Purse Carry

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diverman26
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Purse Carry

#1

Post by diverman26 »

My wife is going to carry in her purse. We are done discussing it. When she leaves the (mall, store, hairdresser) she will put her hand in the purse and grip her XDs. Yes, even when pushing a shopping cart! Stop asking questions!! :roll:

Sooooo - I have convinced her that it is dangerous to place a handgun openly in her purse. ND is a real possibility even if she isn't handling the weapon.

I am thinking of some sort of pocket holster that is clipped to an inner pocket of the purse but I must admit, I don't have a lot of experience with purses. Any ideas?

Thanks so much.

OneGun
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Re: Purse Carry

#2

Post by OneGun »

diverman26 wrote:My wife is going to carry in her purse. We are done discussing it. When she leaves the (mall, store, hairdresser) she will put her hand in the purse and grip her XDs. Yes, even when pushing a shopping cart! Stop asking questions!! :roll:

Sooooo - I have convinced her that it is dangerous to place a handgun openly in her purse. ND is a real possibility even if she isn't handling the weapon.

I am thinking of some sort of pocket holster that is clipped to an inner pocket of the purse but I must admit, I don't have a lot of experience with purses. Any ideas?
I don't know if I recommend putting her hand in her purse and gripping her XDS even when pushing a shopping cart. However, ladies have quite a few choices regarding CCW purses. Your wife may want to consider the Well Armed Woman site.

https://thewellarmedwoman.com/product-c ... cw-purses/
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Middle Age Russ
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Re: Purse Carry

#3

Post by Middle Age Russ »

Since off-the-body carry seems the option chosen, the recommendations I have heard for purse carry are pretty simple.
1. Dedicate an entire pocket/compartment in the purse to the firearm. Put nothing else in this compartment beyond the firearm/holster.
2. Place firearm in a holster that covers the trigger area in the dedicated compartment
3. (optional, but certainly a good idea) secure holster in the compartment in some manner so that the gun is always in the same place (Velcro comes immediately to mind).

As for behavior when carrying in a purse... I would find a person's behavior odd if they continually had their hand inside a purse and did not seem to be searching for something. Odd behavior draws my interest since it may represent a threat. YMMV, of course. On the other hand, I wouldn't find it terribly odd to see a person with their hand in their purse when traversing a parking lot -- they might be getting their keys to be ready to open their car. Again, YMMV.
Russ
Stay aware and engaged. Awareness buys time; time buys options. Survival may require moving quickly past the Observe, Orient and Decide steps to ACT.
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Lynyrd
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Re: Purse Carry

#4

Post by Lynyrd »

There has been a lot of discussions here about carrying in a purse. Do some searching of the forum and you may turn up some useful ideas.

I am personally against the idea for a number of reasons.

1) If the BG grabs your purse, you just lost your gun and another gun is in the hands of criminals.
2) If the BG grabs your purse, you have no way to defend yourself against said BG.
3) Whenever you sit your purse down, you now are separated from your weapon by more time and distance.
4) If you ever need to draw your weapon time is critical and you don't want to add extra motions, as in reaching for a purse.

But if your wife is dead set on purse carry, my number one concern would be to keep the trigger covered. Get some kind of holster that attaches to the inside of the purse and practice drawing from it. There is an amazing array of holsters out there for ladies. My wife was blown away at her options when she started looking for her first holster.
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rotor
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Re: Purse Carry

#5

Post by rotor »

Look at Galco CarrySafe Holster. There is no perfect way to purse carry but this is better than no holster. My wife has one.
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SewTexas
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Re: Purse Carry

#6

Post by SewTexas »

be happy that she wants to carry. Don't stress about the purse carry, unless she's lost her purse before. She'll be extra cautious about it. I've found that women often, not always, start with purse carry, do it for a little while, maybe a couple of years, then move to other methods, but let it be her decision. When I first started carrying I carried in a purse. Depending on her style Montana West has carry purses and they are very affordable, esp at gun shows, unfortunately I'm pretty sure the brand is made in China now and not on the res. Take a look on ebay, loads of carry purses lots of styles and sizes. There is a newer brand called ... Bulldog? something very nice, stylish and a good price. Now.... you can also feasibly go with a $20 WM purse, that has an extra pocket, and put the gun in a pocket holster, if you put nothing else in the pocket.
I don't often purse carry anymore, I have many other options. When I purse carry, it's typically in the heat of summer and I don't want anything touching my body more than the clothes that have to in order to be socially acceptable. :biggrinjester:
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montgomery
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Re: Purse Carry

#7

Post by montgomery »

Not supporting purse carry, but consider a Kydex trigger guard:

https://www.amazon.com/Kydex-Trigger-Gu ... B00ZC5CRRM
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oljames3
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Re: Purse Carry

#8

Post by oljames3 »

As others have said, be happy she is carrying at all. This is not the hill on which you want to die ... ever. And if you try to take it, you will die.

