I like purses like many women like shoes. I get bored and want to change them out, or simply find a pretty one I like and decide to switch. Of course, nowadays it needs to allow for concealed carry, so my options are more limited than before I started carrying concealed.
Frankly, the early concealed carry purses were just plain ugly. Utilitarian, very heavy, plain. I bought a few and really hated them because of their bulk. They were already heavy by themselves, then when I added a gun, they were even worse and pulled on my shoulder. I kept them though, so that I could let other women borrow them and try them out and decide for themselves before spending the money.
Well – we’ve come a long way baby. Gun Tote‘n Mamas purses are pretty, beautiful and classy. They come in such a wide variety of sizes and shapes and styles that I think you’ll find it hard to NOT find one you like.
I wanted a new one that was rather small because I don’t like the weight of a heavier purse on my shoulder, and I don’t like the large straps which are also uncomfortable for me. So when I had a chance to choose one, I found the GTM-10/BK Lambskin Clutch. While I loved the “Blue Ice” colored one, I know me, and the first thing I would have somehow managed to do was get it dirty. I’m safer with black, so that’s the one I chose.
But the clutch is not just plain, boring black. It has pretty little roses embossed on it, which adds a touch of elegance. The silver clasps add class, and the tassel adds a little whimsy.
The clutch is 9-inches wide by 7-inches tall and is 3 and 3/8 inches deep.
The concealed carry compartment is 9-inches wide, 5-¾ inches tall, and 1-inch deep.
At only 5.8-inches wide, the strap is nothing like the wide, heavy straps of the early days. However, it’s made of steel-reinforced cable, so it can’t be cut. The strap can be lengthened to wear longer and cross-body, or can be shortened to wear on one shoulder.
The concealed-carry compartment opens from three sides, so it can be used left- or right-handed. The holster can be placed at the angle you prefer on the Velcro pad inside. I appreciate that because I like my gun placed at a bit of an angle rather than completely horizontally.
The interior pockets can hold your ID and credit cards in individual slots. There is also a section that is long enough for a small wallet if needed, along with a smartphone and sunglasses. I also like to carry a few extra items, such as my lip balm and a comb, and I appreciate having a space big enough to also hold my keys inside. This small clutch purse really holds a lot of items.
I found the clutch purse to be feminine, stylish, soft, lightweight and small-ish, yet it has everything you need to keep a CC gun safely enclosed in its own pocket and easily accessible.
The purse also holds a nice variety of sizes of guns. The new Beretta 30X Tomcat fit very well in it and was lightweight to carry, and a simple swap-out of Velcro holsters also allowed the option of carrying the slightly larger Sig Sauer 365.
I had a chance to dress up and take the GTM Lambskin Clutch Purse to a local charity benefit event (which also fell on my anniversary). I think it looked fabulous on me and it was so lightweight and comfortable that I almost forgot I had it on. I’ve never felt that before with any purse that I have worn cross-body.
This Gun Tote‘n Mamas Lambskin Clutch purse can easily look professional with your work-day outfit, then go right into a night out on the town. It’s pretty, classy, fun and even more importantly, it’s comfortable to carry.
MSRP $129.95
Nancy Keaton is a retired college administrator, president of her local gun club, competitive shooter and freelance writer whose work has appeared in A Girl and A Gun Women’s Shooting League, "American Shooting Journal," "American Concealed," "Northwest Meetings + Events," and other publications. She enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics and interviewing ordinary people doing amazing things. To see a compilation of her writing, check out her website at www.nancykeaton.com. View all posts by Nancy Keaton
