Bought my daughter a Glock 42 because she wants to start carrying concealed. I have no idea where to start when it comes to CC holsters and how most women prefer to carry. For those of you that have been down this road can you give us a few ideas on where to start?
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Most women do want to purse carry. I try to talk them out of it. If some thug decides to attack her, hopefully all they want is her purse. If they want worse, high on their priority list is to separate her from her purse because they know that if she has anything to protect herself with it most likely is in her purse. Either way she is starting behind the eight ball and in for a fight over it pretty much from the get-go. I believe there are some holsters made for women because of the differences in the way we are shaped, but I don't know much about them.
Those who are always shooting off at the mouth usually aren't shooting straight.
Build a man a fire and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life.
I'm a concealed carry instructor in Illinois and I work in conjunction with a LGS, Five Rings Armory. Every couple of months the store owner will advertise an all female concealed carry course...no men allowed...even to sit in and listen. Women are a dream to have in the class as a student. The lack of massive doses of testosterone is refreshing. The ladies want to know what will work, and from there pay very close attention as I go over the finer points of concealed carry. When I lived in Texas I also taught concealed carry there. More often than not I had a girl friend/boy friend sign up for the same course. And, as you might imagine the guy does all the picking of equipment for the lady. Invariably the men would pick an airweight J frame Smith & Wesson that was rated at 357 Magnum as his lady's carry choice. The lady, not knowing any better went along with the suggestion. I don't know about you, but I cannot shoot a J frame Smith & Wesson comfortably, even with +P 38 spcl ammunition. My hands are too large and I cannot get a secure grip on the revolver. Then, when they qualify the guy insists the lady shoot 357 Magnum through her lightweight J frame. Of course, by the 3rd round she has developed a terrible flinch. Luckily, Texas uses the B27 Target which is easy to hit even at 25 yds if you are a seasoned shooter. The ladies qualified usually, but were forever after terrified of their carry gun. In an all female class we have a series of small frame autos and a J frame or two, but chambered in a sane cartridge. Many of the ladies chose the smaller semi-auto .380s. I didn't try to steer them away, but when I was teaching in Texas it was 1995 through 2000. .380 Ammo was not a very effective round due to bullet construction and powder used. Today's ammo is a shooter's dream and I consider the .380 to be a very effective round within its range. Plus, it doesn't recoil enough to scare the female shooter.
My wife carries a S&W Model 60 in .357. She has no problems handling it. Daughter carries a Sig P320 9MM. She is awfully good with that as well. Women can, and do 'handle' full power pistol and revolver cartridges. Some folks sell them short. The vast majority of women can shoot what we do. Heck, my daughter was shooting Metallic Silhouette with a Ruger .44 Mag when she was 12.
Well Sam, that’s pretty cool, but those two women are shooting enthusiasts. That’s not the typical case of a woman deciding she needs a gun for self defense.
I've been a shooter all my life, having spent a few years in the USMC and the last 19 years in LE. I'm also a LE firearms instructor and on occasion have helped some non-LE people with their shooting.
My wife carries a small S&W J-frame 642 revolver rated +P. My wife can shoot semi-auto pistols, but due to physical limitations, she had strength/dexterity issues with her hands, so the J-frame is easier for her to shoot, reload, etc. She carries OWB in a Bianchi 57 holster.
She's looked in purses and may get one, eventually, for certain situations, but she likes OWB.
There are many small 9mm or .380 pistols that can be great carry guns for people with small hands.
Well Sam, that’s pretty cool, but those two women are shooting enthusiasts. That’s not the typical case of a woman deciding she needs a gun for self defense.
+1.
My secretary carries a little derringer in her purse. She shot it once a few years ago and managed to hit a pop bottle, thinks she is Annie Oakley. Timed her once, without telling her, took over 75 seconds to dig it out of her purse. That starting with the purse in front of her on her desk and no stress. Granted, she wasn't in a hurry but her hand didn't go right to it, she had to dig for it.
Those who are always shooting off at the mouth usually aren't shooting straight.
Build a man a fire and he’ll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he’ll be warm for the rest of his life.
