gun in a handbag

[two gun charlie]

What I cannot get my arms around is the tactical question: (1) how would any criminal find with any degree of confidence, from among all of the people on the street, which one was carrying concealed, and (2) having done so, why on Earth would would he put the potential victim on alert by announcing that he wanted his gun?

hehehe klean now you are catching on , firstly gun carriers act and often walk differently , don't believe me ...that is because you are a westerner , believe me africans can tell because they are much more observant , I grew up among them and you won't believe what can be learned from body language and being observant , it doesn't take long to see that guy with the odd hip , the funny protrusion under his shirt when he reaches out to greet someone ... I can go on and on.
it's even easier to spot armed guys on the street

and like I said , why bother wrestling and struggling with a guy in the middle of a crowded street , attracting all kind of attention when you can just politely ask him , nobody likes getting stabbed , so he is more than likely to just hand it over and you can be on your way , calmly disappearing among the masses.

keep in mind that I live in a country where it takes at least 3 months to get a gun license and 50% of applications are turned down , so criminals see guns as a very hot commodity.
secondly many tribes here can communicate very intricate messages using "rubbish" on the sidewalk so if hey can say "john lives 5 miles down the road and leaves his car keys under the rock near the door " using just a coke bottle cap and a few pieces of wrapping paper , just imagine what they see when they look at you or me for that matter

 

[JustinJ]

hehehe klean now you are catching on , firstly gun carriers act and often walk differently

Then why not just walk normal?

that is because you are a westerner , believe me africans can tell because they are much more observant , I grew up among them and you won't believe what can be learned from body language and being observant , it doesn't take long to see that guy with the odd hip , the funny protrusion under his shirt when he reaches out to greet someone ... I can go on and on.
it's even easier to spot armed guys on the street

If this is common in S Africa can you cite some news articles of this happening?

and like I said , why bother wrestling and struggling with a guy in the middle of a crowded street , attracting all kind of attention when you can just politely ask him , nobody likes getting stabbed , so he is more than likely to just hand it over and you can be on your way , calmly disappearing among the masses.

"Dear sir, please hand me your gun or else I will stab you with this knife. However, please be so kind as to not just shoot me with it as you are handing it to me"

 

[9MMare]

No, she has a J-frame .38 Special. It works just fine fired from inside a bag.

A definite advantage!

 

[two gun charlie]

Then why not just walk normal?
I mean you "walk" with an attitude , like a guy that goes to the gym a lot , except that you don't go to the gym , you just look cocky ...like an american security contractor do you get it now?



If this is common in S Africa can you cite some news articles of this happening?
what ? gun carriers getting targeted ? its so common it doesnt make the news , hell 99% of grusome murders don't even make the news



"Dear sir, please hand me your gun or else I will stab you with this knife. However, please be so kind as to not just shoot me with it as you are handing it to me"

actually its more like , please hand me your gun or my two friends behind you will stick their knives into your kidneys sweetheart not so tough now are we

 

[JustinJ]

I mean you "walk" with an attitude , like a guy that goes to the gym a lot , except that you don't go to the gym , you just look cocky ...like an american security contractor do you get it now?

I think so. We have guys in the states who walk around like that too. We have a term for them, two words, last one is "bag" and the first rhymes with "mouche".

However, i'm still not so clear as to why one must walk around like such, especially if said manner will bring criminal attention. More importantly, I especially don't understand why carrying a gun would make somebody walk like that aside from an inability to differentiate Hollywood movies from reality.

actually its more like , please hand me your gun or my two friends behind you will stick their knives into your kidneys sweetheart not so tough now are we

Guess not. Possibly the problem is that I don't walk around like I am.

 

[RustyShackelford]

bags; off-body carry....

I didn't read all the posts but I don't advise women or men to store weapons in bags/cases/day-packs/murses(man purse) etc.
As noted, too many things can go sideways in a critical incident. The purse or briefcase could be pulled away or snatched, you might be wounded or hurt with the gun out of reach.
I would not suggest or support any laws or new ordinances which mandate types of carry either. A back up weapon or second gun could be safely kept in a bag. Extra pistol magazines, a white-light(flashlight), OC spray, etc can be toted too.

