Concealed carry purses?

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    gunhandbags dot com

    Guest
    Any thoughts or insights on concealed carry purses. My wife is thinking about one ... but man they are expensive.

    You can find bags that are pretty affordable depending on what your budget is. I know some top of the line are a lot (over $200) but they are really nice leather and lots of bells and whistles so look at Coronado for that - they are hardly ever returned, ladies love 'em and made in the USA which I personally love. Try Gun Tote'n Mamas - nice mid to upper quality leather, look for a handbag big enough for the gun she will be carrying - we sell a lot. The neutral colors are our biggest sellers. The Montana West brand is a more PU leather (fake or mix of leather/non leather) blingy bag, pretty inexpensive, made for people who want to spend less. If she's a younger trendy/blingy person, we have a nice Urban Moxy wilth good carrying room called the Nicole. If you call me, chat or email I can help you nail it down and tell you what our best sellers have been, what bags will hold the gun she uses (and which bags are returned the most too). MaryK@gunhandbags.com Also, we are having specials for October, breast cancer awareness month so we have discounts on many.
     
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    88GT

    Grandmaster
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    Mar 29, 2010
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    I've carried in a purse for right around 15 years. The only one I've ever liked that fulfilled it's dual function (style and durability for carry) well was one from Coronado. Carried it for 3 straight years and it was still going strong ; I changed purses because I wanted a different style. That said, I have found that the concealment compartment is usually only useful in holding the firearm. Retrieval is difficult because the size of the opening is usually just big enough for the firearm, but not really big enough for a hand gripping a firearm. I never carried a firearm in the concealment compartment. Not even in the Coronado. So why carry in a dedicated CC purse? Because they are made to handle the extra wear and tear the weigh of a fully loaded firearm puts on the stitching and material. Even my lightweight 2" revolver weighs enough for me to notice a difference if it's not in the purse. You can imagine how much heavier other typical CC guns can be.

    I quit the whole "purse" thing and now carry a Maxpedition Fatboy. But I realize that's not for most women.

    Other thoughts on purse carry:
    1. Any tendency to "set the purse down" need to be beat out of the individual. Theft is bad without adding a firearm to the picture.
    2. Serious thought should be given to the "what if" of needing to draw that firearm from the purse. It involves more steps so it takes more time. Situational awareness becomes even more critical. (And if she's like some women, her naturally trusting nature should probably be quashed.)
    3. Taking into account #2, training specific to purse guns and drawing from them in defensive situations is highly recommended.
    4. Consider a revolver, hammerless ideally, since defensively, shooting through the purse might be the tactically superior option. Autoloaders may have problems with slide movement and/or returning to battery if fired within the confines of purse compartment, rendering the ability to make follow-up shots really, really difficult.

    HTH
     

    riverman67

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    Bradis has some in stock.I don't remember the brand.
    My wife bought two of them when she picked up her shield. The "universal"holster that comes with them sucks really bad. A trip to Henry holsters rectified that .
    She is still using them after 4 months so they must be OK. We're talking about a woman that is trying to get Coach to make a carry purse.:):
    I remember the bill being less than 150$ for two purses.
     

    Lees

    Plinker
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    Jan 22, 2012
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    Limatunes made a video on how to turn a regular purse into a concealed carry purse, or what features to look for in a regular purse so that you can use it for concealed carry.

    I use a Maxpedition bag, too, like someone else mentioned. I hardly ever purse carry but I like the option.
     
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    Jan 28, 2014
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    warsaw
    Ive looked at cc purses. I dont ever intend to buy one unless its cute and id buy it regardless of compartments it has. Carrying in your purse is not a good idea anyway, but if thats how your going to carry, its much cheeper to buy something else and make it work for you. I used to carry in a vera bradly nook case inside of a bigger purse and it worked just fine.
     
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    Jan 28, 2014
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    warsaw
    Ive looked at cc purses. I dont ever intend to buy one unless its cute and id buy it regardless of compartments it has. Carrying in your purse is not a good idea anyway, but if thats how your going to carry, its much cheeper to buy something else and make it work for you. I used to carry in a vera bradly nook case inside of a bigger purse and it worked just fine.
     
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    May 24, 2014
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    Indianapolis south
    My wife carries a small purse that only contains her .38 in the main pocket. Her cards and cash go inside another pocket. This is great for her, as she doesn't carry any makeup or stupid crap around.

    $10.
     

    dusty88

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    I've seen several useless ones. If the pocket is droopy or not fitted to the gun, you risk the gun tipping and exposing the trigger guard.

    I have 2 now that I like from GunTotin Mamas, sold on "Well Armed Woman". The WAW site is increasing their purse selection. I'd rather body-carry but sometimes the purse is a better option.

    IMO, it should always be cross-body with a cut-resistant strap. See how your gun fits in it, and also if you can open it quietly. IMo, you should be able to draw by opening a side compartment with just the gun in it. Lifting the top is going to be more cumbersome. Some also have a string, just like a tactical bag, that allows for quick noiseless opening of the zipper.
     

    Leo

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    I saw some women looking at concealed Carry purses at Applied Ballistics in Lafayette. I was surprised how common they look. No "tactical" visual cues at all.
     

    goldtrigger

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    I bought my mom one of the Gun totin momas at a 1500 about a year ago. Very stylish. Leather. Good quality. She likes it. I've seen them at 1500 and Stout field shows since then.
     

    jcj54

    Marksman
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    Aug 24, 2013
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    My wife has one she bought many years ago. Still in good shape, still works well. At the time one of the features was a steel cable sewn in the strap because it was common for purse snatchers to cut the strap and take the purse even if it was carried between the arm and body. We no longer live in the city so I don't know if this is still common.
     

    minny1990

    Plinker
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    Feb 10, 2014
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    Indianapolis
    I just pick up a little purse and I love it.:rockwoot: no one can tell i'm carrying witch is one of the big things about the purse I love I would get one for everyday carry or if you going out and don't have a place for a gun :D only thing is I want to get a bigger purse now because I always open the wrong side when paying and I flash my gun
     

    GNRPowdeR

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    Oct 3, 2011
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    Any pointers for lefties? The struggle is real, ladies!!

    Most of the purses that I've see via more popular holster mfgs are able to be utilized by left or right dominant / carrying individuals. (I'm an instructor that works with newer carriers and this question has come up several times)

    I have some experience and know a few ladies whom have gone this route for carry, but I'm not sure what brands / models they use.
     
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