limatunes

I agree with Protect. I too am a lady, I HAVE carried in my purse, but that is the last resort. A good holster will be of great value to you.

I agree with going to corneredcat.com.

It pretty much outlines the different types of holster for women and our different body types.

If I carry in a purse, like Betty, I try to sit in a place that has a booth so that I can set it beside me. Also, like Better, if in a chair, I hook the strap around my leg.

All of the issues you mentioned are very real for off-body carry, that is why I am loath to do it. However, I'd rather have my gun in a purse than no gun at all.

I hope you find a method that works well for you!

__________________
Limatunes' Range Diaries

Xenia

Thanks for the comments. I only have the one gun: S&W MP9c.

I usually wear twill pants with an elastic waste and in warmer weather, short leaved knit tops. When I do dress up more, it is sometimes just the same kind of knit top with an elastic waste skirt.

I never wear a belt. I bought a man's belt at the advice of someone and will need to take it back as I bought the wrong size. But, I tried an Uncle Mikes OWB holster on the belt and it stuck out big time. With the right belt it would ONLY work for use in a class or something.

In warmer months I never wear a jacket unless it is an important business event like testifying in court or giving a presentation in public. In the cold months I usually wear those same pants with sweaters, or long sleaved knit tops.

I only wear dresses (one piece) to funerals or weddings.

I am going back to purse carry today. I did check out cornered cat it is a great site. I didn't feel however that she was addressing the concerns of heavier women there. I couldn't tell if her suggestions would work for somone like me.

That concealed pic on page one where the woman is wearing behind the hip has been suggested more then once. How does she sit with that on? What about getting to it while in the car seat? (actually she could probably get to it in a car seat... but I am a lefty.... between the seat belt and the car door I woudl be fumbling with getting the gun long before the BG got to me.)

BTW, I did order a smart carry. I am hoping if it doesn't work they will give me my money back cuz I am out of money for anything gun related outside of ammo and range fees. There is a course I want to take on July 1st in Michigan and I am not sure I will have that fee as it is.

Xenia

Regarding purse carry... another question...

Those who have these purses is the walls of the compartment on each side of it stiff or padded?

I bought a cheapo ebay gun purse. There is two layers of fabric on each side of the center compartment that is for the gun. The sewing is very tight everywhere on the purse. It is actually very well built.

However, my gun ends up laying down on the bottom, flat to the floor about half the time. And I am a bit nervous about when the gun is in its normal position that something would be able to get into the trigger guard... like my lipstick or my car keys. Mind you, I never put anything inside the gun compartment but the gun. (the extra mag goes into a pocket built for it in one of the other compartments.)

I had someone suggest glueing some cardboard inside each compartment on the gun compartment side to stiffin it up. But I wondered if other gun purses were like mine. I find it really easy to get my gun out of this purse. I would hate to mess with it with the cardboard and end up with a ruined gun purse.

Blackeagle

Don't judge how well holsters will work in general by a cheapo like an Uncle Mike's. There are some great holster makers out there who do excellent work in leather or kydex. With the right holster, belt and clothes, it's possible to conceal even a fairly large gun quite well. I'm sure there's a combo out there that will work for you, especially with a relatively small gun like the M&P9c.

plblark

re: stiffness and protecting the gun in the purse compartment...

Have you considered a Mika Pocket holster, possibly sewn in, used in conjunction with the purse?

__________________
For MN specific carry information and a great shooting community, check out forum.twincitiescarry.com

QKShooter

Here Is A Link
Scroll down the page and there are more than a few different styles of firearm purse pictures shown. Seeing the pics might help.
Maybe you just need a better or different style gun purse.
http://business.fortunecity.com/hunt...unHolsters.htm

__________________

Liberty/Tyranny
___________________________
Ain't That A Shame! Be Happy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OG3u...1&feature=fvwp

Gary Brommeland

I agree w/ Blackeagle 100% - I would not use the necessary language to express my opinion of Uncle Mike's products in the presence of a lady.

If you want to carry on-body your choices are twofold - either a shoulder rig or a belt holster. Shoulder rigs are, imho a speciality tool and I do not recommend them for daily carry.

