Gun Belt for concealed carry.

[IceFire]

Pockets are a REALLY iffy thing. A LOT of women's slacks (and the majority of skirts) DON'T HAVE ANY pockets. Which TOTALLY rules out that mode of carry. I thing the idea for not having pockets is to provide a more "sleek" appearance...we are already packing "extra" around the hip area than you guys are , so the fashion designers try to minimize any extra "bulk" in that area. For those that DO have pockets, they are frequently more "decorative" than functional, possibly large enough to carry a kleenex or some spare change in, certainly NOT large enough to conceal a pistol in (even one as small as my Kel-Tec, DEFINITELY not large enough to carry anything bigger). You might find the occasional pair of slacks that have "larger" pockets, but larger is relative. Larger than the pseudo pockets, but not NEARLY as large as guys' pockets. Here again, I think the assumption is that we don't NEED functional pockets, that's why we lug purses around. And before you get started there, I barely have room in my purse for all the rest of the stuff that I have to haul around in there, and there is NO room for a gun there. And a fanny pack with a purse is pretty much a dead giveaway.

Hmmm....if I ever get the time, I might just have to design and make some ladies' "carry" pants. ...specially built pockets with a place to clip your holster into, extra room in the waist/hip area to accommodate IWB carry, that sort of thing.....hmmm....would have to accomodate both right- and left-handed shooters.... good thing I have different sized guns that I can "experiment" with as to concealability.....both summer weight and winter weight fabrics....Now I only have to find the TIME to work on the idea, between work and school. Maybe during winter recess. If I can get something that works, I wonder if I could sell the, and for how much?

[Frenchy]

Pockets are a REALLY iffy thing. A LOT of women's slacks (and the majority of skirts) DON'T HAVE ANY pockets. Which TOTALLY rules out that mode of carry. I thing the idea for not having pockets is to provide a more "sleek" appearance...we are already packing "extra" around the hip area than you guys are , so the fashion designers try to minimize any extra "bulk" in that area. For those that DO have pockets, they are frequently more "decorative" than functional, possibly large enough to carry a kleenex or some spare change in...

Man you got that right! I tried to put my hands in my wifes pockets once to get some money, she moved and I thought i broke 3 fingers! Those pockets are the most secure place to hide my paycheck!

[DPB]

Frenchy, I'm not even going to ask why you were carrying your money in your wife's pockets.

IceFire, I have now (officially) thought on this subject at length, and I have concluded that there is only one single 100% effective answer to your concealed carry issues. Yes, it involves owning another firearm, but it will be concealed, and will bypass the clothing issues.

It is . . . wait for it . . . a Tommy gun in a violin case.

Sorry. None of my other posts have helped either. My only other solution involved you making the daring fashion statement of wearing a cape, in hopes that they would come into style, and provide a simple means of concealment for women everywhere.

On the other hand, if you can't wear jeans, a cape is probably also out of the question.

[Frenchy]

Frenchy, I'm not even going to ask why you were carrying your money in your wife's pockets.

IceFire, I have now (officially) thought on this subject at length, and I have concluded that there is only one single 100% effective answer to your concealed carry issues.
It is . . . wait for it . . .

Start wearing mens pants! Seeing you cant get belt loops that look good on woman's pants, you just need to get mens pants... I kow I know they buldge in all the wrong places, but its probably easyer to fix that then to get the industry to make womans pants for the gun tooting ladies out there.
On second thought, how would a velcro tapered belt work out? could be slim in front where you need it slim, and thick on the sides where you need it thick, and being velcro, you could wear it over a belt that is in the loops...

[DPB]

I concede. Frenchy's suggestion is much better than any of mine.

[IceFire]

Start wearing mens pants! Seeing you cant get belt loops that look good on woman's pants, you just need to get mens pants... I kow I know they buldge in all the wrong places, but its probably easyer to fix that then to get the industry to make womans pants for the gun tooting ladies out there.
On second thought, how would a velcro tapered belt work out? could be slim in front where you need it slim, and thick on the sides where you need it thick, and being velcro, you could wear it over a belt that is in the loops...

The heck with getting the industry to make pants for concealed carry....I'm OBVIOUSLY going to have to come up with a design and make them MYSELF. It's a darn good thing I can sew (and I'm pretty good at it, too. Who knows, maybe I can come up with an entire LINE of concealed carry clothing for women!

[dmg1969]

IceFire, you should go for it! That may be your million dollar idea.

Dave G.

[Possum]

I have a great new concealed carry setup for women, and I just have to brag about it!

I've never been comfortable carrying on my belt because 6 months of the year here (in Philly), I don't wear an overcoat. I prefer a carry bag. I've had "fanny sacks" for carry, but as I get older, the weight on my lower back makes me ache, even though my carry gun is just a snub-nosed .38spl revolver and not very heavy. So I got a Maxpedition VersaPack. Very practical, but impossible to dress up. As cold weather approached this year, I just was NOT going to carry my Maxpedition over my good coat.

I shopped around, online and in person and just couldn't find anything I really liked. Plus, surprisingly few of them have a long strap for cross-body carrying of the bag, esp. over a heavy coat. If I have a gun in a bag, I want that bag strap to be across my body so it's harder for a purse-snatcher to grab it! Found a bag at Coronado leather that met the requirements, but it was just about as ugly as my Maxpedition!

So I went shopping for a handbag that had a divider in the main compartment or some other second compartment that might work. Didn't find anything on my first pass at that, so I went home and went through a couple of old handbags that I have. I carried these before I had a CCW, and on the (rare) occasions when I wanted to get dressed up enough that I wouldn't carry my fanny sack or Maxpedition.

And there it was in a box: my 10-year-old Coach leather handbag with a long strap. Unlike the new Coach bags I had looked at that day, this one had a single opening but a sturdy divider in the middle of the main compartment. And the leather was heavy enough that my revolver wouldn't "print" in the bag. So I took the bag to the shoemaker and had him put a sturdy piece of velcro on the inside of the bag, on the surface closest to my body. (Which also happened to be a nice sturdy interior pocket, so the stitching doesn't show through on the outside of the bag!)

Voila! My holster from the Maxpedition has velcro to attach to the velcro inside the bag, for infinite adjustment of the angle and exact height. And my revolver is neatly concealed when I open the bag because of the way it sits low in the bag. My wallet and other stuff are in the other half of the bag, separated by the divider.

You can probably get an older Coach bag for $20 on eBay or at a flea market.

So if you see a woman in Philly wearing a fur coat and carrying a Coach bag, watch out - it might be me!

[jackbauer]

I have been using a Dickies leather work belt for my IWB concealment rig. I feel that I want to upgrade to a gun belt. What are your opinions on this:

http://thewilderness.com/catalog/pro...products_id/35

I have read many good reveiws.

I am looking for any other advice on the topic as well. What is working for you? What has worked for you in the past? Alternative options to the high priced (though probably worth it, no doubt) leather I see on the net?

Gould & Goodrich, DeSantis and Blackhawk (CQC belt) make real good quality belts and the prices are reasonable, ($35-$55). The belts are reinforced and support the weight of a weapon very well.

[jackbauer]

That would be a GREAT idea. My wife won't carry in a purse and she usually does'nt wear a belt. A womens clothing line for concealed carry would probably be very sucessful. GOOD LUCK!!!!