Do they make in-purse holsters? My girl is in love with my P3AT

[joey93turbo]

So I bought a P3AT two days ago. Yesterday I showed it to her and she fell in love. This is going to be the gun to convince her to carry! I'm sure you guys don't know what that means but it's HUGE to me, she used to be an anti.

She wants to carry in her purse but she asked yesterday if they make some sort of device to put inside a purse so you don't have to dig around for the gun in an emergency. Do you guys know of anything like this?

 

[pax]

Galco and Coronado leather and lots of other places make purses that are designed to carry a firearm. They keep the gun in a separate compartment and oriented in the same direction at all times, so that draw is nowhere near as slow as it could be. (It still won't be fast.)

You don't want her carrying in an unmodified purse. The last thing she needs is to draw her gun and have it come up with a lipstick lodged in the end of it.

Oh, and I have to say this: she's better off if she can bring herself to carry on-body. It's more secure, and faster, and leaves more options if she's ever attacked. But if the choice is between carrying in her purse, or not carrying at all -- get her a good gun purse and have her practice the draw with an unloaded gun until she's got it down smooth.

pax

 

[joey93turbo]

Unfortuantely I KNOW she won't carry a purse other than the ones she has. She has like 27 purses, each for a different occasion or outfit. Yes, she's one of THOSE girls. I *might* be able to convince her to carry on her body but it's probably unlikely. I guess even if she threw a pocket holster in her purse it would be better than going unarmed.

 

[pax]

Heh. If she's got a lot of purses, why not one more?

The thing about carrying a gun is that you have to make compromises. Everyone has to. The trick is to find what you're willing to compromise on, and what is non-negotiable.

If she's not willing to make compromises, she won't be able to carry. It's that simple.

That said. If the purse is a non-negotiable, then maybe she'll be more willing to think of adjusting her clothes around the gun and carry on body.

Failing that -- I know at least one woman who has sewn velcro/elastic retention straps into an ordinary purse. But even she keeps that compartment otherwise empty. Barrel obstructions are a real hazard.

pax

 

[mountain_cowboy]

It'll be a little slower, but she could use the zip up case that came with the P3AT. She could safety pin it to the inside of whatever purse she was carrying. That way it would stay put as she unzipped it, allowing her to manipulate it and retrieve the gun with one hand.

 

[Standing Wolf]

If all else fails, she could simply put the gun in a holster inside a purse. I wouldn't consider that a very secure way to carry a gun, but better than than leaving the gun home.

 

[Dave R]

I agree. Sew or pin a holster to the purse. Or put on some velcro and make a "quick attach point" on each of her 27 purses.

Better yet, convince her to use pocket carry--which is how the P-3AT should be carried. Wait--I'll bet some of her clothes don't include pockets. Never mind.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Before you all get too wound up in the idea of her carrying a P3AT- - - has she shot it yet? For that matter have _you_ shot it yet? How much of a shooter is your SO?

These little guns are great to carry but can be a bear to shoot. And they are _very_ vulnerable to limp wristing. They are not what I would call a beginners' weapon by any means. The trigger pull can be difficult to manage, getting the first round into the chamber can be difficult for someone who can't 'gorilla grip' the gun, the sights are rudimentary at best, there is no slide lock... I hope you get my drift.

Some KelTecs suffer from a variety of 'issues' and need attention to get them to run right. They are tiny in size, light in weight but chambered for a relatively large round for such a small gun. It is my opinion they are running at the edge of the envelope and it doesn't take a lot going wrong to make them choke. They need to be clean and properly lubricated and can sometimes require ammo the individual gun likes to be dependable.

That said, my wife and I both frequently carry 1st generation hardchromed P3ATs. We have not had any problems with them at all, we think they are great little pistols- but neither of us would recommend them for beginners. Both of us are in our fifties, both of us have been shooting and carrying for decades. And neither of us finds a P3AT a pleasure to shoot, unlike practically everything else we practice with.

I don't want to sound overwhelmingly negative, but I don't know your situation or hers and i would hate to see her have an unpleasant experience with any firearm and especially one I like so much and have recommended to others. That recommendation always comes with a warning about this particular gun's difficulties though. If she is a shooter she can do quite well with the P3AT- my wife loves hers, it's in her hip pocket in the factory zipper case right now. That's how she prefers to carry it and she practices drawing, clearing the case and firing. I prefer a pocket holster myself. But if the gun is carried with a round chambered, it should be in some sort of dedicated container that encloses the trigger guard completely. It's the only way to carry it safely IMO.

Hope you both like it A LOT,

lpl/nc

 

[Majic]

Is she a woman prone to set her purse down? Most woman's gun purses have heavier straps to slow down snatching. I remember one had the puse strap attached to the holster so if the puse was snatched the holster slid out the purse still attached to the woman. Woman are reminded to keep the purse with them by hanging it on their arm or shoulder rather than setting them down.
Remind her she has to more vigilant when she carries off body.

Take her out to shoot the little pistol to prepare for her CCW if she don't already have one. She may not think too much of that pistol then. They aren't very good for newbies.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Be advised some KelTec's like to travel The really like to go by air and spend time with their family in Fl. If your unlucky and have one of these You better buy a 2nd one so hopefully at least 1 will be home to keep you company. Your GF would be better off to carry the pistol not tote in in a bag.

 

[CajunBass]

Kel-Tec makes a belt clip for them, that could probably be used to clip the pistol inside the purse, but as others have said, on the body carry is a lot better. If somone grabs her purse, they have her gun also.

