Depending on who you ask, purse carry tends to be seen as an excellent idea or a terrible one, but the truth falls somewhere in the middle. If you’re considering purse carry or a related type of off body carry such as in a satchel or laptop case, we’re here to help you sort out the reality behind these methods. We’ll tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly, from the standpoint of best practices and real life experience. Consider this your one-stop source for purse carry questions being answered.
The good: Yes, you can purse carry.
First, let’s lead with the good news. Yes, it is possible to concealed carry in a purse or other off-body item. It’s not ideal and not best practice, but in real life, there are going to be scenarios where you cannot carry on body and a purse is your only option. Basically, if you’re going to carry in a purse, make sure you do it as safely as possible. We have some tips on making it work.
If you are going to practice purse carry, use a purse made for it. That means the purse will have a separate compartment that’s only for your firearm. Don’t be tempted to tuck any other items in that pocket. Consider it off-limits. It’s important to keep the space clear of potential obstructions. In addition, the gun needs to stay in the same predictable location, meaning it needs an attached holster inside the pocket.
The holster used for your purse carry gun should meet the same rigid requirements of any holster, meaning it should protect the trigger and be made from a material such as Kydex that’s molded to the shape of the gun. A cloth, Velcro, or nylon insert is not safe. Most likely you’ll need to purchase a well-made holster separately and figure out how to fasten it inside the compartment.
When carrying in a purse or other off-body item, that object becomes your holster. That means it does not leave your control. You cannot and should not simply drape the purse over the back of a chair, leave it in a shopping cart and wander down the aisle, or set it down in the house and walk away. The purse containing your handgun must stay in your control at all times.
Finally, training with your chosen method of carry is imperative, and that includes purse or other off body carry. Don’t just put a handgun in your purse and assume it’s fine. Go to the range with your setup and dedicate time to training with it. Not just one session, either; you’re going to need repeated, regular training sessions with your purse carry.
The bad: Purse carry isn’t ideal.
Ideally, you’d carry your handgun on your body. This gives you greater control over the firearm, a faster draw time, and significantly reduces the risk of theft. Putting it in a purse or other item slows you down and opens you up to quite a few problems. When possible, it’s best to carry your gun on your body.
Downsides to purse carry include things like the risk of objects finding their way into the barrel, if it’s exposed, and into the trigger guard. That’s why nothing should be stored or placed in the same compartment as your handgun. It’s surprisingly easy for coins, tubes of lipstick, and other odds and ends to find their way into the barrel via the muzzle. Similarly, you might be shocked at how easily objects could get into the trigger guard, which can lead to a negligent discharge, not to mention severe injury or death.
Purse carry also makes it easier for unauthorized people to get access to your handgun. This isn’t just a supposition, it’s something that’s happened enough to make headlines on more than one occasion. It’s easy to get complacent with a purse or satchel. Being diligent about keeping it under your control is more challenging than you might believe.
Circling back to the way purse carry does slow your draw stroke, stop and consider the truth of this. Even with practice, it’s going to take more time to open and access a compartment to an object hanging off your body. Some see this as a positive because they believe their movements to get their gun will be somehow hidden from the threat, but that’s not great logic, either. In reality, those precious moments might be enough to let the threat overtake you. Then there’s the risk of trouble removing the gun from the internal holster, not to mention getting it out of the compartment and on target fast.
Bottom line: purse carry isn’t ideal, and when possible, you should be considering other methods. It’s accurate to say there are times it’s the only choice, and it’s certainly better to be armed than not have your firearm. So if you’re going to carry this way, consider the good with the bad and work to minimize the downsides as much as possible.
The ugly: Purse carry can cause injury (or worse).
Now for the truly dark side of purse carry. Purse carry can, and has, resulted in injuries and deaths. Does that mean you can’t even consider purse carry? No, it does not. It means you need to take the risks seriously and stay in control of your purse at all times.
Here are some examples of the truly major downsides of purse carry:
- Children can and have accessed the compartments, drawn firearms, and accidentally injured and killed adults.
- Carrying with the strap cross body is unwise whether your purse has a gun in it or not. A cross-body strap can cause you to be seriously injured if a thief grabs onto your purse.
- Guns in purses can and have been stolen by bad guys due to the purse’s owner not staying in control of the item. That means their guns ended up in the hands of criminals who will absolutely use them for bad things.
- People have gotten serious burns from firing handguns, especially revolvers, from inside the purse. The escaping gasses and heat have nowhere to go, and your hand is right there.
- Semi-automatic handguns fired from inside compartments can and have become caught in the lining of the bag, causing a malfunction and rendering the firearm useless until it’s corrected.
- Purse carry can violate one or more of the four safety rules. For example, it’s difficult to be sure your handgun isn’t aimed at an innocent person when it’s sitting in your purse at an angle.
Regardless of the method you choose for carrying a handgun, you need to consider every pro and con. Only you can decide how, when, and where to carry your handgun, but it should be an educated, informed decision. Purse carry can be done safely and securely, you just need to be aware of the potential dangers. Take measures to be safe, and spend time training. All carry methods should be done with a focus on safety.
