Ankle carry for women: semi vs snubby

**Kb! Bob** · April 17th, 2011, 08:45 AM

Hey guys,
I am going to be getting my wife something tiny for ankle carry. She only recently started shooting regularly, but a couple incidents at her work recently (works with the public, in the city) has her thinking its the way to go. This will be a 'concealed means concealed' situation, so ankle carry is really her best and only option in order to have the weapon on her person at all times and hidden. Questions:

1.) If anyone has ankle carry experience with both a snubbie and a mini-pistol (P3AT, LCP, etc), is one significantly easier than the other?

2.) If you have good holster/pistol reccommendations I'm all ears. She is pretty small an is on her feet mostly, so weapon reliability and holster retention are my main issues.

Thanks!

**1blindref** · April 17th, 2011, 09:51 AM

I carried a S&W 642 in a Desantis Apache ankle rig for about three years. I recently switched to carrying a Kahr PM9 mainly due to having two extra rounds of better SD ammo on tap, and quicker reloads.
Interestingly enough, the PM9 fits perfectly in the same ankle rig as the 642.

After carrying the PM9 for the last 6 months, I've found that it's much more comfortable to carry than the 642. It's mainly due to the flat side vs the round cylinder. That was an extra benefit that I didn't really count on when making the switch to the PM9.

Obviously all that said, before choosing the gun, make sure that your wife is comfortable and able to shoot which ever gun you choose first.
I'm sure with the size of the guns that you are considering, they will all carry pretty comfortably in a good quality ankle rig.

**wellcraft** · April 17th, 2011, 10:44 AM

i would never recommend a ankle rig for your primary carry gun simply because it tales to long to access the firearm. ankle rigs are a great location for a back up gun but for your primary gun you need to have it concealed some place where you can get to it quickly. if your wife is wearing pants you should consider a IWB holster or pocket carry. kahr, SW, taurus, ruger and keltec all make pocket carry 380's that would be ideal for your wife. kahr, kimber, ruger and keltec are producing pretty small 9mm's that in my opinion are not pocket guns but would fit great in a IWB holster for any man or woman. i carried a sig p232 for a while in an ankle rig but no matter how much practice i did i just couldn't get to the weapon fast enough so i stopped using it.

**Kb! Bob** · April 17th, 2011, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by 1blindref

I carried a S&W 642 in a Desantis Apache ankle rig for about three years. I recently switched to carrying a Kahr PM9 mainly due to having two extra rounds of better SD ammo on tap, and quicker reloads.
Interestingly enough, the PM9 fits perfectly in the same ankle rig as the 642.

After carrying the PM9 for the last 6 months, I've found that it's much more comfortable to carry than the 642. It's mainly due to the flat side vs the round cylinder. That was an extra benefit that I didn't really count on when making the switch to the PM9.

Obviously all that said, before choosing the gun, make sure that your wife is comfortable and able to shoot which ever gun you choose first.
I'm sure with the size of the guns that you are considering, they will all carry pretty comfortably in a good quality ankle rig.

Thanks for that, I kinda figured a pistol would carry a little easier. I also think the Kahr might be a good choice. At a certain size point I think accuracy/comfort/reliability suffers beyond its benefits, especially since the rig itself has some bulk to it. A tiny gun doesnt make the holster any smaller.

Originally Posted by wellcraft

i would never recommend a ankle rig for your primary carry gun simply because it tales to long to access the firearm. ankle rigs are a great location for a back up gun but for your primary gun you need to have it concealed some place where you can get to it quickly. if your wife is wearing pants you should consider a IWB holster or pocket carry. kahr, SW, taurus, ruger and keltec all make pocket carry 380's that would be ideal for your wife. kahr, kimber, ruger and keltec are producing pretty small 9mm's that in my opinion are not pocket guns but would fit great in a IWB holster for any man or woman. i carried a sig p232 for a while in an ankle rig but no matter how much practice i did i just couldn't get to the weapon fast enough so i stopped using it.

I agree 100%, just cant figure any way around it. I think its the only method that will keep the gun on her person at all times. Without getting specific, her uniform pants are of the thin material variety, held up by a drawstring, no pockets. I think IWB would be unstable, would print alot, and may be uncomortable to where she didnt carry. Anyone also in this profession will recognize the challenges, and I welcome PM's with ideas.

**Asmodeus6** · April 17th, 2011, 01:57 PM

Pocket carry an LCP or equivalent? It's nice and flat. No cylinder to worry about. Light enough you don't need a belt.

Girl pockets are usually ridiculous however. What are we working with here?

I'm sorry, I see ankle carry as useless. Pocket carry is slower than iwb too, but with practice it can be quick enough. Ankle... I think it would be quicker to run.