Womens gun purse?

[JRB]

My smarter and fairer half has a taste for Kate Spade bags. I wouldn't dare try to pick one out for her - but they frequently have a zippered center pocket acting as a divider and it makes an instant CCW purse with a velcroed-in holster insert. A very small 3-digit luggage lock can go through the zipper as needed.

[Stephanie B]

The biggest purse mistake a man can make is to try to pick out a purse for a lady. Handbag fashion is something we will never understand. I do not believe I could name any two women who are not related as mother and daughter who would agree on handbag fashion.

Let her pick her own purse.

I second this. (The same thing also goes for guns and shoes.)

[Clay1]

There are good options for on body carry without a belt. Has she tried any?

Like many of use that have more than one option available that is a good one to consider. Thanks for the reminder.


I want to thank the collective group for coming to my aid so quickly. Much appreciate the help and support from PF.


The wife and I together picked the Galco Del holster:

Thank you for your order! Thank you for shopping at Galco Gunleather. We will process your order as soon as possible. You can expect to receive a follow-up email with tracking information when your order ships. DEL HOLSTER HANDBAG DELBLK: Ambidextrous: BLACK Stock Status: Backordered: Ships within two weeks Gun Fits: Fits most defensive handguns with barrels under 5". COLT COBRA 2" (2017) Quantity: 1 $340.00 SLIM CARD CARRIER SH830BK: Ambidextrous: BLACK Stock Status: Backordered: Ships within two weeks Gun Fits: Fits credit/debit cards, business cards, ID, cash, etc. Quantity: 1 $0.00 Products Total: $340.00 Discount: $102.00 Sub Total: $238.00 Tax: $0.00 1 - 5 Day Shipping $19.95 Total: $257.95 GALCO INTERNATIONAL 2019 West Quail Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85027 1.800.874.2526: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM MST

[runcible]

Here’s something I did up for another place, should you end up going for another bag:

I haven't done a bag mod for someone else in a good bit, but my ultimate conclusions were that it could be done relatively inexpensively and at the user-level; as long as one abjures much of the custom nylon industry and what's the "bare minimum" in some other corners. Reusing concealment holsters; whether they're OWB, hip IWB, or AIWB; seemed to maximize function to the client and reduce their costs. A bag-holster can only be a bag-holster; but a concealment holster fitted into a holster-bag can be removed and donned as desired.

For those that haven't found their grail holster-bag as Eve has, or need to shoehorn a bag-gun into a preexisting bag, modifying a COTS option maximizes the bag's primary function (e.g. being a bag, carrying what you need it to) and avoids the visual texture of tactical bag carried in a non-tactical setting. If you have a career- or environment-dictated bag, that will also carry some of your defensive tooling, then this is a pretty important distinction. Carrying a VertX EDC Essential Bag into a meeting with a client when neither party does anything defense or LE-related, may not make the impression that you desire.

Layers of adhesive-backed Velcro are a great way to line a laptop or document pocket in the back of a bag. If so, washing the bag or hand-scrubbing\wiping the inside with rubbing alcohol and then fan-drying the surfaces should suffice for surface prep. The fabric of the inner pocket can be important: cotton canvases can be iffy and better served by using a thermo-adhesive backed velcro strip; but smoother surfaces with smoother textures like nylon or polyester canvaes work well. You'll want to attach the pile field to the side of the pocket that will be closest to your body as worn. Cut and test fit each strip before removing the backing from the sticky side; whenever able, running from edge to edge, even if only a small section is intended to be used. Additionally, round off all four corners for each strip, as this will add longevity to each strip's attachment to the surface (I like to use nickels to trace out this radiusing). You'll want more vertical and horizontal coverage than will actually be used for your holster and\or supporting gear, so that anything attached to the new pile field with a hook surface won't be tugging away at the outer edges. To maximize adherence even in crowded spaces where you're not getting a sewing machine's presser foot into without several hours of picking seams and then restitch; cover the Velcro strips with a teflon sheet and give them several passes under pressure with a small hand-held iron, emphasizing the edges and radiused corners. I couldn't say if it's worth the time for others, but when I was doing these more often I'd use scrap plywood and clamps to apply uniform and overnight pressure to the whole field while the adhesive cures - this isn't an option with some bags given backpanel features, or will require you to space the plywood so that the vising effect is uniform; also, avoid clamping directly onto bare fabric, especially with leather-exterior bags, both real or fake.

This is where I source this sort of material from: https://www.hookandloop.com/products...op-fasteners-1 4" adhesive-backed Velcro is harder to find on other sites, but can be very convenient if applying a multitude of smaller strips is frustrating, or you have a large area to cover. I mostly use the 1.5" and 2" sort, and have no present preference to either adhesive type beyond notionally favoring the acryllic. They sell big rolls, so either line up your full range of bags that need modifying or buy a smaller roll from Amazon. Using white will provide a great contrast field for anything that you attach inside of the bag, but I don't think that's helpful in this context. 2" black, loop, acryllic-adhesive Velcro will serve most folks best for this application.

