Carrying a concealed weapon has become increasingly popular across the United States over the past couple decades. More and more people wear a pistol everywhere they go to give them an equalizer against thugs and criminals who wish to do them harm. Women would be well served to take advantage of this option, as a gun negates the superior strength of a male assailant who may intend to mug, rob, rape, or kill them. There are problems with female concealed carry though. Most women are smaller than men, their clothing is typically made for fashion and not functionality, and their smaller hands and lower upper body strength limits what types of handguns they can fire comfortably and accurately. Here are some great solutions for women wanting to use their rights to carry a gun in almost any situation.

First we will start with the types of handguns that typically work best for most women. Military and law enforcement pistols can typically be ruled out for normal carry situations in most cases, as the large frames of the weapons are both hard to conceal on a woman’s body and may not fit a woman’s smaller grip. Several smaller options are out there though.

For revolver carry, the Ruger LCR (short for Lightweight Compact Revolver) is a great option for concealment and packs a significant punch. Available in .38 Special and .357 Magnum, the LCR is small enough to fit comfortably in many different places on the female form and is small enough to fit even the most petite woman’s hands. The Smith and Wesson Bodyguard 38 is another good choice, as it is small and can handle .38 Special +P cartridges, which are .38 Special rounds with more gunpowder, giving them a stronger punch. These revolvers have a distinct disadvantage though, as the recoil from such revolver rounds in such a small pistol produce significant recoil, meaning they will be uncomfortable to fire and follow up shots may take longer.

Many women may wish to utilize one of the many great automatics out there made for easy concealment. The best and most popular choice of caliber would be the 9mm Parabellum (AKA 9mm Luger). It has low recoil and can do massive damage with jacketed hollow point ammunition. .380 ACP pistols are another solid choice, with slightly less power but still enough power to stop an assailant down. Women can fire both of these pistol calibers with little fear of recoil, and there are plenty of small handguns that fire this ammunition that can be hidden easily. Guns like the SIG Sauer P232, Walther’s PPK the Bersa Thunder, and the Kel Tec P3-AT are all great options for .380 ACP handguns, and the SIG Sauer P290, the Smith and Wesson M&P, and Kahr CM9 are great options for compact 9mm pistols.

So there are some (but not all by any means) of the good options for what a female could carry easily, but what about how to carry it? Well, the options are pretty varied, with ways to carry all over the body for a variety of situations. Starting from the ground up, we’ll discuss a few common ways to carry.

The ankle is a great place to keep a gun in some outfits. A woman may find it easiest to keep a gun on an ankle holster when she is wearing a full length dress or skirt, allowing easy access to the pistol with just a little tug up. Worn inside the ankle, a handgun on an ankle holster is completely hidden this way. Long pants that may be too tight around the waist or not have belt loops could also work well with an ankle holster provided the legs are wide enough.

Thigh holsters are an excellent option for concealing handguns while wearing mid-length skirts or dresses. Elastic holsters with bands that can clip to undergarments can keep a gun held snugly and comfortably on the inner thigh, allowing wear of even the thinnest summer dresses while still “packing heat”.

There are two options for females to comfortably conceal a pistol on their waist. One is the on the belt style of holster, which is fed through the belt loops and rests outside the pants. This is done best with a cardigan, light jacket, or coat, as most women’s shirts are not long enough and do not adequately cover the holster. The other option is an in the waist holster such as the Crossbreed Supertuck, a holster that clips to the inside of the pants and allows shirts to be tucked or worn over the pistol. With a piece of leather between the skin and the handgun, it can be worn comfortably while still wearing feminine clothing such as short shorts and tank tops.

For winter concealed carry, an in the pocket holster could be a good plan. Made for a man’s larger pants pockets, these pocket holsters are unlikely to fit in most women’s pants pockets. They can however be used to securely conceal a handgun inside a jacket or heavy coat pocket. This allows the apparently harmless act of walking with your hands in your coat pockets to be a means for fast access to your handgun in an emergency.

The last option is to use a shoulder holster. These holsters strap around the shoulders and keep a pistol against your side. They can be best employed by wearing them under either a dark outer garment such as a zip or button up sweater or under a jacket or coat in colder weather.

As you can see, there are many options for a woman who wants to be able to protect herself in public by carrying a gun. No matter which firearms and carry methods you use, make sure to always keep your firearm in good working order, practice with it regularly, practice good firearm safety, and practice drawing from all carry methods you use.