Hello ladies. My mam is 65 and getting her ccw permit years after she let it expire. We're going to go pick out a nice revolver for her when it comes back from the Sheriff. She's thinking about getting a maxpedition type bag for a purse/carry bag. I'm wondering if any of you have suggestions for more of a purse type bag for her. Hopefully something I can attach a  kydex holster to the inside of for a break away type draw. Not matter what she ends up with I'll make sure she uses some sort of holster or trigger guard to protect against a ND.

Also it's all on my dime, so budget isn't a big deal.

Thanks.

My CCW purse (although it's used much more as just a regular purse I love it so much) is from Gun Tote'n Mamas.

http://www.guntotenmamas.com/

Their average price is somewhere around $100-125. Lots of variety of purses. Their prices seem to be the most reasonable I've seen. The Coronado bags sold at Cabelas are nice, but not my style, and the prices are $250 and up (going from memory).

The GTM purses I've seen all have dedicated gun compartments with holsters that attach with velcro, so you can position them as needed.

I have this one. It can handle up to a full size (my M&P 9, for example). It's gotten good reviews from folks such as Kathy Jackson (the Cornered Cat website and book) as being the easiest/quickest to draw from. It doesn't hold a lot of stuff, though, so if your mom hauls around a purse you could also hide a dog or a newborn baby in, she would not be happy with this purse. I carry a minimal amount of stuff with me, so this works.

I also have this purse from the same company, but the gun compartment in back is too small. My Shield doesn't fit so I can easily draw and quickly. I had to use the holster from my other purse in it. My Ruger LCR also wouldn't fit decently it in. Must be made for the really small semi-autos (LCP and such).

Suggestions: make sure your mom understands she can't leave her purse ANYWHERE. When out to eat, she needs to keep the bag around her, or between her feet. Just slinging it over the back of the restaurant chair isn't kosher. Getting one she can wear cross-body is best. The GTM bags have slash proof straps.

This book has a chapter on gun purses (as well as chapters on all sorts of different ways to carry). I'd suggest you get it for your mom. The women pictured in the book aren't cute 20-somethings, but women of all ages and body types, including a good many middle-aged or older ones. The Cornered Cat book from Kathy Jackson (here) would also be a good book for your mom. I recommend/give both away frequently.

Once your mom settles on a purse, please make sure she practices drawing from it a lot (unloaded pistol, of course).

ETA: before I got my CCL, I thought I would purse carry. I discovered I can carry on body, so that's what I do most of the time (appendix).

Marie, thank you very much. I texted my mom the link to the first purse and she loves it. Of the three draw possibilities listed on the site witch do you prefer? Also, not to worry about her carrying too much stuff, or leaving it unattended, after three kids who would pounce on the magic bag that always had a piece of candy in it she has never left a purse out of her sight or carried anything other then the essentials. At least not in 30ish years or so.

You're welcome. Glad to hear your mom likes it. I prefer the straight draw. I'm right handed and was already used to wearing a purse cross body on my right hip. I carry my pistol about 1:30-2 o'clock in front of my right hip on body. Purse is carried in the same place. So, I'm used to drawing from holster there and on the odd occasion when I carry in the purse, I'm already used to drawing from the same spot.

Another plus with the straight draw is that you can have your hand in your purse, on the grips of your pistol, without drawing undue attention to yourself, as it's not uncommon for women to have a hand in their purse rummaging for something while out and about.

In IL you have to take a class for your CCL. My instructor actually allowed me to use this purse in class to practice my draw (with unloaded pistol in the classroom) as it was made for CCW. Lots of the women were interested in it, and the men were interested in it for their wives (mind you, IL has only been issuing CCLs since early March, very new for us here).

Here in WA no class is needed for the ccw. So I am going to take her to the local gun clubs range and let her explore her new pistol. Then hopefully I will add some stress. I'm thinking of a shot timer set at 5 seconds to start, just to say hey, this is what can happen in X amount of time. Then slowly lowering the time between beeps. Ladies how do I slowly introduce more semi realistic stress without being a jerk?

Great bags, Marie - I've never heard of them before, so thanks (LOL Also just saw you can get some of them on Amazon.com)
 

My wife carries a Smith & Wesson shield in one of these bags 12-6

The gal that makes them use to do leather work for showing horses. Very nice stuff.