Thanks to how many holsters for women are now available, concealed carry is easier than ever, even while wearing skinny jeans or a dress. Despite this, 13% of women carry their firearms in their purses.  

But purse carry is generally a terrible idea, and possibly even dangerous. Let’s dive into the problems with purse carry, and if you have to CC in a purse, how to do it right. 

Purse Carry Is Better than Nothing

The argument for purse carry is that, while not as good as on the body, it’s better than not having a firearm at all. 

However, there are two exceptions where purse carry could actually be worse than nothing at all. 

1. Your Purse Gets Snatched

Purse snatching is one of the most common types of larceny in the USA. If your firearm is in your purse, then you didn’t just get robbed: you armed a thief. 

Even if the thief doesn’t use your own firearm against you, many of the nation’s violent crimes are committed with stolen weapons. You don’t want your negligence to create an armed robber. 

Another point: Muggers sometimes demand your purse. As a general rule, you should never try to fight a thief: it’s best to just hand over your purse instead of risk injury. But, if your firearm is in your purse, you might be less inclined to hand it over, which could lead to violence

2. Kids Get Into Purses

While it isn’t common, there are plenty of stories of kids getting into purses, such as when looking for something like a piece of gum. Like the 2-year-old boy in Ohio who got into his mom’s purse while at Walmart and fired it. The mother was arrested on charges of endangering a child. 

Even if you don’t have kids, there still may still be other people’s kids around you (who may or may not have been trained about firearm safety). And it’s not just kids you should worry about: There are plenty of irresponsible adults who might come across your firearm while getting something out of your purse. 

3. It’s Easy to Get Careless

Purses are generally left around places, like on the chair of a restaurant or a hook of a bathroom door. It’s easy to lose or forget the purse, or make it available for thieves.  Purses also often end up being a dumping ground, so your firearm could end up in the same pocket as your keys, wallet, and various other items.   These forms of carelessness violate basic firearm safety rules. 

If You Must Carry in Your Purse

While firearm carry is never recommended over body carry, there are some situations where it may be the only option. For example, after a C-section, it may not be possible to wear a waist holster, bending over for an ankle holster isn’t realistic either, and I wouldn’t want to feed a baby resting on a shoulder holster.  

If you must carry in your purse, follow these rules.”

1.  Crossbody Carry

Like most thieves, purse snatchers look for easy targets.  It’s harder to grab a purse when it’s worn crossbody, so thieves will be less likely to target you. 

Your purse should ideally have steel cables in the strap, so more organized thieves can’t cut the strap and then grab-and-go with it.

2. Get a Concealed Carry Purse

Only carry in a purse that is specifically designed for it. Otherwise, the risk of putting your keys, chapstick, and other items with your firearm is too great. Further, a good CC purse will ensure your firearm is hidden, but actually accessible if you need it. 

3. Train

Once you have your CC purse, train with it. Your draw will still likely be slower than with body carry, but training can get the difference down to less than a second. 

4. Treat Your Purse As If It’s Your Gun

Most importantly, if you CC in a purse, treat your purse as though it’s the gun.  That means things like:

  1. Never letting the purse out of sight Always keep it within reach and under your control.
  2. Being mindful of placement Avoid setting your purse in places where it could be easily grabbed, knocked over, or forgotten, such as a shopping cart or public bench.
  3. Keep it securely stored When at home, either lock the entire purse away or immediately secure the firearm.
  4. Regularly checking the condition Ensure that the purse’s firearm compartment, closures, and strap are all in good condition.
  5. Practicing discretion Avoid behaviors that draw attention to the purse.

It’s worth noting that constantly keeping tabs on your purse can be a huge extra mental load. It’s easierand saferto just carry on your body instead.

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