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Purse carry pistol recommendation for a n00b

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G4Y4HK

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So my girl's mom took the NRA basic class and applied for her LTC in Connecticut [no Maura's LIST, no dealers heavily promoting the M&Pee, etc].

Looking for a 'purse gun' recommendation but she hates revolvers and says they are hard to use. I'm thinking if she's gonna purse carry and never plan to have something on her hip, might as well be a big ass DA/SA pistol with a thumb safety like a HK P30, Beretta 92 series or one of the hot new CZ offerings. What does NES think?
 
G4Y4HK said:
Looking for a 'purse gun' recommendation but she hates revolvers and says they are hard to use. I'm thinking if she's gonna purse carry and never plan to have something on her hip, might as well be a big ass DA/SA pistol with a thumb safety like a HK P30, Beretta 92 series or one of the hot new CZ offerings. What does NES think?
Click to expand...
If a lady wants a purse gun, chances are, that purse will be small-ish and carry 10,000 other items women usually carry in their purses. This means the pistol needs to be small, not large, and definitely not too heavy. A S&W bodyguard or SIG 365, both in 380, would be more appropriate. I would also consider something like a Walther P22 ora Glock 44. Most women can shoot a 22 with one hand. Why does one-handed shooting matter? Well, if you ever try drawing from a purse, you will quickly realize that you will need at least one hand to hold the purse. In other words, if carrying in a purse, two-handed shooting is virtually impossible, especially in a stressful situation.
 
40 Creedmoor fan said:
If a lady wants a purse gun, chances are, that purse will be small-ish and carry 10,000 other items women usually carry in their purses. This means the pistol needs to be small, not large, and definitely not too heavy. A S&W bodyguard or SIG 365, both in 380, would be more appropriate. I would also consider something like a Walther P22 ora Glock 44. Most women can shoot a 22 with one hand. Why does one-handed shooting matter? Well, if you ever try drawing from a purse, you will quickly realize that you will need at least one hand to hold the purse. In other words, if carrying in a purse, two-handed shooting is virtually impossible, especially in a stressful situation.
Click to expand...
I owned a Bersa 380 Thunder CC back in the day and that was a great DA/SA little poor man's PPK, with safety. Problem was shooting it because of the direct blowback, felt more recoil than a .38 snubby.
 
We can make recommendations all day long.

But SHE needs to go to a gun store with a variety of guns and SHE needs to handle a few and see what works in HER hand and preferred carry arangements.

It would he lp if a relatively neutral person could go with HER and guide HER through the process.
 
Have your lady friends watch this youtube channel. Stav is an instructor who is very knowledgeable about on vs off body carry and the safe fashionable way to do each. She has participated in the last few GOAL fashion shows and has a great personality while delivering important female points of view. This in NO way dilutes the gun safety and experience message she has. Many of us have been fortunate enough to meet either her or her sister through the years. She is a wealth of information. Best of luck to your lady friends. Matt


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYHpw_ExqSs

www.sheequipsherself.com

Home - She Equips Herself

Equipping A New Generation Of Women. Learn how to integrate a firearm into your daily life with confidence and competence. Learn more.
www.sheequipsherself.com www.sheequipsherself.com

View: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw-hiY6rVDI/
 
FPrice said:
We can make recommendations all day long.

But SHE needs to go to a gun store with a variety of guns and SHE needs to handle a few and see what works in HER hand and preferred carry arangements.

It would he lp if a relatively neutral person could go with HER and guide HER through the process.
Click to expand...
Not me then I would have made her get that HK P30SK or P30 lol.
 
Purse carry is a bad idea
Even a fanny pack is better only because it stays on your person
Better alternatives
Plenty of vids from the Ladies on different carries
 
I purse carry. There aren't any good options to body carry when I'm at work. All the purses I buy have an outside zipper pouch on the back side of the purse. Co
That pouch holds a Sig p938 in a holster, extra mag and a tourniquet and pressure dressing. Nothing else to dig through. Pepper spray is attached to the strap so it's also easy to get too.

If I were a larger person I'd have more options. But I'm not so I work with what I have.

Congrats to your girl's mom! She needs to find what she is comfortable handling and wearing.
 
FPrice said:
We can make recommendations all day long.

But SHE needs to go to a gun store with a variety of guns and SHE needs to handle a few and see what works in HER hand and preferred carry arangements.

