gunholsters.com has a puff post on handbags sold by designerconcealedcarry.com for pistol-packing fashion victims. Only Sam applies that adjective without irony. “Anyone who’s seen with with one of those bags needs to be shot, not carry a gun,” the only slightly sarcastic Mrs. F opines. “I’d rather be open carrying and get locked up than carry one of those bags—with or without a gun.” This is from a woman who owns a small but carefully cultivated selection of handbags from Jimmy Choo, Prada, CHANEL, Valentino and Gucci. Still, why should a woman sacrifice style for lethality? More importantly, handbag carry is a fundamentally flawed idea, in terms of retention and extraction. Strap it on ladies. So to speak.
“Mr. Bad Guy, you want my bag? Sure, but let me just retrieve something from it first…I know it’s in here somewhere…Hang on…Oh, here it is!”
Immediate access is key. Not sure any bag = immediate access. Am I wrong?
To be fair, these bags are carefully designed to offer near-instant access. You can also shoot through the bag, should needs be. They are FAR better than “just any” bag.
But they do not solve the retention problem (leaving your bag somewhere or someone grabbing it before the owner can extract her firearm) and, more importantly, the lack of style/designer label issue.
“You can also shoot through the bag”
In my entire life, I have never met a woman who would ruin a handbag like that. Most treat handbags and shoes like sacred objects. Shoot a handbag? Never. It would be like blasting away at a pair of Jimmy Choos.
Off body carry, which include purses, are general not thought of as ideal. Purses:
– are a target of theft.
– as a normal part of the day, get put down, leaving the owner without the gun
– often get left places
– require a two-handed draw (one to hold the purse steady, the second to dig inside to retrieve weapon) which may be impossible if the person needs to fight
– usually offer a slow draw
My wife couple that have worked for her (not from the link in this post). They have the “Gun compartment” seperate from the rest of the purse, with access via zippers on either end. The inside is lined with the “furry” part of velcro, so a small holster can be positioned anywhere at any angle. She liked it for being able to walk with her hand with a full grip, while still fully concealed.
I agree with other posts here; off body carry is not ideal. If it’s the only way, well, okay until you find a way to carry to carry on body.
Too much can go wrong at a time when very little can go wrong.
One of my college teachers was an ex-FBI agent. He told me a story about a female FBI agent in Chicago I believe, her purse was snatched along with her service firearm and her badge… The guy was eventually caught, but it doesn’t make me warm and fuzzy about off body carry.
I’ll never convince my girlfriend to carry, but if I did I wouldn’t let her carry a firearm in her purse.
As for me, I’m paranoid anytime my gun isn’t on me or in my safe.
Some of these bags ARE lame, both in function and looks.
That said, off body carry, while never ideal, is sometimes reasonable. I would have a hard time telling a woman to never carry off body.
If you see a lady carrying a bag like that she is not only concealing a gun….she is also concealing a penis. Those are total drag queen bags. No offense to drag queens. Or they could be ‘working bags’ for the armed street worker. That must be the target customer. It makes sense now.
They are ugly and ungodly expensive. I was in Virginia for work and stopped in at the very nice and well stocked Guns and Ammo Warehouse (which I believe is near your stompin grounds) in Manassas and they had a couple. They were $200+ for an ugly and enormous bag.
Wow. That is maddness. I may have to start designing. A pocket for diapers right next to the glock (as we know the Mr is now a fan) pocket…
There is nothing sexier than Garters and a Thigh Holster… Just say’n
Example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNL5pqn3Eng
The wife saw a few of the CCW purses at Cabela’s the other day – the ones made by Gun Tote’N Mamas – and quickly dismissed them due to how unfashionable they were.
Given that purses seem to be a fashion accessory, it’s tough to design one without creating a designer knock-off that will only be desirable for a season or two at most. Women who don’t care about their bag being fashionable obviously are not worried about this problem.
So the purse may not be everyone’s taste – but it sure is refreshing to see someone addressing the fact that women like options for firearm accessories that are not black or pink. I know that when I go to local gun shows and see most concealed carry purses I agree they are functional – but also expensive and horribly boring and ugly.
Women are more likely to carry once there are more accessories that meet their needs. Not just color, but sizing and items that fit in with their lifestyles. Color and fashion helps, though.
Galco makes very fashionable, though very expensive bags. Some of their designs are quite similar to both Coach and Kate Spade. Sorry guys, I realize this is yawn-worthy to you.
Off-body v. on-body carry arguments aside (thigh carry, seriously?), Galco solves many of the “fashionable” issues. As an added bonus, if you ever need to fire through the purse itself, Galco will replace the bag for free. Of course, what you carry in the bag may determine whether or not shooting through the bag is wise. You will get multiple shots with a revolver, for example, but you will almost always need to clear a jam after getting off that one shot through the purse with a semi-automatic pistol.
Thankfully, my husband “lets” me purse carry. Guess I’m just a lucky gal that way.
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