My girlfriend laid away a 9mm Shield on Saturday and we talked about a holster. She wants to carry OWB and I did tell her a good belt is recommended. I am used to carrying a 1911 IWB so she may not need a gun belt.

She is taking her CCW class this Saturday.

Thanks for any suggestions

I'm a woman and I carry my S&W 638 in a N82 (Nate Squared) original holster. It's the most comfortable holster I've used in around 20 years. I drive to work an hour each way then walk around for 9 hours and drive home - I forget that the gun is even there. It's got a nice soft piece of suede against your skin so you don't feel the gun at all. (It's an IWB holster)

Thank you, we will take a look.

John

I am rediscovering the qualities of a good pancake holster. They really distribute the weight evenly & hold the gun in tight against your body.
A favorite of mine is the Simply Rugged pancake. Give them a look they were really popular in the 70 & 80s, but have kind of fallen out of popularity.

Simply Rugged Holsters - Leather Holsters, Leather Gun Belts, Leather Ammo Pouches and Leather Accessories

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I got a gun belt from Lobo Leather and carry OWB with either a Shield in 9mm, an M&P in 40 S&W or my favorite a S&W 640 J Frame. All are very comfortable but the 40 is heavy.

My holsters are all Blackhawk ones.

I'm short, large economy sized and can't handle IWB at all.

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The odds are pretty good that she will in fact need a good gun belt. I have seen several recent recommendations for Kramer; I have a couple of Ted Blocker belts for my Ayoob/Blocker velcro holsters, and I believe there is a real good Mitch Rosen belt at the other house that seems to have contracted as I got older.

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NHI, 10-8.

a holster designed for a man is awkward for a woman. I bought all my girls OWB holsters from Milt Sparks that were designed for women (do not recal the model). They have proven perfect for them, although the wait was long.

If you haven't noticed, women are built different than men. As kglitch stated, you need a holster specifically designed for women. OWB holsters designed by and for men tend to push the butt of the gun into the ladies ribs. Be aware that with lowrider pants the waistband will not be high enough to keep the pants up without a good belt.

Women also have a shorter torso than men. That means that with a usual male designed OWB the butt of the gun will be high enough that women will have an issue grasping the butt.

Mitch Rosen make a OWB holster designed specifically for women called the Nancy Special. It's pricey, so it may not be the best choice for someone that does not really know what they want, but the craftsmanship makes it well worth it.

The two types of holsters that are actually better for women than for men because of the body differences are the cross draw and shoulder holster. Most women can take their right hand, wrap it across their chest, and almost touch their backbone on the left side.

Against my preferences, both my wife and daughter have chosen to carry off body in a designated purse. It takes special care, but at least they do not leave the gun at home.

A good belt is required with an owb, otherwise it will sag, slide around, just be plain uncomfortable. The makers listed above all make fine belts, I have been using AKER belts with a polymer liner, about 46$ at Galls, black /brown and they take the abuse of a day at the mall or a day in the woods during a rainstorm. Be Safe,

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