Concealed Carry for Women

Building Your Concealed Carry System

Successful concealed carry can be yours, simply follow this easy 4 step system.

“Carrying a gun isn’t supposed to be comfortable, it is supposed to be a comfort”  Clint Smith

Clint’s quote is very revealing as it is important to understand that concealed carry for a woman inevitably means making some physical adjustments and concessions. There may be times when it’s an inconvenience or a little uncomfortable, but this just comes with the territory. You are choosing to carry a serious piece of equipment on your person, and feeling it on your body is a healthy reminder to handle this awesome responsibility with care and respect. With time, you will feel naked without your gun on you, and if you are ever required to use it to save your life, believe me, it will be well worth the little bit of discomfort.

Four Key Elements

There are four key elements necessary for optimal comfort and safety that must all work together seamlessly for truly safe and effective concealed carry.  The process of addressing each of these is what I call the building of a Personal Concealed Carry System (PCCS). The four elements of a Personal Concealed Carry System are the gun, the body, clothing, and the holster. Developing this system requires a thorough review and assessment of each of these and understanding how they each must work together.  Women have some unique issues that must be addressed for each of these four key elements to build their individualized Personal Concealed Carry System.

concealed carry systemTHE GUN

Choosing a gun is the most important decision you will make. Your gun is the central piece of equipment that all of the other parts of your Personal Concealed Carry System must work around. It should be the right size for you, fitting both your hand and your body as a whole and be one that you can shoot with confidence.

It will become part of your body and your partner in your self-defense, so finding the right ‘match’ is the foundation of building your PCCS. Its size and weight must work with your body, clothing, and holster. If your gun is too big and cumbersome to carry, you are less likely to carry it. Finding “your” gun doesn’t need to be so daunting.

Finding The Right Gun

What makes the decision of which gun complicated is the combination of a new shooter’s natural lack of knowledge and lack of confidence mixed with the opinions and advice of others. The truth is, with some research, a basic knowledge of firearms, the consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the options and how they might work as a component in your system, coupled with getting to try some, you will not only find the right gun for you, you will do it with confidence. So, stop looking for the gun that is somehow supposed to be the best for a particular gender based on some generalities or the one that appears most popular for others, as these may or may not be true for you.

When you find the right fit training will be easier, carrying will be comfortable, and shooting will be safe. Handle and shoot as many guns as you can as you explore and yes, it’s ok to talk to friends and family for additional input but instead of it dictating your purchase it will help you affirm your decision and make the best choice for you. The Well Armed Woman has collected reviews from hundreds of women that may be helpful to you. You can find them here: Gun Reviews By Women

THE BODY

A woman’s body is curvy, with bumps and bulges that must be taken into consideration and maneuvered around. A woman’s waist is typically shorter which can inhibit her ability to draw.  Her hips are wider and sit at a different angle rendering many traditional holsters useless. A woman’s calves and ankles are smaller just to name a few. Now, I am not complaining about all of these ‘unique’ differences, we just need to learn how to find the ‘sweet spots’ and use them to our advantage.

Body shape, size, and physical limitations are all important factors. Let’s be honest, a 32A bust size will not conceal a GLOCK 19 in a bra holster very well nor will a larger bust or more full tummy allow for effective cross draw carry. Joint, muscle and other physical issues must be considered and their impact on concealed carry understood, as they will help you identify and determine locations that are reachable.

CLOTHING

Your choice of clothing is critical if you intend to carry concealed. Your clothing not only needs to fit you, it needs to fit your gun. Women tend to wear more fitted styles and

many of the fabrics we love can be thin and sheer.  Dresses and skirts pose an additional set of challenges, as does the absence of a belt or strong waistband. To provide the security we desire, our gun must be close, accessible, and hidden from view. Again, we must look at how we dress. Doe is help or hinder our individual ability to conceal and access our firearm.

Men have it easy!  Their wardrobe consists of pants and a shirt every single day and most of the time this includes a belt. Only the style and fabrics change but their concealed carry location does not.  Women, on the other hand, wear a variety of different clothing styles each and every day that may require concealed carry in more than one location.

Some Easy Concessions

Likely, some concessions and changes will be necessary. With a variety of holster options and some simple wardrobe adjustments, many of these challenges can be addressed. Think about how you dress most often and begin to plan your strategy.

  • Wear low-rise pants to increase the length of space to draw.
  • Buy pants and skirts with more room in the waistband to accommodate your new bulge.
  • Wear flowing, looser shirts, especially for a bra, belly band or underarm carry.
  • Integrate patterns into your clothing, they substantially hide and minimize any bulge or gun printing.
  • Wear a little longer shirt, un-tucked.
  • Wear a sleeveless light long vest. These are great for small of the back carry and depending on the fabric, can be worn year round.
  • Slit the bottom of the pocket in a skirt or dress for quick access to a firearm holstered in a thigh holster.

