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In the last decade, the number of women buying guns and applying for concealed carry permits has surged. It has become clear to millions of women that the best way to keep yourself safe is to protect yourself.

Carrying the pistol of choice does become complex for women, in some ways. First and foremost, sticking the gun in a purse along with everything else is the poorest way to carry a handgun. Not only is the draw going to take forever, it is unsafe to have  a loaded handgun flopping around in a purse. In addition, with purse snatchings are a real problem for women, it would not be the best place to keep your defensive equipment. In addition, most situations that require a gun to solve them happen very fast and are unexpectedly. In many cases, you won't have the time to fumble through a purse looking for a gun before it's too late. If you feel that a purse is your only option then purchase a purse designed to carry a handgun. These purses are available from suppliers like US Galco. They properly contain the handgun in an isolated pocket and are built strong to both handle the weight of the gun and to help prevent the straps from coming off during a snatch attempt.

Most concealment holsters are designed for men. As such, they are not sized and angled to take advantage of a woman's shape. This is extremely important as a woman's curves will cause the gun to dig into her ribs when using a typical holster that works great for a man. When deciding to carry a weapon, certain changes in dress style might be required. Even the smallest handgun will show through tight fitting clothes and thin materials. Jeans that are "painted on" don't leave a lot of room for a gun. Therefore, loose is the operative word in handgun concealment. Loose fitting pants, loose fitting long shirts and a belt with enough slack to go around the gun are preferable.

While there are some very exotic types of carry methods available for women like bra carry and carrying on the inner thigh, when wearing a dress these methods are not good for everyday use. Ultra deep concealment methods like bra carry and special undershirts with pockets in them are extremely slow to draw. It's almost comical thinking about someone striping off their clothes trying to get to the gun.

There are several ways that a woman can carry a handgun. Some are better than others. The traditional cross draw where the gun is worn on the weak side and the draw is across your body is usually very comfortable. However, the problem with this method is that it does not conceal well under anything that is not very loose and long. The abdomen carry is a modification of the cross draw where the pistol is carried cross draw style but in the front, by the abdomen. This method conceals pretty well under a loose shirt but has the drawback of being uncomfortable to sit down with. On the strong side the canted carry where the butt of the gun leas forward and the muzzle tilts at an angle across the hips is very useful. Since the gun is angled across the hip, the woman's shape does not use the muzzle of the gun as a lever to poke the butt into her ribs. With a short enough weapon, the muzzle barely sticks out past the beltline, making for a good concealment. The draw with this type of carry is a bit tricky and requires practice to get the gun out quickly. However, once mastered, it works very well. Some people advocate middle-of-the-back carry. While this conceals perfectly from the front, it fails from the rear whenever you bend over and your shirt rises. In addition, having a gun in your back makes sitting uncomfortable and could cause spinal injury if you were to fall backwards and land on the gun which would then  push into your spine.

Fortunately, things are changing in the holsters for women department and several companies are beginning to offer a selection. The Nancy Special by Mitch Rosen is an excellent holster designed for a woman's body shape. Kramer Leather has several options in women's holsters and are very high quality. C. Rusty Sherrick also carries a good selection of well designed woman's holsters. While most of the holster makers who make woman's holsters are custom makers, FIST produces less expensive mass produced holsters with a woman's needs in mind.

Whichever carry method you choose, make sure you do a dress rehearsal at home before going out. Have a friend look you over or use a large mirror as you try assuming all sorts of daily positions to see if the gun "prints" through. Try different clothing combinations until you find ones that work. Get used to wearing the gun by wearing it at home for extended periods. You may have to go through a couple or three holster designs before you find the perfect combination but it's worth the extra work to come up with a solution that is invisible to others. A big part of your advantage when trouble strikes is in not letting the aggressor know you are armed until it's too late for them to do anything about it.

Some women may find that even the best concealment holster designed for a woman will not work for them. In situations like this, the handbag holster might be a viable option. Another option is the fannypack method of carry, though not just any fannypack. Several manufacturers offer waist packs that are designed to carry a handgun. Galco, linked above, makes a beautiful leather pack. If it fits ones attire, this method of carry is probably better than the purse option as it is more resistant to snatching. Some people will argue that wearing a fanny pack is tantamount to saying you are carrying a gun. However, people wear fanny packs all the time and are not carrying a gun. Of course, carrying both a fanny pack and a purse could make someone wonder what the point of the fanny pack is.

When it comes to concealment -- it's all about the attitude of the person. Dressing in a manner that promotes concealment, being confident that the gun is concealed and that people are not looking at you is the most important. The biggest giveaway of someone who is new to wearing a firearm for protection is usually the body language of the person. The gun may be perfectly concealed but if they worry that it is not and are constantly looking, checking, patting down the area to double-check, then they begin to look odd and are noticed. Regardless of the method of carry, assuming it is functional, the attitude of the wearer is paramount to good concealment.

(As a sidenote: You should never store a firearm in a holster because moisture builds up between the leather of the holster and the metal of the gun and can cause rusting. This is  not a concern for carrying but you should always remove the firearm from the holster and store in a dry and secure location.)

Choosing a gun     Hunting     Women and Firearms

Before ever carrying or concealing a gun on your person please check and abide by all laws that apply to you where you live.