Found It!

For some time I've been testing out handguns and borrowing a idea from Laurell K. Hamilton (of Anita Blake fame) and carrying a few different handguns around to see how they feel and fit in my hand. All of this has been done for several of the characters in the Jess Barker Mystery series I'm trying to finish up and get out there.

I started with the idea that Jess would need to carry something for her own protection, but learned that due to regulations in Texas she most likely would be denied a license. She ends up with something else to protect herself with, but I don't want to spoil the fun. Cora (aka Molly - I'm still vacillating on changing her name) and Maggie will both end up carrying a gun, but in different books. I'm still not sure what model is right for each of them.

Then there's Matt. Matt, is a friend of Jess's and has a large presence in all of the books I have mapped out so far. Matt is a large guy and can hold his own in a fight. He's also the most likely to carry on a regular basis given his job. But, I hadn't been actively searching out his gun. Until last night.

What was special about last night? Well, my favorite shooting range and training center was having a big sale. I was checking out several guns, one of which is a great carry option for the girls, but too small for Matt. There was a Stage Coach rifle that I really wanted to get my hands on for myself. It's nice, but I need more training on long guns before I decide to spend that much money. Plus, I haven't received an invite to go hunting with anyone this year, so I don't really need it. Even if it is really pretty.

As usual I was drawn to the Smith & Wesson and Ruger cases. They fit my hands the best and Jess and Maggie have assured me that if a gun fits my hand, it will fit for them. Nothing really grabbed my eye in the Ruger case but I saw a large .45 in the S&W case that caught my attention.  Way too large for my hands, but a nice size for a big guy.

And then I saw it.

A twinkle at the corner of my caught my attention. I swear the gun really did "twinkle" at me. The second I saw it I had to hold it. It felt right in my hand and I knew right then and there that this was going to be Matt's concealed gun. He'll get the big gun too for work, but this little gem will be stuffed in one of his boots on a regular basis.

Want to see it?  Here's a picture I lifted from the Smith & Wesson page:

I really, really like it's weight and how it felt in my hand...as it if simply belonged there. It's really well balanced and small enough to not be annoying in a holster; it also fits easily in a purse. That's something I don't hear people talking about a lot when it comes to concealed carry. What it's really like to wear a holstered gun isn't discussed much.

Here's a tip - if you're a chunky, cranky old broad like me, having a holster on the inside of your pants can be very uncomfortable, regardless of what's in the holster. It'll poke you in the side, assuming you can get it inside your waistband, and drag your light weight pants down. Good, solid belts are a must with a holster. It's more comfortable to have it shifted around toward your back, and Matt assures me that when he carries it that way he doesn't notice it much. (How he knows without me actually walking around with it I'm not certain).

Chances are it won't fit well on your thigh either - assuming you can find a holster big enough - and down at your ankle isn't all that ideal. (For one thing it may slip down and rest oddly on the top of your foot). That being said, if you are in amazing shape like one of my favorite instructors, a gun on your thigh is amazingly easy to hide.

A shoulder holster may be a better option, but I'm still holding out hope that the Double Diva's girls will make a trip to my town and I can get them to make me a custom bra to hide a gun in. They've done it once already for a buxom police officer, maybe they can figure one out for me.

Yesterday I saw an awesome concealed carry corset. A CORSET! And with two pockets no less. What an awesome idea...it will work great for Maggie as she's the perfect build for it. The demo video showed a young lady in great shape carrying two guns, one on each side of the corset. I admire her, I would love to be that coordinated to be able to handle two guns at once.

So, I finally found at least one fit. Now to narrow it down for the girls. Maggie really liked a little red .380 Ruger, Cora was leaning toward a purple one. I'll have to rent those along with Matt's guns to get a good idea of the kick so I can accurately describe the feel of shooting them should they ever need to. At this point in the story lines the only shooting that is done is for practice and only paper zombie targets have been harmed.


In case you're curious, you can find the info on this particular handgun at Smith & Wesson's website: S&W 1911 Pro Series - Matt's carry gun