What Would You Do?

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OK, I'm going to a conference this weekend in Southern VA. I planned to OC while en route, and lock my sidearm in the in-room safe while there (due to wardrobe restrictions, I have no way to carry at the conference itself, even concealed). Problem is, I've found out the rooms (apparently) don't have in-room safes. The hotel offers safe deposit boxes in another area, though.

I'm not too keen on leaving it in one of those boxes, much less having someone see me put it into a box. Once I get there, carry is not an option. And I sure as heck don't want to hide it in my luggage and hope a nosy maid doesn't find it.

Any suggestions? At this point, I may have to leave it at home, which is not my favorite idea either.

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Riana wrote:

OK, I'm going to a conference this weekend in Southern VA. I planned to OC while en route, and lock my sidearm in the in-room safe while there (due to wardrobe restrictions, I have no way to carry at the conference itself, even concealed). Problem is, I've found out the rooms (apparently) don't have in-room safes. The hotel offers safe deposit boxes in another area, though.

I'm not too keen on leaving it in one of those boxes, much less having someone see me put it into a box. Once I get there, carry is not an option. And I sure as heck don't want to hide it in my luggage and hope a nosy maid doesn't find it.

Any suggestions? At this point, I may have to leave it at home, which is not my favorite idea either.

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Smaller handgun? The way you've described your situation, it seems that you're out of options. I have a Kel-Tec P3AT that I could hide in a pair of whitey-tighties if I had to. That's what I would do, personally. You could leave the handgun in the safe deposit box. I'd hate it as much as you would, but I guess that's better than going defenseless during the rest of your trip.

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Call the hotel and ask if there is a private area for you to place things into the safety deposit box. If you're legally able to CC it to the box at that location, then you could presumably secure it within the box without anybody having the knowledge that it's in there.

Alternatively, assuming cc is a viable option for you at that location, you could make a quick investment into a very small handgun with a thigh holster that you can wear under a dress. Even a fairly tight fitting dress can conceal a small firearm, unless you're doing a Basic Instict reenactment. I've seen links for that type of holster on this forum before, but don't have time to dig around for it. I'm sure you can google it without too much trouble, if you so choose.

Either way, probably better than being unarmed for the entire duration of the trip. Good luck.

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... Riana ...

I also have a kel-tec PTA3 .380 pistol

and a North American Arms mini 22LR 5 shot revolver .

Both are ideal for : concealed carry , back up gun , and

BETTER THAN LEAVING ALL OF YOUR FIREARMS AT HOME .

IMHO

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What do you carry, and what is your mode of transportation?

What are the "wardrobe restrictions" of which you speak? Are you a bikini model or attending a stripper's convention or something?:lol:

Can you carry a purse? Can you wear pants? Can you wear a modest skirt? Can you wear short sleeves? Can you wear a bra? All of those afford carry ops. Unless your only weapon is an accessorized hand cannon, you should be able to work it out. If your only weapon is an accessorized hand cannon, try removing some of the accessories and see if that helps slim the profile - and look toward a more versatile purchase in the near future.

Women often do have more challenging cc wardrobe issues than men. If I can help you work it out, I certainly will!

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Hi.

Well I think you should have two concerns, one making sure you retain ownership of your pistol, and making sure wile you are away from it, if the worse happen and it is stolen, that it is unusable by the person who take it.

If the hotel does not have in the room safes, do they have a guest safe? If so, a lockable jewelry box large enough to hold your pistol look out of the ordinary for you to take to the front desk to have stored in the safe.
When I go to my local outdoor range i take my AR-15 in a fender bass case, I got the nick name "Johnny one note" because of it, but it, wile in the public, never gets anyone to look at it.
I call this liberal camouflage.

If you worry about if it gets stolen, you can do like what I do, disable the pistol. If say I have my 1911A1, you can remove the firing pin withion 30 seconds, and carrier in your pocket very easily.
Or you can remove the barrel it just takes a bit more effort.
Either way, if a bad guy gets it, it will be of little use for them, and ince you tell the cops whats missing, if they try and buy a replacement, it could help you get it back.