Rusty

 

[JustinJ]

I want my wife to carry but to be honest, if she had dressed in a manner conducive to it when we first met, I can't say that I would have still pursued her. The fact is, feminine clothing is not very accommodating to concealed carry and a purse is a far better option than no carry.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Yeah, it's just NOT a good idea.

At best the crook who steals the bag finds a handgun in it later.

At worst he opens it and finds the gun, than kills you with it!

It's a lose lose situation, like others have said criminals will often go for purses.

Something like a fanny pack not only looks more natural on a female and not out of place, but it can still be large enough to carry a respectable firearm like a Glock 26 yet it is still firmly attached to the person's body to prevent theft.

Of course traditional CCW methods are also great for females.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

Purses are definitely not the best place to carry but probably not as bad as many men seem to think. If the woman carrying is trained/has trained they can be more ready and faster on the draw then almost any other carry method - the hand can literally be on the gun while walking/looking without hinting in the least to a perp that they are prepared.

It comes down to the most important part of carrying any weapon and that means maintaining awareness at *all* times...the classic of walking around blabbering on the phone or stopping standing and texting in public (guys do it too and are *highly* vulnerable when doing this...) gets a purse and the weapon snatched.

My Wife practices from the purse but understands its limitations. If the person with the purse id aware and trained I'd think trying to take the purse might not be a very good idea even the person is looking at you with the hand in the purse. I realize that a person can be surprised....this must not happen when carrying in a purse. But it can be done by an astute and trained/aware person. Maybe not the best option but not the worst either.

VooDoo

 

[justice06rr]

I have always strongly advised women not to carry their fire-arm in their purse but rather on their person , a purse is too easy to grab in a moment of confusion , it can be lost or forgotten and it is one of the items that get stolen the most no matter where in the world you live.

In fact I am very much in favor of the laws prohibiting women to carry fire-arms in their handbags , it's just too much like giving guns to criminals in my opinion

Not busting your balls here, but have you actually been with a woman who likes to carry on-body all the time???

I'm am all for women conceal carrying whether its purse or on-body carry. I do NOT think we should prohibit an off-body carry option for women. What if they have to wear a nice fancy dress (cocktail dress or any tight-fitting dress) or any other attire that will make on-body carry difficult? Would you rather them not carry at all???

Most women I date are Pro-gun and if they are not, I try to introduce them to shooting by taking them to the range with me. You will find out that women have a very different view of CC; their bodies are shaped different than men and they wear much tighter fitting clothes than men do.

I used to date a girl that love to wear nice dresses that make on-body carry difficult. She was pro-gun but did not want a big heavy piece of metal on her body when she wore a nice outfit. Having options is nice, and I'd rather her carry in a purse than not carry at all during those times.

SA (situational awareness) also plays a big key here. If a woman decides to carry off-body then its imperative that she is very aware of her surroundings, just like everyone else should be anyway.

 

[ChCx2744]

^ This

However pro-gun a woman may be, I've *never* met a woman (That I was interested in or liked, at least) that was willing to sacrifice the self-consciousness of their appearance, than to carry a gun that would otherwise print or make their get-up uncomfortable. I actually haven't tried to explain to a woman the importance and retention of carrying on-person, as I would most likely be unsuccessful in convincing her otherwise. Carrying in the purse or keeping it in her car (As secure as possible) is gonna be pretty much the only options. Fanny packs and shoulder holsters? Forget about it.

I know this kind of re-emphasizes my last post, but females and their feminine style do not easily accommodate the bulkiness and weight of carrying firearms. Just try to be there for them the best you can and teach them the best ways to effectively purse carry or store in the car. I think there are some female gun enthusiasts who have started online blogs as to help educate women on concealed carry and purse carry techniques. If I run across one, I'll try to post it.

 

[Fred Fuller]

but have you actually been with a woman who likes to carry on-body all the time

I know this wasn't addressed to me, but ... yes. My wife.

She even carried in a thigh holster at our wedding .

