You can’t possibly conceal in the outfit you’re wearing… So now what?
I’ll tell you what you’re not going to do. You’re not going to leave your gun at home. And you’re not going to throw it into your regular purse with everything else.
Purse carry is not preferable over carrying on-body, but it definitely has its place. When done safely and with proper considerations and practice, you will still find yourself well prepared and protected out in public.
What features should I look for in a concealed carry purse?
- A dedicated pocket for your firearm. Nothing else should be swimming around in the area where your gun is. You don’t want anything going near the trigger, preventing quick and clear access to the gun, or otherwise shifting it around in its space.
- Lockable storage area. Not a do-or-die feature, but it’s one that some purses have. The ability to lock the area where your firearm is stored. Doesn’t help you in a defensive situation, and doesn’t help your firearm not get stolen if your purse is off your body. But, still serves a purpose if you are, say, staging the purse in your home where you don’t want others to have easy access.
- A kydex holster or trigger guard. Many concealed carry purses include a hook and loop (e.g. Velcro) lining in the firearm storage pocket. Here you can affix a Velcro-backed kydex holster or trigger guard insert. Some may have an area where you can affix your holster clip to the purse.
- Cut-resistant straps. Some concealed carry purses have straps reinforced with a metal cable, to prevent your purse from being able to be cut off your body by a thief or an assailant.
- Ambidextrous access. Does the purse allow you to access your firearm or draw from either side?
- Cross-body strap. This one is a big one. You don’t want your firearm sitting in a bag that can be easily snatched off of your shoulder. Having a cross-body strap also makes it easy to wear your purse during daily activities, leaving your arms and hands free as you go about your business, but also free to quickly access the purse if needed.
Things to think about when using your concealed carry purse…
- PRACTICE YOUR DRAW. This is of the utmost importance. Practice makes preparedness. Make sure your hands know where to go, how to access the gun quickly. Make sure there are no obstacles or safety issues that would affect your draw. Are you going to flag yourself? Is the gun going to get stuck on something as you draw? How quickly can you get on target? How does the outfit you’re wearing that day affect your access to the purse? Can you effectively draw from the purse with your body in different positions? Practice, practice, practice. Don’t let the time you need the gun, be the first time your hands fumble for it.
- Ditch the sleeve/universal holster. Some purses come with a universal holster that can fit any/many guns. Often times it is just a sleeve that you can slide you gun into. This is not a safe holster! (Refresh yourself on the 4 qualities of a safe holster). You want something molded to your specific firearm, with hard-sided trigger protection, that will not allow anything to get to that trigger. The holster you use inside the purse, is every bit as important as the purse itself.
- Don’t let anyone else access the purse. This might be redundant at this point, but just making sure we spell it out. Don’t take the purse off or leave it anywhere unattended with your gun in it. It should stay in your control, or better yet on your body, the entire time.
Moms Who Carry® is proud to partner with Cakes Concealed Carry. We invite you to explore their brand and line of concealed carry bags. A lot of intentional thought went into the design of these bags, from safety, to accessibility, to aesthetics. You can purchase your Cakes Concealed bag with a custom Cakes x Moms Who Carry® Purse Holster directly through the Cakes website, or you can explore our Purse Holsters right here, available in all of your favorite MWC prints and patterns.