Carry options from a fellow lady shooter (long!)
I got my CHL last year and have had a tough time finding a carry method that's comfortable, practical and safe. Holsters just aren't made to fit a woman's hip curvature, and IWB holsters seldom work because that bulge is painfully obvious on a woman with any waistline at all. I'm 5'7" and proportional so unless I'm wearing a somewhat bulky cover garment, I can't wear a holster without significant cover. As you know, with Texas spring/summer temps reaching 105° like today, a thick or bulky cover garment is out of the question from about April or May to October.
I carry a Glock 19 and have tried almost everything: purse, fanny pack, holster, etc. I found I don't like belt-slide holsters at all - a paddle works the best. My husband bought me a Blackhawk CQC Kydex Serpa holster that I like a lot for concealment because it pulls the gun in tight to my side, and the weapon can't be removed without pushing the button to let go of the trigger guard so it's secure. It's a paddle and grips tight even without a belt on. I have been using the same Serpa holster for competition (IDPA) with my Glock 34, so to make draw and re-holster smoother (and keep the grip from digging in my ribs), I bought spacers/inserts that go between the holster and the paddle to create an offset. The grip sits a couple inches from my ribs now and the grip tape doesn't wear a hole in my shirt. This works great for IDPA but means I can't use the holster for concealment (it sticks out way too far) and the spacers are hard to remove, so I can't switch back and forth. It looks like I'll be buying a new holster for IDPA and using the Serpa (sans spacers) for concealment. The one I'm looking at for competition is called a Comp-Tac Diva, made especially for women [
http://www.comp-tac.com/]. They can custom mold one for your XD. With shipping, it would be about $87.50.
I have resorted to carrying in the summer in my purse. I know it's not the most secure place, but since my $500 weapon is in there, I am much more conscious of where I put it, both for its security and mine. If it's in a shopping cart, it's zipped up and secured to the cart with the baby seat belt, and I never walk away from it. To secure the trigger, I bought an inexpensive Uncle Mike's Sidekick, a soft nylon holster, and removed the ambidextrous clip so it acts as a rigid sheath to cover the trigger and prevent an AD. It doesn't add significantly to the bulk of the weapon. I carry with a full mag (15 rnds) and one in the chamber.
I have used several purses and still haven't found the perfect fit yet, but close. Some purses have a special section under the purse meant for a wallet, but a handgun fits there nicely, too, and it's easy to access. Just remember to keep the trigger covered and stow the gun separately from other items - you wouldn't want a lipstick tube getting crosswise in the trigger guard and put a hole in your purse, and possibly yourself or others. This is a valid concern with weapons like Glocks and XDs where the safety is in the trigger or grip, hence the nylon holster.
When I carry in the leather fanny pack, there is a separate lockable zippered section for the weapon. I don't use the Mike's holster in the fanny pack. The G19 takes up a lot of room, so I have to carry the bare minimum, not the typical stuff I would put in a purse. I can't even carry a fat wallet so I have to rearrange money, credit/ATM card, checkbook, etc. This is a bit of a pain if I have to switch back & forth.
The fanny pack has it's advantages and disadvantages: apparently it SCREAMS "I'm carrying". (This could be a good thing?) I actually had a guy walk up to me in a grocery store and ask if I was law enforcement. When I replied no, and asked what prompted the question, he replied, "Well, the gun for one!" He assumed I was carrying a weapon in the pack. The funny thing is that I hadn't even received my CHL yet and was just trying to get used to carrying a fanny pack instead of a purse (without the gun!). Food for thought. Another consideration is that you cannot draw from a fanny pack as quickly or smoothly as you can from a holster.
If you have to dress professionally for work (suits/dresses), it's not exactly a fashion statement, though. A fanny pack is more of a casual dress accessory (jeans/shorts). Make sure you buy one that's good quality and won't imprint. Leather is good. I think mine was $55 at a local gun show. It works okay as an over-the-shoulder purse when you can't put it around your waist, but that defeats the purpose of using a fanny pack!
The advantages of a fanny pack are numerous: It's strapped to you, so you have mobility, the weight of the fully loaded gun doesn't weigh down your arm like a purse, and you can't set it down and walk away. It's close at hand so you keep control and can get to it when you need to. It's a lot harder to steal because the thief has to cut it off you. In your car, it's in your lap, not in the passenger's seat or on the floor where you can't reach it. And if you have young kids like I do, it's more likely to prevent you from leaving your purse where little hands can find it.
How do you like the XD? I just got an XD-9 Tactical model and haven't done much with it. I don't particularly like the grip safety on it because it makes it much harder for me to smoothly lock the slide back. The slide won't move without the grip lever depressed, but with my hand fully on the grip, I can't easily push up the slide lock. I would not feel as comfortable carrying the XD for self defense as I am my Glocks, but I think that's just personal preference. I am about to invest nearly $200 in a trigger job on the XD (either Canyon Creek or Springer Precision) to reduce the trigger pull for competition. If you haven't considered this, you might check them out:
http://www.canyoncreekcustom.com/ and
http://www.canyoncreekcustom.com/.
Each carry method has its pros & cons depending on a lot of different factors (the environment or situation you're in, your body type, mode of dress, etc.) so I'd suggest trying them all and see what works for you. Good luck with finding a holster and post back to let us know what you settled on.