My wife and I got our CHLs at same time in 2013. We got our first pistols that summer. I have carried openly every day since. When she carried, she carried in her purse. She did not start carrying regularly until early 2017. Just last month she had her epiphany and now carries on body consistently.

She has never carried in a regular purse, only in gun purses having a separate, dedicated gun compartment and removable sticky holster. Many of the dedicated gun purses come with sticky holsters and/or small locks to keep young hands out. She has three in different sizes, colors, and styles.

What worked for me was to demonstrate my commitment to her safety by conspicuously carrying and not pressuring her in any way. Until 2016, I carried concealed when off of our property. She always knew I was carrying, even when she could not see it. I have taken several classes and discussed them with her. Just sharing, not pressuring. Everything I did to encourage her to carry consistently, preferably on body, was for naught until she had her own epiphany.

Going armed is not comfortable. It is, instead, comforting. It is even more uncomfortable for women, especially those with curves. Until she had her own epiphany, my wife was more concerned with comfort and fashion than anything else. Now, she has accepted the necessity of carrying consistently. After trying several compact 9mm auto-loaders, she picked a Walther PPS M2 LE to replace her Ruger LCR .38 and bought it. She has settled on a Comp-Tac International for on body carrying.

I am still working on getting her into formal training. I've helped her all that I can with safety, grip, stance, and trigger management and she handles her pistols well. It is time for someone else to take over.
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cyphur
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Re: Purse Carry

#9

Post by cyphur »

It all comes down to securing the trigger and training around purse carry. Ideally you could get her to an action range where she can draw from her purse and get comfortable with it.

I also agree - a well designed purpose-built purse should be investigated. Rigging something up is never as dependable as a well thought out foundational design. Then, train, train, and train some more. It's shocking how many people do not train on their draw. No worse thing than fumbling.


And yea - her hand in her purse constantly, while stationary - that's a red flag. Whether that causes others to notice her and bring attention to herself - better to be the grey man.

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diverman26
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Re: Purse Carry

#10

Post by diverman26 »

As hinted at above, I have been married long enough to know which battles I can win (the ones she allows).

I believe that I can get her to sit down with me and read through the forums (especially the Ladies Forum). I have found that, like my kids, since it comes from me it is suspect; get someone else to say it and it could be gospel.

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. It's hard for me to put myself in her shoes on this topic so I'll have to allow her to find her own way.
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JakeTheSnake
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Re: Purse Carry

#11

Post by JakeTheSnake »

Show your wife this video. Also how fast people were to assist.
My wife does not carry in her purse.
https://youtu.be/AfcvCaDVh4w
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Middle Age Russ
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Re: Purse Carry

#12

Post by Middle Age Russ »

One thing the OP might propose to his wife is going to some ladies' only classes or join a ladies' shooting club. I know in most of the metropolitan areas there are such easily available. The club my wife facilitates discusses all sorts of things in addition to their regular range sessions. A couple of weeks ago, a local LEO trainer came in for a session on Surviving an Active Shooter, but they cover a lot of topics including different carry positions/methods, situational awareness, gun cleaning, legal use of force, etc....
Russ
Stay aware and engaged. Awareness buys time; time buys options. Survival may require moving quickly past the Observe, Orient and Decide steps to ACT.
NRA Life Member, CRSO, Basic Pistol, PPITH & PPOTH Instructor, Texas 4-H Certified Pistol & Rifle Coach, Texas LTC Instructor

cmgee67
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Re: Purse Carry

#13

Post by cmgee67 »

I recommend the MIC holster. Cover trigger guard and is kydex. You can attach to a piece of paracord and then attach to the inside of the purse. That way nothing can get to the trigger and when you draw the cord pops off the MIC holster and out comes the gun. I use them in my gym bag and backpack when I can’t carry on body. I made my own. They are quite easy to make.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_s?k=MIC+holster
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JustSomeOldGuy
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Re: Purse Carry

#14

Post by JustSomeOldGuy »

Different aspect of the drawbacks of 'purse' carry......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkR7yECdsY8
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