Is a Purse Good For Concealed Carry?

A couple of years ago, a toddler reached into a concealed carry purse and pulled his mommy’s gun out. Tragically, the little boy shot his mother, killing her. There is a lot more backstory that you’re encouraged to read and check out. But the main takeaway from this is as follows —

Concealed Carry in a gun purse is rarely ever a viable option to conceal your gun for everyday carry (EDC). There are some circumstances where, if it’s the only method you are able to carry, it’s better than nothing. But for the most part, you should only carry on your body in an actual holster, whether it’s one of ours, or not.

Let’s discuss, is a purse good for concealed carry?

leather concealed Holster

 

Gun Purse Limits Gun Access:

One of the main things that many folks don’t realize is that off-body concealed carry of any kind limits your access to your firearm when it’s actually needed. You just can’t get to your gun as easily or as quickly as you could if it was being carried on your body in an actual holster.

The trouble is, there are extra steps that must be taken to get your gun out of your bag, which costs precious time that you may not have. And, in a life or death scenario, tenths of seconds count and can even feel like an eternity.

Moreover, what if you can’t get it out at all? Can you accurately shoot through your purse? Will all the stuff you keep in there slow the round down or deflect it so it goes somewhere else?

Will your gun even work past that first fired round?

Worse – What if you don’t hit your attacker, but someone else? An innocent onlooker? A child?

These are all things we need to think about and there are plenty of videos on YouTube highlighting some of these issues.

Truth is, it’s hard enough to get your gun out of your holster and on target under any amount of stress. Add in the extra difficulty of off-body carrying with zippers, thumb breaks, not being able to pull the gun out, etc., and you have a recipe for disaster.

What if you’re unknowingly robbed:

One of the stipulations of firearms ownership and carrying a concealed (or open) gun is the ability to retain control of that gun at all times. That means you must retain control of it while it’s in use as a self-defense tool, as well as while it sits in your holster or concealed carry purse.

The thing is, many ladies put their purses down all the time. What happens if you put your purse down inside your cart at the grocery store and turn toward the cereal in the aisle, so consumed with looking at all the strange ingredients you’re feeding your kids, that you didn’t notice the jerk swipe your holster purse with your gun inside it.

He now has your gun, in addition to all your cash and credit cards. Not a good spot to be in.

Remember, one of the most important things, ever, is the ability to retain control of your firearm in all instances.

Airsoft Gun Shoulder Holster

 

What about folks going through your purse?

It happens all the time, little kids reaching into mommy’s purse, looking for a granola bar because he knows that’s where she keeps them.

We’ve all heard the story of the woman who was shot by her little boy because he got to her CCW purse where she kept her gun. That sad story could have been prevented had the mother carried her concealed gun on her body, instead of in her purse.

The last thing you should ever want to have to happen is to have someone going through your concealed carry purse, finding your gun, and pulling the trigger.

This scenario can be all but eliminated with the simple addition of a decent gun holster.

Sometimes, it’s okay to off-body carry:

I’m not saying that there isn’t a time and place to conceal and carry in a purse, sling, or briefcase. Because there are. But, there are things you need to do to make sure it doesn’t go awry.

The first thing that comes to mind if you must use your concealed carry purse, is that you must keep your weapon purse with you at all times. Putting it down and turning your back on it is never a good idea.

In fact, if you can at all avoid putting it down, please do.

Concealed Carry Gun Purse

If you must use an off-body concealed carry method, practice carrying your purse without your gun in it for a while, or with a blue gun so that you can get used to carrying your gun purse all the time.

It’s also a necessity that you practice drawing your gun out, both at home doing dry-fire drills, and the range doing live-fire drills once you’ve mastered it at home. You’re going to need to get as proficient at it as you possibly can because it’s not easy to do.

Even better, do it under some mental or physical stress to see if you can still do it. Get on the ground and do some pushups or run some laps around your range to help simulate a stressful environment. Then, when you’ve worked up a decent heart rate, get over to your target and see if you can draw your gun from your CCW purse and accurately put a lead on target in a quick fashion.

Overcoming Challenges for women gun carriers:

So, we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer up some useful tips for some of the challenges women face when we carry and conceal our guns. One such solution that I’ve found helped when wearing a dress or skirt, for example, is to actually put a pair of shorts on underneath the dress so I can attach a holster to it.

This is ideal since you likely have shorts already and won’t need to buy anything extra.

JM4 Tactical Roughneck Holster

Then again, some holsters are designed to be used without a concealed carry belt and work well in everything from gym shorts and yoga pants to skirts and dress slacks.

Also, many women find it better to carry in the appendix position, though it could be dependent upon your body type. If your body type doesn’t like appendix, using a holster designed for deeper concealment is a great option, and much better than carrying off the body.

Conclusion:

Concealed Carry for Women

Is a purse good for concealed carry? Not for most women unless you have no other options. The best bet is to buy a real holster and get used to carrying it.

Concealed carry in a purse, if not done right, can be dangerous.

Women face unique challenges, in that our bodies are differently shaped than a man’s. Our clothing is also different which can present a different set of problems unless you use the right tools.

But considering what’s at stake, it may be worth it to find a different concealed carry holster system from what many may consider to be the norm. Many of our customers are women, and, in fact, the Original Quick Click and Carry holster is perfect for the unique issues that ladies face with concealed carry.

Change the way you carry by adding comfort to your concealment, here.