Are the limitations of an off-body purse holster worth it?
If your EDC holster is uncomfortable, cumbersome or doesn’t work with your clothing preferences or lifestyle, you won’t wear it. And, therefore, you won’t carry. So selecting the right holster — for you — is personal.
There are many, many holster options. But regardless of which holster you choose, you must be able to get your gun out and on target, safely, efficiently, and as fast as possible. Accessibility should be a key consideration.
My preference is an AIWB Tenicor, a Kydex holster molded to the make and model of my gun. The gun sits close to the centerline of my body and I can quickly access the gun from concealment with minimal movement. This typically allows for the fastest concealed draw time. For me and my skill level, that’s 1.5 seconds. The clips make sure the holster stays put. The retention is great. And I find it comfortable.
While appendix is my primary carry option, I wanted to have an off-body option. And the reality is that off-body may be someone’s only option. But rather than list reasons why off-body carry is not ideal, I want to focus on what it takes to make it work.
I started incorporating drawing from a crossbody bag into my regular dry fire. The crossbody bag is one of many different styles of off-body holsters available. Speed matters in a defensive encounter. So using the pressure of a timer, I’ve been focused on getting a fast, efficient draw from the bag in 2 seconds.
The fact is, my draw from the bag is slower and a bit awkward when compared to an appendix holster. There are two zippers to manipulate — it’s not a breakaway bag — requiring a bit of manual dexterity. Because the bag and zippers may shift while I’m moving, it’s less predictable where the bag might be and where I can get my hands on those zippers.
I’m working on how to position the bag so I can get my hands on it and access the zippers consistently. The zippers need to be hanging the same way every time so that I can grab them efficiently without fumbling when opening the bag. If the bag and zippers are in a different place every time I attempt to access the gun, there is no way to build repeatability into my draw. Repeatability is essential if I want to perform the draw quickly and consistently.
Today I put my practice to the test by running several Retreating Bill Drills with the bag. This drill tests a few foundational skills all at one time: my draw, my grip, my ability to keep my eyes locked on the target, maintaining a durable grip through a longer course of fire, shooting on the move, and being able to perform under pressure working off a timer. In addition, I must take into consideration the unpredictability the purse introduces. This adds more complexity and stress.
I have two key takeaways:
Accessibility requires experimentation. My ability to quickly, smoothly and efficiently draw and accurately index sets the stage for everything that follows. You must experiment to figure out what’s optimal for you to get the gun out fast. Do you need to adjust the straps? I adjusted my straps so that the bag sits on my belt line. Upgrade the holster? I added an aftermarket Tenicor SUMA Concealment holster and canted the gun at about 10 degrees. Now I get the solid retention I want, the trigger is protected and I can get my hand on the gun in the same place consistently. Adjust where you place the bag on your body? I identified where I wanted to position the bag on my body when I carry it. I keep it close to the centerline of my body and set it up for a vertical draw, to replicate something similar to my appendix draw. Remember that any movement, like bending over, picking up bags or small children, grabbing something from your wallet, will need to be anticipated in your practice.
Being able to build a solid, durable grip requires practice. A poor grip could affect your ability to index quickly, which means you could potentially waste time getting your sights on target. In addition, a poor grip may not be durable enough to withstand a longer string of fire. Because the bag can and will move, more failure points are introduced. There are more things to take into consideration to get the gun out. This needs to be practiced, extensively. It’s critical to identify your failure points so that you can figure out how to overcome or at least mitigate the challenges now, in practice, rather in a real self-defense scenario. And the only way to uncover failure points is to practice at full speed. Not in slow motion.
Purse carry is a primary option for many people. Unfortunately, some of the training videos demonstrating the draw are unrealistic. Most only review the step-by-step mechanics of the draw — in slow motion — without introducing live fire, movement, and time constraints. And shooting one round is not enough. Getting a consistent, durable grip is a failure point when drawing from a purse. Demos and training should include shooting longer strings of fire with speed and accuracy.
Another factor rarely discussed is that this purse cannot leave your body when out and about. Going out to lunch? The purse stays on your body. Going to a friend’s house? The purse must stay on your body. Going to a club and dancing? The purse must stay on your body. You can’t leave this in your car. You can’t leave it on the back of a chair. Need to use the restroom? It’s coming with you. You can’t leave it unattended. Ever. Even if it has a lock.
I like having an off-body carry option. It comes in handy. But it takes extra effort. A fumbled draw wastes valuable time. Time I don’t have to waste if I’m defending my life.