Now that you've got a non-tactical bag with a reasonably durable pile-field and a concealment holster that is not worn regularly (even if it is of identical make), you're going to need 1.5" Velcro OneWrap, as found here: https://www.hookandloop.com/products...-wrap-fastener I like to cut off (3) 12" strips and (2) 6" strips; rounding off the corners is not as mandatory as it is for the sticky-back stuff, but it's a nice touch. To affix the concealment holster to the pile-field, thread one of the 12" strips through the belt-attachment hardware (e.g. snap loops, fixed loop, belt slots, overhooks) and get the holster situated within the bag as required for access and concealment purposes; ensure that the back panel of the bag isn't being distorted by the OneWrap and adjust if necessary, but minimize slop between the OneWrap and concealment holster. Next, apply the 6" strips so that they run vertically and buttress the edges of the concealment holster, more or less centered on the 12" strip running laterally. Then, apply the remaining 12" strips so that they run laterally, parallel to the first 12" strip but slightly offset as required, and running BEHIND the concealment holster. This lattice work will provide a bit more stiffness to the backpanel so that the holster is less liable to pull different layers of fabric away from each other, extending the length of the drawstroke until the holster shucks off of the pistol; helps lock the holster into a specific place and alignment, during carry and access; and still provides for removal as desired.

(Lightly heating the backing of sticky back Velcro with a heat gun on low or a hairdryer on high before applying, and then getting a good press or even clamp as it cools, may yield a more durable end state.)

[Caballoflaco]

@runcible, thank you for that write-up. I’d been planing on adding Velcro to a large cargo pocket on a motorcycle jacket I use for cold-weather riding so I could have a pistol that’s actually accessible. This should work perfectly.

Edited to remove unnecessary post quote

[runcible]

Glad to!

If it’s a fabric that needs a more aggressive bond, here’s the thermoadhesive-backed stuff: https://www.hookandloop.com/catalogs...result/?q=Heat

You’ll probably need a small iron if you don’t already have one, and Teflon sheeting to protect the inside of the pocket from the same:

Glad to!

If it’s a fabric that needs a more aggressive bond, here’s the thermoadhesive-backed stuff: https://www.hookandloop.com/catalogs...result/?q=Heat

You’ll probably need a small iron if you don’t already have one, and Teflon sheeting to protect the inside of the pocket from the same:

https://www.amazon.com/Hangar-9-Seal...312802&sr=8-26

https://www.amazon.com/Teflon-Sheet-...5311981&sr=8-3

I imagine the cargo pocket is a bit smaller than most shoulder bags and purses, so you may have to get inventive or use an AIWB holster instead of the generally-wider HIWB or OWBs. If it ends up super tight in fitment (e.g. not a lot of space to the left and right of the holster, for the OneWrap to grab onto), you can also add sticky-back hook Velcro to the holster shell itself.

https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-...5313666&sr=8-6

[GearFondler]

@runcible... Lots of good stuff in your post. I've done very similar myself with great results.
A few things I would add from my own experiences:

- You can add adhesive hook velcro straight onto a Kydex holster to help secure it to the pile field.

- rounding the corners on all velcro strips is probably the very best but I've had no issues with simply cutting off the corners at a 45° angle.

- You can create your own double-sided velcro strips by simply adhering one strip to another... Once the adhesives touch together they are not coming back apart. This allows you to create three versions: hook/hook, pile/pile, and hook/pile. These combinations allow you to build up spacer pads or fillers when doing other projects not necessarily related to this particular idea.

[runcible]

GF,

Concur to all points!

I will admit to having about as many different materials and fabrics as I have books, and I’m occasionally spoiled by that. Making your own double-faced webbings is definitely more accessible for most than sourcing DFLs or DFHs. I go back and forth on how fully to “seal” up a laptop pocket that’s lined on both sides with loop fabric (e.g. Timbuk2 camera bags or bag inserts). Closing each side to the holster with double-faced hook tape +\- sticky-back hook tape on the kydex can reduce shifting and the risk of reveal if the top’s off; but it’s helpful to have enough clearance for the trigger finger to get straight and pre-register as the hand asserts its firing grip.

I do hold off on applying sticky hook Velcro onto a holster’s back for bag carry, unless it’s assuredly dedicated for bag carry for the foreseeable future; using the latticework of OneWrap was a work around to keep an IWB or OWB ready to remove from the bag and place onto the body.

[MistWolf]

One feature a purse should have is a cut proof strap. The "gun purse" my wife bought has a steel cable running through the carry strap so the strap cannot be cut.