Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

Issues important to the ladies, with men and women welcome.

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Hoi Polloi
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#46

Post by Hoi Polloi »

I can see why the .38 revolver with barami hip grip would be recommendable. (I googled to see pictures.) I'm afraid I'm way too paranoid about guns and kids to make that the best choice for me. I'm really appreciative that you pointed it out so I'm aware of the options because that really showed me how strongly I feel about wanting holstered IWB or shoulder.

I don't have the particular problem of upper girth many other women have so I'm more worried about the shoulder holster not being concealable than it not being accessible. I'm really curious and would like to try one on. I'm going to search the women and guns forum to see if I can get pics of shoulder holsters being worn. If you have any on women, please post them or point them out! The pink and purple holsters riverrat made are both cute! I really like the pink stamps your wife has in her magazines, mojo.

Why do you recommend appendix-carry jeremae? I think it would either hit my hip bone if at 2 o'clock or give me a frontal tail if worn at 1 due to how low my pants sit. There isn't much room in front for hiding anything. :neutral:
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fm2
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#47

Post by fm2 »

The hip grip is a good solution as most of the gun is below the waistband. You wouldn't need to go up one size in your tops either. If you were down here we could do a holster roundup and you could try the hip grip, and different holsters on.

Here's a shoulder holster to consider, ken null's MODEL USH, USH-X. http://www.klnullholsters.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Rusty Sherrick makes some womens holsters also. http://www.c-rusty.com/pages/holsters/Ladies.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
He has a lot of pics as well for high ride & canted holsters.

Some appendix holsters are vertical ride & some are reverse cant. The reverse cant allows the holster to sit in the hip crease, so that it doesn't dig into your hip.
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Jeremae
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#48

Post by Jeremae »

First, I am almost the steriotypical gun owner (50 something guy carrying to much weight on top of my belt) and carry a 5 inch Kimber 1911 in a comptac ctac iwb at 4:30 exclusively so I have no actual experience. I am endlessly curious and always reading and questioning how other people solve problems as I may actually find something I would like to try.

Why I suggested the two carry systems I did:

First you made clear that you, as a mom, frequently carry a baby/toddler on one hip therefore you needed a system that 1. Secured the gun from the child and 2: was accessable to the hand on the same side of body (no crossdraw).

Second your description and picture shows you to be relatively trim and athletic in build and prefer casual clothing including a belt and an overshirt.

Therefore a belt holster or a shoulder rig should do the job.

On the belt, I believe that an IWB, which draws the gun close to the body, would be better suited. Since you said you prefer low rise pants, a shorter barrel gun would be easier to conceal. There have already been several posts about various IWB and SOB (Small Of Back) holsters and I really can't add much info there. However, I listened to an episode of Gun Nuts Radio where Julie Golob was interviewed shortly after she resumed competitive shooting after taking time off to have a baby and remember her saying that her most common daily carry was a S&W 38 snub (a 642) in an Appendix Inside the Waistband holster because it was easily concealed, she carried it on the opposite side from the baby (like most women she uses her hip) and yet very accessable and I get eMail alerts from Comp-Tac and remembered their annoucement of the neutral cant AIWB. I experimented with this style of carry and found that it only worked for me with basically sub-compact or compact guns with shorter barrels and slim grips (I actually really liked the Ruger SR9c) because of my belt overhang in the front. However I was able to effectively conceal the smaller guns without changing my normal cover shirt and it was amazingly fast to draw.

On the shoulder holster, I got the idea based upon a post from Michael Bane about his trip to the Wild Bill museum in deadwood where he talks about a holster they have that is supposed to be one of Willd Bill's own. The Calvery Draw was used quite commonly because it carried the gun up high so it wouldn't snag on brush and did not require crossing the body and therefore avoided the reins and horse's head while presenting the gun. I took my son's dual CZ85 shoulder rig to the range and found I could draw either gun faster using calvery draw. And drawing both at same time was a LOT faster.

