My wife carried at one time but it became cumbersome for her and she let her CCW permit expire. :'(
She's now ready to renew it and carry at least part time! :-D
She's chosen a 9mm Shield. Her carry method was a purse with a zippered compartment with internal holster (I don't remember the brand). It worked ok, but she's open to other methods. She won't use an IWB holster, but an OWB with the right hip offset might work. As with most women, my holsters dig into her ribs due to her hips.

We'd appreciate hearing from the ladies out there and their men on what carry styles & specific holsters women use everyday.

Thanks in advance!

Why won't your wife try IWB?

I'm in IL. Just got my permit Wednesday. I have the 9mm Shield with the kydex IWB holster from the Well Armed Woman website. I wear it appendix. Very comfy, even with my bit of belly. Doesn't dig into my tummy, even when driving. I wore it around the house a lot before I got my permit. I know other women who wear it behind the hip. It's made less bulky, so it conceals very well.

In The Waistband Holster by The Well Armed Woman

I also wear a belt by the company that makes the Flashbang bra holster (Looper Law Enforcement). Very comfortable, solid belt.

Women's Holster Belt - Black Patent Leather

There are other holsters on the WAW site.

I hope she is able to find something other than her purse, they are just to easy to snatch or to put down and loose control of the gun.

Thanks, Marie. I'll show her the sites later today. As much as I'D like to see her wear the Flashbang , I know she won't.

I agree Jaysq, but a gun in a purse is better than no gun at all! I'm just glad she's willing to retrain & carry again...

Hi,

I carry my Shield OWB with a holster from JM Custom Kydex
They have the option for "low" ride which allows the holster to sit comfortably on my hip and with a t shirt, a not tucked in shirt, etc. it wears very well and tight to the body with excellent retension. If your wife decides to wear an OWB holster, she must also wear a firm gun belt, too.

JM Custom Kydex OWB Holster

Oh and I'm female and carry my Shield, everyday.

Good Luck....it seems holsters are like shoes, they either fit and are comfortable or they don't fit and are not comfortable..... if they don't you'll never wear them.

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S&W Girl, for sure.

Have her watch this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogGB...ivRbCV1FIxEaA_

MX5 fan, I agree & appreciate the input...I have a box o'holsters for our various guns, but 90% don't work for her. I'm a CCW instructor, armorer, etc, & know the different options out there, but most are designed for men's physiques. Even then, a lot of them don't work as well as they appear they should.

I haven't seen any suggestions for paddle holsters. I thought they might be more comfortable since they are easy on & off and have an offset away from the body. Anybody had one that worked?

Her pants aren't fitted for an IWB and she won't wear them one size larger than normal, so I know that's not an option. She mostly wears jeans & occasional dress pants. Have any of you tried an AIWB or belt clip style between your pants & belt?

BTW, I applaud every woman who takes their safety seriously and carries! At least 20% if my classes are women & I wish it was higher...

OSD, there's a video on the WAW website for the IWB holster I have. It's made thinner for women, and just has one strong clip.

Do your wife's jeans have any stretch to them? Per the Cornered Cat ccw book, sometimes all that's needed are jeans with a bit of stretch to them to have the extra room for IWB carry. I didn't have to buy different sized jeans/pants. A bit of spandex mixed in made all the difference.

I'll ask her tonight. I think at least one pair has elastic at the waistband area.

What cant is your jm holster? Would it work well for a woman who is short-waisted and "hippy"? Thanks!

A gun in the purse *can* be better than no gun at all. But it the purse is snatched, who knows what could happen? Certainly not my first recommendation.

I love the fact that so many woman have commented on this tread!!! I am a woman and I am currently using an Alien Gear IWB holster. It is not my favorite, to tell the truth. I had a SHTF holster for my Steyr that I used to carry, but it dug into my side. The eldest daughter now uses it and loves it. Different strokes for different folks. I am looking at either (or both) the Hidden Hybrid Holster or the N82 holster. I do carry IWB. While it is not as comfortable as carrying OWB, it is easier to conceal, IMO.

After reading thru this thread and following links, I later found the product website linked to below. Their holsters are carried by the NRA Store, S&W store and The Well Armed Woman store.

Holsters - Pistol Wear, LLC

I think (do not know for sure) that the Shield will fit in the subcompact version of their Trump Card holster even though their holster fit chart says it won't. The cut-off point for them recommending their standard version instead of the subcompact version seems to be when a gun's overall length exceeds 6". So the Ruger LC9 with a 6" OAL and the Sig P938 with a 5.9" OAL get recommended for a subcompact version of the holster while the S&W Shield with a 6.1" OAL and Walther PPS with a 6.3" OAL do not.

Holster Fit Chart

Edit: You might want to strongly consider not having a round in the chamber when carrying a gun in a soft holster since the trigger is not fully protected from an intrusion.

Another unique setup I saw posted by a woman many months ago was to attach a custom kydex holster to a stretchable belt and wear it like the Pistol Wear rig that I linked to in my previous post. The key is to make sure the stretchable belt is breathable if it is placed directly against your skin without a t-shirt in between.

This looks like a nightmare to actually get a grip on the gun with.



I'm not a fan of those metal clips on a leather belt though.

I made this for a guy that wanted it to ride a little higher...



This is what I wear... if you look there is enough room to get that full grip going without having to fight to get under the waist of trousers and around that grip.





I can make them ride lower, my worry really would be getting that grip in a moment of panic. Fingers will seriously have to dig into the waistband.

Maybe wearing jeans or trousers that sit a little lower on the hips. Comfort comfort wise... 4-5 O'clock would be worth trying with a little cant.

Unfortunately, running CCW can mean a wardrobe change to dress around a gun, and more so for ladies as a rule.

Have any of the ladies worn a gun sitting that low?

The Side Guard Minimal Clip is a great iwb holster. Small and comfortable, and the clip works on the waistband of your pants----no belt needed!
I've read that. PJHolster is also good, but I haven't tried one.

OK I'm a guy so my thoughts may or may not be applicable. I own both the N82 and HHH holsters (different guns). I personally like the HHH better because of the double clips. It seems to move around less, but the N82 is good, I just like the other one better. Another plus for the HHH is it can be easily converted and used IWB or OWB as the situation dictates. Although I don't own one (yet) I've also been looking into a holster similar to the HHH at Firearmholster.com. They are very similar with a suede backing and IWB/OWB convertable, but appear to have a smaller foot print and are a little less money.

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M&PC FS BG Shield+ 642 686+

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. She's going with an etw belt slide for now & looking at AIWB holsters with the smallest footprints possible.

Ohsheep

I feel uncomfortable concealing a gun not on my person. I bike and stow in a fanny pack but when I am not biking my Shield is on my person.

I have this phobia of a purse snatcher scoring a gun or accidently leaving the hand bag for a would be thief or curious child.

Russ

I carried an M&P 9 compact in a UBG Regulator. It's an owb holster that rides low---very comfortable! I recommend it!

My JM Custom kydex is a 10 degree cant and yes, I do think it works for a short waist and some hip or curve. There are always compromises when carrying a pistol on one's hip/ side. I very much like jm custom kydex owb holsters.

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S&W Girl, for sure.