It would he lp if a relatively neutral person could go with HER and guide HER through the process.
Click to expand...
In addition to this test fire a bunch of them
 
You’ve been carrying a while, OP. You really need to go with her and guide her through this purchase as well as her mode of carrying. I always advise women to avoid purse carry. Body carry is the way to go. There are belly bands now that ride high and have shoulder straps. A loose blouse or vest would hide that nicely.
 
G4Y4HK said:
So my girl's mom took the NRA basic class and applied for her LTC in Connecticut [no Maura's LIST, no dealers heavily promoting the M&Pee, etc].

Looking for a 'purse gun' recommendation but she hates revolvers and says they are hard to use. I'm thinking if she's gonna purse carry and never plan to have something on her hip, might as well be a big ass DA/SA pistol with a thumb safety like a HK P30, Beretta 92 series or one of the hot new CZ offerings. What does NES think?
Click to expand...
Depends how big the purse and her preferences for guns. Off the top of my head, maybe an XL or a revolver. She'll have to try them out...a session at the range changes a lot....
 
There are a lot of good options in .380 and 9mm that fit this bill. I’m assuming it has to be small and low recoil and it’s gonna be an old lady gun? Start with a .380 that you wouldn’t mind owning (in case she doesn’t like it) and try a 9mm from there.

What’s the subcompact 9mm Glock? I have one around here somewhere and can’t remember the number. Those are good for small hands and recoil is mild with light ammo.
 
Purse carry tells me there may be many opportunities for an Altoid or tictac squib.


@Cowgirlup has it right. My wife carries only pepper spray and an arclight on the strap. Been trying to get her to carry for years now. Just this last fall she asked about taking a basic safety course to get her LTC. Progress.
 
DJBrad said:
Purse carry tells me there may be many opportunities for an Altoid or tictac squib.


@Cowgirlup has it right. My wife carries only pepper spray and an arclight on the strap. Been trying to get her to carry for years now. Just this last fall she asked about taking a basic safety course to get her LTC. Progress.
Click to expand...
I do purse carry. Just in a dedicated area. No tic tacs!

The purse Is usually worn cross body with the gun pouch facing my right side. I can get to it as quickly as appendix carry when wearing the purse. While at work in my work space I can get it in 2 seconds or less. Yeah, i timed it. Lol
If I'm in another area of my work place then 10 seconds or less. It's a small office.


While driving it is easier to access from the purse pouch than on body. Especially in winter while wearing a coat. Plus I'm usually driving so there is a seat belt to go through.

Situational awareness is most important. Those few seconds to realize what is happening along with being ready is key.

There are plenty of situations where you may not be able to draw fast enough from body carry.


I had wanted to get the Minininjer chest rig that @minininjer posted. But it was gun specific and at the time seemed expensive so by the time I decided which firearm I would most often carry, the company is now out of business.

😞
 
As others have said no good can come from Purse carry. If you have an assailant first thing they would do it take your purse. Now they have your money, phone and gun. Bellyband or something similar is better. This company gears toward women, I was at Sig last week and they had her stuff in the shop. Looked like good quality.

Dene Adams - Shop Concealed Carry Holsters
 
I'd suggest either a Ruger LCP or SW Bodyguard, or a small hammerless revolver such as an Ruger LCR or SW airweight. Generally I'd go w/ the semi over the revolver for this application.

If she's new to carry I'd also suggest not doing purse and going w/ a belly band instead.
 
Cowgirlup said:
I do purse carry. Just in a dedicated area. No tic tacs!

The purse Is usually worn cross body with the gun pouch facing my right side. I can get to it as quickly as appendix carry when wearing the purse. While at work in my work space I can get it in 2 seconds or less. Yeah, i timed it. Lol
If I'm in another area of my work place then 10 seconds or less. It's a small office.


While driving it is easier to access from the purse pouch than on body. Especially in winter while wearing a coat. Plus I'm usually driving so there is a seat belt to go through.

Situational awareness is most important. Those few seconds to realize what is happening along with being ready is key.

There are plenty of situations where you may not be able to draw fast enough from body carry.


I had wanted to get the Minininjer chest rig that @minininjer posted. But it was gun specific and at the time seemed expensive so by the time I decided which firearm I would most often carry, the company is now out of business.

😞
Click to expand...

