Your Purse Is Not A Concealed Carry Holster

A Purse Is Not A Replacement For A Concealed Carry Holster

Are you the type of person who fumbles in your purse looking for your keys? No matter if it's Gucci or a Katie Spade, these bags are designed with one thing in mind - fashion. As a secondary idea, many are quite good at carrying a whole host of odds and ends.

But fishing around for one's keys is an entirely different matter than defending yourself in a life and death situation.

Why leave your fate jostling around next to your lipstick?

Purses are many things and certainly we've all seen quite a few that could work as improvised weapons of opportunity but when it comes to firearms - it simply doesn't substitute a concealed carry holster.

But what if your lifestyle and particular clothing choices don't afford the sanctuary of an inside the waistband (IWB) concealed carry holster but you still want the security of keeping a firearm within arm's reach?

Whoever Holds the Purse, Holds the Power

The truth is - if you want to use your purse as a concealed carry holster, that's your right and privilege. However, if that is the course you are going to take - it's highly advisable that you keep the trigger group safely out of reach of wandering fingers. In a recent CBS report on a mother who was shot dead by her two year old - authorities point to the child's ability to reach inside the purse and access the firearm as the major factor contributing to her death. Quite simply, it appears she was distracted while shopping in Walmart and her son reached into her purse, took hold of a fully loaded pistol without a safety and discharged it into his mother.

While many waggle their finger and exclaim this was an act of tragic stupidity - the truth of the matter is that quite a few women pack a pistol in their purse. And plenty of them take their children shopping. Even without the concept of a child accidentally shooting his or her own parent, there's also the idea of custody of said firearm. If a kid can reach inside your purse - who else can, too?

Concealed Carry - Responsibility to Yourself and Others

If you're taking a gun, put it in a secure holster. If you don't want people looking at your gun, put it in a concealed carry holster. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the natural instinct to protect yourself and those you love with the use of a firearm. There is plenty wrong with assuming your purse meets that requirement.

While an inside the waistband concealed carry holster may not be as fashionable as a compact 40 S&W in a plush, tan leather Tory Burch, it's a whole lot safer. And what's the point of carrying a firearm if you're not trying to ensure the safety of yourself and others?

Additionally, a purse is something that can be taken away from you. Normally, if someone snatches your purse, the worst they make off with is your wallet and car keys. However, if you have a firearm in that purse - you just gave that criminal a fully loaded weapon. And if for some reason you should be wrestling with said aggressor over the custody of your purse, the both of you are now playing with a loaded, uncontrolled firearm in the middle of you two.

The math is simple. Protect yourself and keep your firearm in a safe and accessible place at all times and within your direct reach. For that you need a IWB or will do the trick. Mary Frances can still keep your keys.

About The Author James England is a former United States Marine Signals Intelligence Operator and defense contractor with over two tours spread over the Al Anbar province and two more operating across Helmand and Baghdis. He is presently a writer focused on Western foreign policy and maintains an avid interest in firearms. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, he presently resides in New Hampshire - the "Live Free or Die" state. He is finishing up his first novel, "American Hubris", which is set to hit shelves in Fall of 2015.