CajunBass,
You may misunderstand my actual position. I am
not against purse carry; I simply believe that off body carry should not be the default choice. Every carry method has its benefits, and every carry method has its drawbacks, and every carry method has tips/tricks/secrets that make it work better. So it is with purse carry.
Beyond that, I believe every woman who carries a gun on-body should also own a purse designed for concealed carry. The purse functions as a backup carry method whenever circumstances or clothing won't allow the on-body choice to work. It also functions as insurance against holster related wardrobe malfunctions and can be used (for example) at the doctor's office or in the dressing room.
bikerbill,
Here is some important information about how to choose a purse for concealed carry:
http://www.corneredcat.com/article/holsters/concealed-carry-purses/ Please pass that info along to your wife.
Not too long ago, I wrote an article for SWAT Magazine about purse carry. More specifically, it was about tactics that work for getting the gun out and ready to use when you need it. It is amazing to me, how many (male) people tell women how to use a purse -- when they themselves have never used one or drawn from one.
One specific piece of
really bad advice that's very common: "just shoot through the purse..." We took a bunch of purses out to the range with good, experienced shooters and tried that out. At arms' length distances, we found it was very very tough to hit the target reliably when shooting through the purse. In real life conditions, where there will be lots of other things in the purse that could deflect the bullet, that's going to be even more true. Keep in mind, too, that unless you have a revolver, you can only count on
one shot under those conditions. So don't plan to shoot through the purse. It's actually faster to complete your draw.
When you choose a purse,
always choose one that's designed specifically for concealed carry. The non-holster options just don't work that well. If you're carrying the gun in case you might need it, you will likely need it in a hurry -- and the only way to be sure you're prepared to access it in a hurry is if it comes out of a true carry purse.
The drawstroke from a purse is usually similar to a crossdraw drawstroke. Watch to be sure you don't point the gun at your own brachial artery or wrist during the draw.
Fastest purse draw that I'm aware of is a vertical draw from a Gun Tote'n Mamas "Raven."
Hope this helps.
pax
