Women or Men with Wives/Girlfriends: How do you carry your guns?

[DrJohn]

Sanatone, congrats to you for wanting to carry concealed. Many women wouldn't even bother to consider arming themselves. As a police officer who has carried concealed for many years, I have found a few things that work and don't work. A persons body size makes a huge difference in how they can carry their firearms. Large body frames have a hard time finding comfortable ways to carry without imprinting. When you are trim, you have a few more options as clothes seem to hang on you correctly. As a woman, you have more to think about then I do as a man. I completely agree with you that carrying a weapon in a purse is useless.

I normally carry a Glock 37 in a small of the back holster, that works pretty well and normally hides it very nicely, especially when wearing a business coat or when wearing a nicer shirt untucked. I have carried a smaller Bersa Thunder .380 in a inside of the pants holster and that worked wonderfully when wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Carrying a weapon on the hip concealed, while possible isn't as practical as it tends to imprint more and is a bit more uncomfortable, depending on the style of holster you select. There is a t-shirt i have found at GT Distributors that has a shoulder holster built into it, it works fantastic for carrying small frame firearms. Your shirt would go over it, and you can tuck the shirt in if you wish and it hides the weapon wonderfully. I use that when i have to wear a shirt tucked in, typically when dressing for business casual wear when it would be inappropriate to have my shirt untucked.

I would try a variety of holsters and find whats works for you and for what you are planning to wear. By the way, have you ever done any of the IDPA shooting matches? These are all scenario based, drawing from a concealed holster and includes magazine changes as a part of the scenario. It grades you on both time and accuracy. Those matches have made me a much better shot and have also gotten me to think about how I carry and how I would engage a threat. I am not sure if you live in San Marcos or not, but there is a range in that area that does the IDPA matches once or twice a month. I live in Austin and i have gone there many times along with several friends who all have CHLs.

[sanantone]

I live in San Antonio, but I commute to San Marcos for school. Thank you for the advice.

[taylor]

You have a lot of military on the forum, and a lot of us just have a healthy respect for the things. I cannot stand guns despite the fact that my father had his federal firearms license and makes surplus cash in his retirement by customizing, and my husband and father-in-law are collectors. I refuse to carry - I feel safe enough with avoiding potentially dangerous situations, personal self-defense classes, and carrying pepper spray - but that doesn't mean I shouldn't know how to handle and fire a gun. If someone busts into my house and I can manage to get my hands on my husband's or theirs, it sort of makes sense to know what to do with it once it lands in my hand. Seems a bit like common sense to go to the range once in a while to know how to safely fire and safety them.

You bring up some good points. But again guns in the bra??? I mean I've heard of girls with bad reputations but guns in the bra takes it to a whole nother level...more like a Michael Jackson BAD! I guess in some of these states second base on a date would be off the menu. And if a guy even attempts it, he should be awarded with a medal of honor imo =) I'm going to have rethink about making fun of my friend with man boobs again. For all I know it may not be all flesh under his t shirt, he may packing some stainless steel in there too.

[dposborne]

You have a lot of military on the forum, and a lot of us just have a healthy respect for the things. I cannot stand guns despite the fact that my father had his federal firearms license and makes surplus cash in his retirement by customizing, and my husband and father-in-law are collectors. I refuse to carry - I feel safe enough with avoiding potentially dangerous situations, personal self-defense classes, and carrying pepper spray - but that doesn't mean I shouldn't know how to handle and fire a gun. If someone busts into my house and I can manage to get my hands on my husband's or theirs, it sort of makes sense to know what to do with it once it lands in my hand. Seems a bit like common sense to go to the range once in a while to know how to safely fire and safety them.

As the old saying goes "You can hate guns and religion, but if the poop hits the fan and someone breaks in and is alone in the house with you, two things are going to happen... 1) You're going to call someone with a gun to come and save you and 2) You're going to pray that they get there pretty darn quick..."

[mrs.b]

As the old saying goes "You can hate guns and religion, but if the poop hits the fan and someone breaks in and is alone in the house with you, two things are going to happen... 1) You're going to call someone with a gun to come and save you and 2) You're going to pray that they get there pretty darn quick..."

We have guns in the house; they're my husband's, but they're there for the same reason you've listed. I just choose not to carry when out and about, but more power to those that feel comfortable doing so legally. Since they are in the house, though, despite my reluctance and dislike, it's sensible to know how to safely handle them. I might not like them, but if it means the difference between stopping an intruder coming down the hall, or huddling in a closet with my kid and praying the police were already nearby (if I was able to get to the phone), I'll take the former. My husband might not always be the closest to where we store them, or he might not be home.