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

but have you actually been with a woman who likes to carry on-body all the time

I know this wasn't addressed to me, but ... yes. My wife.

She even carried in a thigh holster at our wedding .

That's...hot...

I've gotta talk to my wife. I sense a thigh holster in her near future. I look forward to fitting it on her.

I can see her eyes rolling now as my inner ear hears that familiar phrase: "Is that ALL you ever think about?"



I can't help it...I married a redhead.

 

[GoWolfpack]

In fact I am very much in favor of the laws prohibiting women to carry fire-arms in their handbags

That'll fix everything, few more laws.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

In fact I am very much in favor of the laws prohibiting women to carry fire-arms in their handbags

Such a law would effectively disarm a lot of women. Very bad idea.

 

[Willie Sutton]

Reading all of the above.. well... it's more the person than the hardware that makes any method better or worse.

As an aside, when the blonde and I go out, I'm usually carrying a J frame. She's the one with the heavy iron, in her purse. She's good at putting herself on my arm where *I* am the one with my hand inside the pocket of her Galco or Pistol Packin' Moma purse when circumstances dictate. So I could say, I guess, that she plays the role of Gunbearer and Camoflage. Why carry a M9 when you can coax the Blonde to do the heavy lifting for you?


Willie

.

 

[DubbytheGreat]

As has been stated in multiple posts there are numerous advantages and disadvantages for purse carry. The two advantages that were the deciding factors for my girlfriend were 1 she can carry a full size pistol that she is comfortable with and 2 her purse goes with her no matter where she goes (always have a gun in a gun fight)

In my opinion purse carry for a responsible gun owner is absolutely an acceptable form of carry

If you can't keep track of your purse with a loaded weapon in it you are probably not a responsible gun owner and should rethink carrying any type of weapon.

Oh and certainly no more gun law's I feel that all responsible and willing people should carry and we shouldn't make any law that would limit the number of "good guys with guns"

 

[IBEWBULL]

Holster mania

Legislating how we carry is just another silly notion.

If I want to IWB , OWB use shoulder holster or in a brief case or purse it should make no difference.

It is our choice as well as responsibility when we pack irons to do it safely.

Meaning to not leave it on the car seat, in the head or in your coat pocket without being within YOUR reach.

Thinking is part of being an adult. Sometimes folks need to remember this when voting also.

So this is my two cents worth.

 

[riceboy72]

I'll chime in as one of those guys who carries a "man bag" from time to time in the form of a Maxpedition Fatboy. I was sold on convenience, comfort, and the ability to carry other things with me, especially when on the body carry is not ideal. Have I thought about someone taking it from me? Sure. Do I sit up and night and worry about it? Absolutely not.

I think women in our culture are obsessive about purses. Don't believe me? Look at how many women dump money into designer purses the way that men dump money into guns and holsters; in fact, some purses cost more than my guns. For the most part, I believe you're not going to get women to give up their purses, and for those who choose to carry, doing so in a purse just makes sense to them. And for the same reasons I cited above as to why, from time to time, I carry off body and in a bag, so to speak.

Women who carry should do things to safeguard against theft, such as choosing purses with stout straps and solid hardware that attaches to the bag itself so it cannot be easily broken when pulled on if someone were to run by and grab it. Carrying across the chest helps, too. I think overall awareness when carrying a gun should be paramount, and educating women who choose to carry in a purse is a necessity. Is it a guarantee that nothing will happen and their purse won't get stolen? Absolutely not. But neither is the chance that I, too, may get robbed of my gun if I was carrying on the body. It comes down to awareness. Being aware of surroundings, body positioning, where the purse is at all times, and not exposing the purse to people when talking. We don't do it when we wear holstered guns, and doing so when carrying in a purse is probably good sense, too.

Understandably, cultures vary, especially in the US versus abroad such as South Africa. Styles of carry ebb and flow, and so do techniques. What works for you may not work for our culture and vice versa. I'll never tell the women in my life to "not carry" their guns in a purse. I'll give them encouragement and hope they educate themselves to safer carry. It's been done for decades and if it gets women to carry, then I'm all for it.