Women who carry a concealed handgun tend to have limited options for where to carry their defensive firearm. Often, women’s clothing makes it difficult for women to carry a gun on their body, if they choose not to dress around their concealed carry rig. The next best option is for off-body carry in a concealed carry purse.
Ordinary purses can present a danger for the concealed carry holder in that they do not provide dedicated pocket in which to store a firearm. Even if a gun is secured in a holster, there are no mounting points to ensure that a gun is securely fastened and always oriented in a specific direction for a safe and quick draw.
Of course, there is also the danger that an unsecured gun in the main body of a regular purse could be accessible to anyone, whether that’s a criminal or a child.
Fortunately, there are options for a dedicated concealed carry purse. Here are six companies that make concealed carry purses that are designed to give women a safe and easy way to carry their defensive guns.
Galco Gunleather
Galco has long been a big player in the concealed carry holster business, and the company has many holster offerings for both men and women that accommodate traditional carry methods on the body.
Since the mid-1990s, though, Galco has offered a line of concealed carry purse options for women looking for a safe and secure way to carry their defensive arms off-body.
One option that Galco offers is the Del handbag. The Del is a concealed carry purse that is constructed from full-grain leather and features a zippered opening with a divided main compartment. Inside the main compartment, there is a separate interior compartment with an open top along with another compartment that features a zipper opening.
On the outside of the purse, there is a full-length exterior pocket sleeve that would be perfect for women to
On the opposite exterior side facing the body, there is a secure zippered compartment that features an elastic band allowing for women to secure their concealed carry gun, regardless of size or shape. The zippered concealed carry compartment is lockable but can be quickly unzipped and offers access for a traditional cross-draw carry when slung on the shoulder.
The Del handbag features solid brass hardware and is available in black, brown or tan. It retails at a suggested price of $340.
Gun Tote’n Mamas
Gun Tote’n Mamas was started to offer affordable high-quality concealed carry purse options to women looking for an easy and secure way to carry a defensive handgun.
The company offers a wide variety of handbags in different styles and finishes to fit the fashion tastes of individual women, but it also designs each concealed carry purse with safe and accessible carry in mind.
One of the company’s newer designs is the GTM-51 Town Tote, which is designed for both left- and right-hand use and features an Ostrich pattern debossed American cowhide. The purse is trimmed with full-grain tan American cowhide which becomes softer with use and ages to a darkened patina.
The inside of the bag features an extra zipper pocket that fits small items like smart phones, lipstick and pepper spray.
For concealed carry use, the bag is lined with specially designed padding to prevent gun printing. The shoulder strap is slash-resistant with an 11-ply steel cable reinforcement running through the whole strap.
The zippered gun compartment on the outside of the bag features a standard holster designed by Mernickle holsters, and the zipper itself is constructed from nylon coil for added safety. The Town Tote retails for a suggested price of $236.
Another offering from Gun Tote’n Mamas is the CZY-01 Vintage Cross Body concealed carry purse. The Vintage Cross Body is constructed from distressed vintage tanned full-grain Buffalo leather, which softens with use.
This concealed carry purse is designed for left- and right-hand use and features antique brass-colored hardware and features an outside zippered pocket for carrying a concealed firearm. Like the Town Tote, the Vintage Cross Body features a steel wire-reinforced cross-body carrying strap that prevents slashing. The shoulder strap is adjustable and easily clips on and off the purse.
Concealed Carrie
Leslie Deets started Concealed Carrie after taking a defensive handgun class and seeing women carrying their firearms in military-style holsters and tactical-looking handbags. She felt that, like her, there were women out there who desired high-quality, fashionable purses and handbags that offered a safe and accessible way to carry a concealed firearm.
The company has since developed a full line of concealed carry purse options for the fashionable woman, featuring high-quality construction and materials. One of the latest products in the company’s lineup is the Concealed Carrie iPad Case.
The iPad case is constructed in an Ostrich-printed leather pattern and features two zippered compartments. The first compartment contains a removable iPad case and also features compartments and pockets for phones, keys and other accessories.
The second compartment features a Velcro-backed lining that matches up with a universal holster. The holster can be oriented any way the concealed carry holder desires in order to facilitate the quickest and safest possible access to a firearm.
The Concealed Carrie iPad Case is currently in production and will be available in Summer 2016 and will retail at a suggested price of $289.
Hiding Hilda
Hilda is the name of the Glock 380 belonging to Dawn Hillyer, founder and owner of Hiding Hilda. Beginning in 2006, Dawn was stalked by a man until he was finally arrested and convicted on two counts of felony stalking in 2012. Throughout the ordeal, Dawn hid and developed better ways to carry her trusted Glock, and Hiding Hilda was born.
“I get calls from all over the country from people who are being stalked and can’t find help,” Dawn said on her website. “This is how you to protect yourself. Protective orders are a piece of paper, and the police can’t be there to protect you all the time.”
One of the concealed carry purse options developed by Dawn is the Diamond Messenger Bag. The bag features a zippered main compartment that is divided into sections to organize your every day carry essentials.
The bag features an outside zippered compartment with a Velcro lining that allows for the inclusion and secure storage of a concealed firearm. The Velcro backing allows women to orient their defensive firearm for a left-hand, right-hand or top draw from a holster.
The holster compartment is designed to face the body so that any drawing action is shielded by the outside of the bag until the gun is in a ready position. The Diamond Messenger Bag comes in 8 different color arrangements and retails at a suggested price of $80.
Packin’ Neat
Sometimes, looking for a dedicated concealed carry purse just won’t cut it. An affinity for a particular brand or particular style of purse might outweigh a desire for a purse with a separate concealed carry compartment. If a woman wishes to continue using her existing purse and still wants to carry a concealed firearm, Packin’ Neat has a solution.
The Packin’ Neat Tactical organizer is an insert that fits into almost any medium or large-sized purse and offers five different organizing pockets for women to clean up their purses.
The benefit of the Tactical, however, is the inclusion of a separate pocket for a concealed firearm. This snap-close pocket offers concealed carry holders a dedicated, safe location for a defensive gun without having to buy a new purse. The Tactical comes with a universal holster with a Velcro backing that fits the shape of nearly any gun.
Packin’ Neat offers the Boss and Slim organizers in addition for the Tactical in order to fit multiple purse sizes. Retail prices start at $80
CrossBreed Holsters
Another option for modifying an existing purse for a concealed carry gun is by using CrossBreed’s Purse Defender insert.
The Purse Defender is designed to go inside a favorite purse or hand bag, allowing users to choose any purse on the market today. The Velcro-lined Kydex panel fits securely in a purse or other bag and keeps the gun and purse stabilized.
This means that it will not spill over or cause a purse to tip like many purse holsters on the market today. Combined with CrossBreed’s handcrafted modular holster, the Purse Defender ensures that a concealed firearm is safe, secure and always in the same spot in a concealed carry purse or bag.
The Purse Defender sells at a suggested retail price of $53.
(Contributing Source: gunsandammo.com)