If you search gun forums(including this one) you will find lot's of people who swear both AIWB and Calvary Draw are very dangerous and only a fool would use them but I don't agree. Both techniques require proper equipment and practice but are not inheirantly any more dangerous than the standard strong side OWB Hip Holster.
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Hoi Polloi
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#49

Post by Hoi Polloi »

Thank you so much for explaining your reasoning to me, Jeremae! It helps a lot! The point of crossdraw, for example, had not even come to mind in thinking of IWB vs. shoulder. I'm having one of those days where I have to read everything 5 times over for comprehension, so I'm going to get some coffee and I'll definitely be re-visiting yours and fm2's posts/links. I'm trying to find a video of cavalry draw on youtube in the mean time so I can visualize what you're talking about.
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baldeagle
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#50

Post by baldeagle »

Hoi Polloi wrote:Thank you so much for explaining your reasoning to me, Jeremae! It helps a lot! The point of crossdraw, for example, had not even come to mind in thinking of IWB vs. shoulder. I'm having one of those days where I have to read everything 5 times over for comprehension, so I'm going to get some coffee and I'll definitely be re-visiting yours and fm2's posts/links. I'm trying to find a video of cavalry draw on youtube in the mean time so I can visualize what you're talking about.
I had to watch this about ten times before I got it. The gun is holstered backwards. When it's drawn, it has to be reversed in the hand before it can be fired. It's easier to see it when he holsters the gun after shooting the first guy. If you watch close, you can see him reverse the gun and then holster it backwards. So, for example, you would put a left handed holster on your right side and then holster the gun the way the holster is designed to hold it, which is backwards from normal.
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Hoi Polloi
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#51

Post by Hoi Polloi »

baldeagle wrote:
Hoi Polloi wrote:Thank you so much for explaining your reasoning to me, Jeremae! It helps a lot! The point of crossdraw, for example, had not even come to mind in thinking of IWB vs. shoulder. I'm having one of those days where I have to read everything 5 times over for comprehension, so I'm going to get some coffee and I'll definitely be re-visiting yours and fm2's posts/links. I'm trying to find a video of cavalry draw on youtube in the mean time so I can visualize what you're talking about.
I had to watch this about ten times before I got it. The gun is holstered backwards. When it's drawn, it has to be reversed in the hand before it can be fired. It's easier to see it when he holsters the gun after shooting the first guy. If you watch close, you can see him reverse the gun and then holster it backwards. So, for example, you would put a left handed holster on your right side and then holster the gun the way the holster is designed to hold it, which is backwards from normal.
I had only watched it three times before giving up on it being too fast to discern. I should have stuck with it!

I think with trying to fumble kids, keys, bags, etc (am I the only one who hears kits, cats, sacks, and wives when reading that? Probably so.) that SoB carry would be better than trying to get it turned around. That's something I'd have to physically try, though.
Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you. -St. Augustine
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lovemybersa
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#52

Post by lovemybersa »

Hoi,
Sounds like you and I are similar in build. I typically carry IWB, either appendix on the right or just behind my right hip at about 4o'clock. With both I draw with palm facing body. I have this holster right now.
Image
You may find that you DO have to adjust your jeans/pants to better accomodate your weapon. It has been my experience that Super low jeans will NOT work with anything other than a teeny-weeny gun. I am looking myself at other holster options because this one allows the muzzle to poke me when I sit. Here are the ones I am considering...
Image
This Desantis one puts more of the gun below the waistband, I like this because it shows less. Also, there is material between me and the gun, which otherwise rubs on my skin.

Image
This one is also a more deeply concealed IWB holster. I would also rethink the tunic top. It may conceal better, but make it harder to get to. I find that a top that hits me right at the groin area is plenty long enough to conceal, but not get in the way. I also frequently carry wearing just jeans and a t shirt one size bigger. With a good holster, you wont see a gun shaped bulge. It could be a cell phone, pager,etc. Who knows? And if anyone is nosey enough to ask, tell them it is a colostomy bag! LOL
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#53

Post by tomc »

I agree with those who said stay away from those holsters with a metal clip. I used an IWB holster with a metal clip for years a long time ago until one day when I was practicing with it at the range and on drawing, both the gun and the holster came off the belt, essentially leaving the gun useless. If you go with an IWB holster, go with one with hard loops that the belt goes through so that the holster stays with the belt.
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#54

Post by RiverRat »