Important Note

It is extremely important to note that with this variety of locations comes an increased commitment to training. Training the draw from these different holsters (unloaded) is required.  A heightened daily awareness of where the gun is holstered. During an attack is not the time to not know where your firearm is nor is it the time to learn how to draw from it.

HOLSTERS

This is where everything you have learned and now understand about the gun, your body and your clothing all come together to complete your Personal Concealed Carry System.

We know just because a holster is pink is no guarantee that it was designed for a woman’s body. Finding a holster designed for a woman and one that works on her body can be extremely difficult. The Well Armed Woman has designed an exclusive line and has sought out the best options to help.

What Makes a Good Holster?

A good holster is one that attaches to your body or clothing securely and retains the firearm properly. A good holster also fully covers the trigger guard. It is one you can reach with ease and is comfortable to wear. Your holster is a very important piece of equipment in your self-defense plan. It has a very important job to do. The focus has to be first on performance, not appearance or sexiness.

As obvious as it may sound, your ability to put it on properly and draw your firearm from it is key. I have seen some holsters that are so complicated to put on that you need to be a contortionist.  Some require you to have  the strength of a superhero to attach it.  Another thing to consider in finding a quality holster is the material used to cover the trigger. It must be thick enough to keep your finger from pressing through the fabric into the trigger guard area and pull the trigger during daily adjustments. Thin lacey fabrics are not good options. I have created a product that can increase the protection of your trigger, called the Trigger Guard.

What’s The Best Location To Carry?

On the waist carry is not only the best location to carry because it offers easy access, it turns out it is now the most popular location for women to carry. After collecting data from holster sales and customers, I was very pleased to learn that this has become the first choice for women. The majority, 40%, carry in the waist, with the holstered firearm carried inside the waistline. Most commonly in either the appendix position or just off the back of the hip.

The belly band came in second. Primarily because of its versatility to be worn in multiple ways and in multiple locations. The Belly Band provides the ability ‘customize’ holster fit and location. Notice in the infographic most women are carrying in the prime zone in the middle of the body. This makes grasping the firearm is the easiest. On the body carry in a quality holster is also the safest way for you to carry your gun. It also offers limited access to unauthorized persons or children. Regardless of where you carry, your firearm must be holstered and the trigger covered at all times.

What Next?

Once you have considered the first three elements of your Personal Concealed Carry System, you can consider and shop for holsters that fit your gun, your body and your clothing. The order that you consider these components is important. The decisions you make in each of the above areas will help lead you in the right direction. You will find the right holster locations and holsters for YOU.

As you can see, there are so many variables that go into building your Personal Concealed Carry System. No two woman’s system will be alike. Because you are a unique individual, taking the time to properly build your system will result in the safest and most comfortable method for you.

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7 thoughts on “Building Your Concealed Carry System

  1. Alba Figueroa says:

    I have been showed a different world with your remarkable story. The comments of other members from The Well armed Woman. I’m taking care of myself, waking longer distances, building resistance and getting fit by loosing some weight. It’s just the result of an inspiration born from a field I though it was only and particularly represent mostly by man. As I search the web for information how to; self defense, the best arm to buy and so forth, i found we are well represented out there. And we all are to find ways to protect ourselves.

  2. Lore Ellsworth says:

    Have a question? Your article pertained to just holsters…..what about gun purses.? I carry mine in my gun purse and I can draw pretty quickly from it.

    1. Carrie Lightfoot says:

      Hi Lore,

      We do have a few articles about purse carry but I try to advocate for on-body carry as much as possible. However, purse carry is a very viable option when on-body carry isn’t possible.

  3. Jenni Borders says:

    I have not looked at the new products in quite a while obviously but the trigger shield makes me incredibly happy because I have always complained that the compression holsters are literally just a piece of elastic covering my trigger and that does not make me feel safe. Trying to put your Sticky Holster inside a compression holster is a pain in the rear-end and it’s not very safe for drawing or trying to reholster, so therefore I just haven’t been carrying unfortunately.
    I will be ordering the trigger shield very soon and I just want to thank you for making that an option.

  4. Sue says:

    I have a small revolver. I can’t find the holster I want. I had a Bursa Thunder and had a holster that was Kydex on the part not touching the body and nice leather on the inside that touches skin. I found that Kydex on the skin side was very irritating after a few hours so found the one with leather. I can’t find the same combo for my little revolver. Yall don’t have it and no one else seems to either. I now use a all leather one that is comfy but, to reholster I have to take the holster off my waistband. It just colapses when I remove my gun. Just a statement. Hope yall get them someday.

    1. Christine says:

      Hi Sue, probably a little different then what you are envisioning and might be bigger than what you were originally looking for but we do have a MiniTuck holster that has leather that is against the skin and formed Kydex on the other side. Maybe this will work for your needs? https://thewellarmedwoman.com//product/mini-tuck-holster-by-crossbreed/ Our customers love this holster!

    2. Maryann says:

      Have you tried a crossbreed holster or wearing a cami under your shirt?

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