ppkheat]

I know some women that would quickly choose being thin over carrying a gun.

[coriantan]

If Limatunes doesn't chime in on this one I'll be surprised. Limalife on youtube.com will show you that it doesn't matter how small you are, you can conceal quite nicely and still look good.

[MinistrMalic]

Go check out the Cornered Cat (Cornered Cat) and you'll find a ton of great advice on carry methods.