Her CC gun is either a S&W M&P Compact in 9mm or a Ruger LCP II.
If for some reason the gun is not in her purse, then it might be in a jacket pocket, but I just bought her a Remora holster at her request for Christmas....... she's seen how much use mine gets.
The Remora is absolutely the most concealable & comfortable holster..................I own LOTS of EXPENSIVE holsters from several major manufacturers, but the lowly $35 Remora is the star of the show. Don't be put off by the fact that it has no belt loops...................it keeps a 1911 in place perfectly.
My wife carries a S&W Model 60 in .357. She has no problems handling it. Daughter carries a Sig P320 9MM. She is awfully good with that as well. Women can, and do 'handle' full power pistol and revolver cartridges. Some folks sell them short. The vast majority of women can shoot what we do. Heck, my daughter was shooting Metallic Silhouette with a Ruger .44 Mag when she was 12.
In my limited experience your ladies are the exception, not the rule.
My wife carries a S&W Model 60 in .357. She has no problems handling it. Daughter carries a Sig P320 9MM. She is awfully good with that as well. Women can, and do 'handle' full power pistol and revolver cartridges. Some folks sell them short. The vast majority of women can shoot what we do. Heck, my daughter was shooting Metallic Silhouette with a Ruger .44 Mag when she was 12.
In my limited experience your ladies are the exception, not the rule.
and my experience is even more limited than yours. That said, I still bet ya that more women than you think are more than capable of handling more than a .22 or a .32 ACP. Heck, my son's tiny wife carries a 9MM with +P. There are a LOT of men that are 'uncomfortable' with a full sized pistol or full power revolver. They, along with most women, can be trained to reliably shoot hand guns that have enough get up and go to be relied upon in a SD situation.
I don't recommend anything less than .380, and I only go there if they cannot handle a concealable 9mm. If they insist on carrying a .32 or .22 there isn't much I can do about it. The ones that pick the compact 9mm pistols shoot them very well. Much better I would bet than they could shoot a J-frame scandian (340 PD) Smith & Wesson in .357 Magnum - faster and more rounds on target.
My wife carries in a fanny pack designed for concealed carry.If she is some where that is not the best place to be like in a mall after dark shopping and walking to her truck ,her one hand is in the fanny pack gripping the revolve, the other hand has the car keys in it.Situation awareness is just as important as how they carry their firearm
If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
My wife carries in a fanny pack designed for concealed carry.If she is some where that is not the best place to be like in a mall after dark shopping and walking to her truck ,her one hand is in the fanny pack gripping the revolve, the other hand has the car keys in it. Situational awareness is MORE important THAN how they carry their firearm
Fixed it for you! And I commend you for teaching your wife THE most important self defense tool at her disposal! I cannot stress situational awareness enough when teaching concealed carry classes to women or men. And I usually recommend to the ladies I've taught over the last 20 something years that wearing a holster or a fanny pack is a much better option than purse carry. In my experience, ladies are easier to teach to shoot a handgun proficiently than a man, because the ladies are better at following directions and listening than their male counterparts. Probably because they don't have all the preconceived notions about shooting that men do. And that most ladies can handle a 9mm semiauto or a +P 38 special revolver just fine and can shoot and reload very well with patient and simple instructions. I also find that if the ladies pick the handgun that fits them the best, instead of letting their husband pick it, actually end up liking it more and shooting it better because it fits their hands, not their husbands.
Last edited by chlinstructor; 12/17/17.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Purse carry is for people to feel good about having a gun, not about actually using it. Even the "concealed carry" purses are usually nothing more than an expensive purse with a zippered slot for a pistol to roll around in.
Purse carry is for people to feel good about having a gun, not about actually using it. Even the "concealed carry" purses are usually nothing more than an expensive purse with a zippered slot for a pistol to roll around in.
They're comfortable enough to be worn all day and can be worn under anything.
Somehow, I just can't quite picture you wearing one of those, Blue
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
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And I commend you for teaching your wife THE most important self defense tool at her disposal! I cannot stress situational awareness enough when teaching concealed carry classes to women or men. 