That leaves us with a belt holster. This will require that you wear a belt (after all, there was probably a time when you didn't carry a gun, too!). Also, all belts are not created equal. Make sure that you buy a gunbelt from a reputable custom shop - there is not a factory belt available that I would recommend for your purposes. A 1-1/4" width would be adequate, and should fit in the belt loops of your shorts/slacks.

Next, look around for a holster. It is my sincere recommendation that you skip the factory stuff, and look for a good custom shop. If you are really "curvy", then avoid anything made for a man - it will be uncomfortable. If you are more "willowy", you might find one that works, but a ladies holster would still be a better option.

Look for a holster that carries in the appendix position (to the right of your belly button - or left since you are a lefty). If you are sufficiently "busty" for your clothes to drap over your gun in that position, you're all set. Most women's holsters are designed for that postion, and you just need to look around a bit. I believe Mitch Rosen makes such a holster. (We have one under development, but it is 6 months away at best from being "market ready".)

If "busty" does not describe you, then look for an IWB (Inside Waist Band) design for the same position - it will carry closer to your body.

Betty has mentioned previously having great success with a "bellyband" as well - I'll leave that one for her to explain as I have no personal experience at either wearing one, or being a woman.

Please bear in mind that this may get a little spendy, but junk equipment keeps costing you over and over to replace. Good gear is a one time investment. Good luck!

PS. Going to a smaller gun like a Kahr PM-9 would make your concealment task easier. A smaller gun yet (a Seecamp or Kel-Tec for example) in a pocket holster would also offer options. I personally prefer a larger caliber, but some of the modes of dress that you described may not work with a bigger gun. A .32 in the pocket always trumps the .45 left in your car.

Protect

I'll see if I can get her to take another pic tonight sitting.

Being a lefty, the car is always going to present a problem. The door is always going to be in the way. You might try an under the dash setup when you are in the car.

Good luck with your search! Gary knows his stuff about holsters and what works.

__________________
"When a man attempts to deal with me by force, I answer him—by force.
"... No, I do not share his evil or sink to his concept of morality: I merely grant him his choice, destruction, the only destruction he had the right to choose: his own." -John Galt, Atlas Shrugged

rocky

A belly band might be the cheapest solution to try and find what is the most comfortable position to carry since you can slide it around and position it different places.

__________________
"In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson


Nemo Me Impune Lacesset

Link to my kydex builds:http://rocknloadkydex.blogspot.com/

Remy Brommeland

Hi Xenia,

Great questions. I definitely can't wear behind the hip. And I am a good bit older than Protect's wife. Which puts me most decidedly not in the willowy category. Guy gear doesn't work for me at all - or most women. We don't just look different on the outside, our joints don't work the same. A strong side carry is a fumble waiting to happen for a woman. Our shoulders simply don't function well at the angle required to draw from that position (behind the hip). An appendix position holster is drawn straight back and punched forward - much better for a female shoulder.

Gary is working on a holster for me that should be available by the end of the year. I am getting used to wearing a belt now, because I wasn't much of a belt person either. Leather is the most comfortable material because the edges are rounder (not willowy, remember?). Tell the shop you order it from that it is for a woman - I know Gary curves them differently for women than men to be compatible with a woman's hip structure. Save up for a good one - it really does make a difference.

I have had to change my wardrobe a bit to accommodate self defense. I am fortunate to be able to dress casually. (If I would look out of place in hiking boots, why bother going? ) Casual dress makes it easier to "pack" than do more dressy clothes, but where there is a will, there is a way. But I think Betty and Limatunes probably have more "dress" experience than I do.

I only occassionally carry in a fanny pack, but it makes me nervous. The gun gets heavy as you mentioned - and I am carrying a MK9 (although now I realize I should have listened to Gary and gotten a polymer frame). Also, like a purse, a snatcher can just cut the straps and be gone. (Wonderful, now I have armed a criminal!) But I absolutely never carry in a purse. I will use a smaller firearm in a pocket holster instead. A .32 in an eyeball beats a .45 in the glovebox! Also, like Betty, I think bellybands are great. I wear heavy weight t-shirts or a thick "drape-y" fabric shirt. Works with jeans, shorts, any pants without belt loops, overalls, and skirts. Winter time is great - sweaters rock! You need to practice, though, because a lot of methods that women use are a bit slower to draw from than the traditional strong side carry.