Ladies, thank you so much for this post. The Mrs. investigated the videos earlier in THIS post and after several years as a CHL has figured out how to carry on her person. To carry IWB, she carries at a 5 o'clock position. She has several of my OWB holsters that she uses in the winter with cover garments and she has a purse carry. She has NEVER considered the purse carry adequate. The lady in the video caused her to try IWB with her pants. It works for her. To explain, we are both working musicians several nights a week, not the same style of music. She goes to her own venues, alone and feels insecure with a gun in a purse. At the gigs, it is somewhere else, when she is packing out her equipment, it is somewhere else, etc., etc. She has been happy carrying her lightweight Champion Operator for the last couple of weeks in a Comptac Mtac that I modified to take her 4" 1911 rail pistol. Most people carry "regular " firearms, so the Mtac should be the summer ticket without your husband having to modify it.

I will post photos for info purposes, but at great risk to my personal health and sanity if she finds out that I have shared them on the world wide web. She wore my little 3" 1911 Colt Defender for a week before changing over to her Champion Operator, and has found there is no difference in her ability to conceal the full sized 1911 grip pistol.

Pics, notice, even in a fitted shirt; (if you tell her I posted these, my CHL forum membership is at risk);
Image
Image
Image

Cheers and thanks again,
:cheers2:
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lovemybersa
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#55

Post by lovemybersa »

RiverRat wrote:I will post photos for info purposes, but at great risk to my personal health and sanity if she finds out that I have shared them on the world wide web. She wore my little 3" 1911 Colt Defender for a week before changing over to her Champion Operator, and has found there is no difference in her ability to conceal the full sized 1911 grip pistol. Cheers and thanks again,
:cheers2:
RiverRat,

This is my preferred way to carry, that looks like a great holster. I have been looking at comp-tac and I think your post has convinced me. :tiphat:
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#56

Post by RiverRat »

To update, the Mrs. just got back from a week out at the ranch cattle shopping. She has worn her Champion Operator in the Mtac full time since she left, including for the 300 miles of road time in the car. Her comment was that she did not find it uncomfortable, which I take as good.
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#57

Post by Hoi Polloi »

RiverRat wrote:To update, the Mrs. just got back from a week out at the ranch cattle shopping. She has worn her Champion Operator in the Mtac full time since she left, including for the 300 miles of road time in the car. Her comment was that she did not find it uncomfortable, which I take as good.
So glad to hear that!
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We are reformers in Spring and Summer; in Autumn and Winter we stand by the old;
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#58

Post by RPBrown »

My daughter has a very similar shape as you and prefers the low ride pants as well. She has gone to a vest with gun pockets. She has a leater one for cooler weather and several different color denum for warmer weather. They work well for her even when she had to carry the little one on her hip. Now that they are walking she still prefers the vest.

As a side note about the vest, she also rides a motorcycle and the vests keep the wind from blowing her shirt up to show, or pushing the shirt tight enough to print. She carrys anything from a KT-P3AT to an XD9 with no problems.
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Hoi Polloi
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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#59

Post by Hoi Polloi »

RPBrown wrote:My daughter has a very similar shape as you and prefers the low ride pants as well. She has gone to a vest with gun pockets. She has a leater one for cooler weather and several different color denum for warmer weather. They work well for her even when she had to carry the little one on her hip. Now that they are walking she still prefers the vest.

As a side note about the vest, she also rides a motorcycle and the vests keep the wind from blowing her shirt up to show, or pushing the shirt tight enough to print. She carrys anything from a KT-P3AT to an XD9 with no problems.
Thank you! I'll keep that in mind!
Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you. -St. Augustine
We are reformers in Spring and Summer; in Autumn and Winter we stand by the old;
reformers in the morning, conservers at night. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Re: Ladies' holster options - requesting pictures

#60

Post by flylow »

Just read through the four pages of posts and thought I'd toss an idea out for you, too. Have a look at this site if you are considering a smaller pistol: http://www.kholster.com. If the Crossbreed was too large, I'd suggest the Little Moon for your build. It's smaller, width-wise, and you can make a ton of depth/cant adjustments with it. Also, the Kholsters are relatively inexpensive and you can modify them (cut the leather!) and still be covered under their guarantee. I haven't tried the Little Moon, but from personal experience, the Full Moon is very comfortable and holds/controls my XD45 well even when worn significantly above the beltline.

HTH,
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