I'd suggest you're the exception to the purse carry argument, you have been doing it a while and have it well planned out. I think a noob should get comfortable carrying regularly on body before going to purse. And if said noob isn't going to be carrying daily, I'd definitely not advise purse.

When I'm out and about I carry AIWB but for daily/work carry I pocket carry for the drive to the office then put it in a spring loaded pop out safe drawer under my desktop. When I'm at my desk, I leave it unlocked, when I leave the office it goes on my body (usually jacket pocket in the Winter, AIWB in warm weather. We have a couple of these spring loaded pop out drawer safes in the office where I can stage something when in the office alone (I keep a revolver in the office safe for that purpose). Unfortunately, I think the pop out under desk mount safes I use have been discontinued & don't see many viable replacements.
 
G4Y4HK said:
So my girl's mom took the NRA basic class and applied for her LTC in Connecticut [no Maura's LIST, no dealers heavily promoting the M&Pee, etc].

Looking for a 'purse gun' recommendation but she hates revolvers and says they are hard to use. I'm thinking if she's gonna purse carry and never plan to have something on her hip, might as well be a big ass DA/SA pistol with a thumb safety like a HK P30, Beretta 92 series or one of the hot new CZ offerings. What does NES think?
Click to expand...

Has she shot much, and if so what? My wife struggles to rack most pistols so a G42 is perfect for her. If she’s not going to practice then I’d probably avoid a DA/SA and safety.

I have big hands and a 92F grip feels huge to me, that’s a strange choice.

Take a trip up to Epping for a pistol class or two, especially if she’s going to carry a DA/SA, since the Sig classes are geared for that. I got pretty good at it after two Sig classes.
 
I just had a couple lady’s try out the Ruger Security 380. It has an insanely easy to rack slide, almost no recoil and a manual safety that doesn’t accidentally turn on (you have to push it up from an angle that wouldn’t be hit when shooting like a lot of safeties do). They both loved it. Even the husband of one of them wanted one. I also had them shoot an LCP Max a full-size 9mm and they shot a couple other full size 9mms. Security 380 was clear winner and the LCP max was second if they were going to body carry (though they all hate shooting it)
 
If she's in CT, she's probably not too far from Hoffmann's or some other range. Have her actually TRY some models out. Even if it FEELS good in her hand, once she SHOOTS it, the recoil may change her mind. Example: Both the Sig P365 X-Macro (Comp and non-comp) FEEL good in my hand, but the non-comp recoils more, and with the thin grip twists in my hand. I would never have known if I hadn't tried one out first.
 
Couple of suggestions for an S&W Bodyguard. Respectfully disagree. Trigger pull on those is awful. 365 is a better choice.
 
"Of all the alternative options, off-body is my least favorite because of the HIGH likelihood that it will not be accessible and in direct control 100% of the time. “Least favorite” might not be the best wording; not recommended would be a more apt assessment.

The primary problem with off-body carry is that if you put the case (purse or whatever) down and walk away, not only you will not be able to reach your gun if needed, there is a possibility of an unauthorized person gaining access. Sadly, as I write this article, in Columbia, South Carolina, a 4-year old took a handgun out of her grandmother’s purse and shot herself while they were shopping at a store. This is a sad reminder to keep control of your gun at all times!

Besides the obvious retention issues, I am sure that I am not the only person who has ever forgotten a briefcase at work or at a client’s office. Beyond being a serious safety violation and leaving you unarmed, leaving a gun unattended could lead to legal problems should it come to the attention of law enforcement."
 
Qwikdraw45 said:
If she's in CT, she's probably not too far from Hoffmann's or some other range. Have her actually TRY some models out. Even if it FEELS good in her hand, once she SHOOTS it, the recoil may change her mind. Example: Both the Sig P365 X-Macro (Comp and non-comp) FEEL good in my hand, but the non-comp recoils more, and with the thin grip twists in my hand. I would never have known if I hadn't tried one out first.
Click to expand...
Yeah gonna go with the mom in law date to Hoffman's at some point soon. Met up at the Cabela's and she saw their selection and wasn't impressed. Wanted exactly what I carried typically - a Hellcat with frame safety and a Holosun optic (which she called the "laser thing"). They had the non safety optics ready Hellcat as well as some 365s but she wanted the frame safety. The only choice that had it all was a Taurus. I shook my head and told her no. The guy behind the counter was trying to sell her a Taurus and would have succeeded if I wasn't there.
 

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