My wife uses an inexpensive Uncle Mikes IWB holster for her Bersa when she's wearing slacks or jeans. Puts the holster in her pocket and covers it with her blouse, or jacket.

 

[chris in va]

I don't know *what* it is with women, they go for all the CUTE stuff whether it works or not! "Will it match my hair?"

I don't guess she's seen the baby blue and pink ones yet...

 

[Taurus 66]

Sorry to go off topic, but this little pistol just caught my interest!

It amazes me to see the P3AT with several shots of Cor Bon 90 grain JHP chronographed at 10 feet averaged 916 FPS. That's a pretty durable & high quality short barrel - (*0.001 consistencies). Shell ejections worked flawlessly over a wide variety of ammo. That's a really nice piece ... worthy of my pocket carry!

 

[Ukraine Train]

I'm going to echo what Lee said. My friend has a P11 and if the P3AT's trigger is anywhere close to the P11 then she might have a hard time shooting it. We took a female friend shooting and she simply did not have the strength for the DA pull and she isn't one of those sissy girls either. Take her to the range.

 

[Kilroy]

Ladies Protection Purse


This purse was designed by two instructors who have done a very good job of analyzing was is needed in a purse that will carry a defensive firearm. Starting with a safe "draw to fire position", it also incorporates a means of carrying a spare magazine and a flashlight.

Using a zipper to open the gun compartment, it is much quieter then velcro if you wish to open the compartment. Not telegraphing your actions can be a critically important thing. The design also is optimum for safe drawing of the pistol. Side entry holsters will tend to swing away from you as one attempts to draw the pistol. The design of the Ladies Protection purse keeps the pistol stable and it remains in place as your hand moves to draw the gun. This design also permits you to keep body parts away from the pistol muzzle as you draw or reholster.

The design also allows a loose or dropped (during the draw) pistol to fall back into the purse. Side opening designs can and will allow your pistol to fall onto the ground, which can cause anything from being embarrassed to serious legal problems.

Of quality (US made) construction, this purse is one of the best designs that I have seen. Designed by professional trainers who had the best interest of the user in mind.

I have no interest or participation in this company, but I do support good products and this is one of the best.

 

[joey93turbo]

I really doubt she's going to leave her Prada at home for that hideous thing

 

[Kilroy]

She may end up being a victim of some horrible crime, but will certainly break no fashion laws.

 

[pax]

That's a really, really ugly purse.

Kilroy, if the idea of carrying is not to get caught doing it, carrying that thing would be the equivalent of slapping a sign on your forehead which says, "Something ain't right here!" Especially if a woman known for her fashion choices started carrying it.

What I'm getting at is that if you're going to carry a gun, you need to find a way to do it that doesn't flash a neon sign about it to all your friends and neighbors. It's the same reason I think fanny-pack carry only makes sense if you are wearing exercise clothes or are playing tourist in a tourist area.

Joey, there are attractive gun purses. Run a Google, you'll see.

pax

 

[geekWithA.45]

gwa9 just bought herself a P3AT, and loves it. Her preferred mode of carriage is thunderware, as she just can't keep track of a purse.

 

[Dave R]

I'm going to echo what Lee said. My friend has a P11 and if the P3AT's trigger is anywhere close to the P11 then she might have a hard time shooting it. We took a female friend shooting and she simply did not have the strength for the DA pull and she isn't one of those sissy girls either. Take her to the range.

Fortunately, the P-3AT trigger pull is nothing like the P-11. Much better. Recoil is not that bad, either. At least not for my hands. I've heard guys with big hands have trouble with the little gun twisting in their grips. I have long, thin hands and I have no trouble with twisting. A firm grip is the only thing needed to control a P-3AT.

 

[chopinbloc]

I don't know *what* it is with women, they go for all the CUTE stuff whether it works or not! "Will it match my hair?"

now wait just a minute, my girl is set on the glock 23. while anything but cute, it is a practical, reliable pistol and she's not even too fond of the desert cammo or od finishes, either. she wants something that works, doesn't care how it looks, 'cause it's supposed to be hidden. hell, she'd probably carry a high-point if their pistol had good sights, trigger and concealability. SOME girls go for what's cute, but maybe they shouldn't carry anyway, their just looking for another way to accessorize. like the pink cammo clothes that was so vogue a little while back, there is no tactical utility, but it sure looks cool.

 

[Tim3256]

I would have to strongly advise against against carrying off-body.

1)Kids love ladies purses. Even if you don't have kids, they are everywhere. Even if they shouldn't go into your stuff, they still might.

2)She could put the thing down and forget it. It happens. Everyone that ever does it swears they wouldn't.

3)Purse-snatchers snatch purses, that's what they do. If some jerk gets her purse, now he's armed (with her gun). If the BG discovers the gun at the time, chances are increased that he may become more violent and possibly do more than just take the purse. No good. I've seen all the options, and I just can't sign-off on any of them (I've recently been down this road with a female friend of mine). Imperfect solutions for an ill-advised practice. I advise pepper spray for the purse. CCW should be on-body.

My 0.02

 

[0007]

Take her to a gun show and look for a Coronado dealer. I bought my wife one probably 15 year ago and it's the only purse she has carried for most of the time since then. Very high quality unlike most high-cost name stuff. And the center carry location makes a good place to carry jewelry when it's not being used for a pistol...