Hope you have a good time at the confrance.

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Even with the stereo-typical 'formal' slinky black dress, you should be able to stash a hold-out SOMEwhere.

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Phssthpok wrote:

Even with the stereo-typical 'formal' slinky black dress, you should be able to stash a hold-out SOMEwhere.

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That's cute and all, but it's far from being a carry option. In addition to being one dinky little single or double shot .22, the gimpy garter simply isn't secure enough to move around in confidently. Those things can slip empty. Trust me.

Heck, it's sagging in the still shot! She's keeping it in place by hand. Now THERE is a good, professional posture opportunity down at the business conference.

Seriously, women do have their own set of CC options, and that one is a bad choice all the way around. Granted, it does work well for a photo op.

I know you guys mean well, but seriously - the CC concerns of women need to be addressed by women who've faced them. No offense intended.

What methods do you guy's mom/wife/sister/daughter employ effectively in various situations? (For real, not photo ops :lol: )

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IMO, when all else fails, a CC purse is the thing to do. I'm not a big CC purse fan. They have their own set of issues, but it'll work when all else fails.

Make sure the purse has a very secure, cabled, shoulder strap. You don't want a purse someone can get off of you with a sharp pen knife. And you do have to keep it with you at all times. If the defense is in the purse, you don't leave it laying around while you wander off for the grand tour.

Bra holsters are also an option, but that depends on both the size of your weapon and the size of your bra. PM me if you're interested in that method.

My favorite low profile, high impact concealed carry is a S&W 640 hammerless .357 revolver in a Bianchi #9r2 holster. This rig can hide in the armpit under all but the skimpiest of clothing (must have cloth on one shoulder to hide the leather harness), and works well in summer clothing. If you've never seen this it's hard to describe, but it's unlike all of the shoulder holsters that present the grip in a forward manner with the consequential bulge. Rather, it hangs like a bat in the armpit, straight down, with the grip to the rear and the barrel pointing up into the armpit. Even a skinny arm can conceal it. It's spring loaded, and offers a smooth draw, but you don't re-holster without removing the rig. Lousy for practice, but GREAT for summer carry.

And truly, when one shops for clothes one does have to keep their carry in mind. Dress for the gun.

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Pamiam wrote:

Phssthpok wrote:

Even with the stereo-typical 'formal' slinky black dress, you should be able to stash a hold-out SOMEwhere.

Click to expand...

That's cute and all, but it's far from being a carry option. In addition to being one dinky little single or double shot .22, the gimpy garter simply isn't secure enough to move around in confidently. Those things can slip empty. Trust me.

Heck, it's sagging in the still shot! She's keeping it in place by hand. Now THERE is a good, professional posture opportunity down at the business conference.

Seriously, women do have their own set of CC options, and that one is a bad choice all the way around. Granted, it does work well for a photo op.

I know you guys mean well, but seriously - the CC concerns of women need to be addressed by women who've faced them. No offense intended.

What methods do you guy's mom/wife/sister/daughter employ effectively in various situations? (For real, not photo ops :lol: )

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I'm thinking "garter belt" to keep a thigh rig from sagging or sliding down the leg.

Might look into vests that have an inside holster pocket.

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Pamiam wrote:

That's cute and all, but it's far from being a carry option. In addition to being one dinky little single or double shot .22, the gimpy garter simply isn't secure enough to move around in confidently. Those things can slip empty. Trust me.

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Not all thigh holsters are ornamental. Here's an example of a better one, designed for a larger caliber firearm. http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterPT3.asp?ProductID=2638&CatalogID=393 The images aren't really copy/paste friendly, but they have several views, including a see-through skirt view to see how it would sit with ageneric modest skirt. Kind of...unexpected to see it demonstrated with a male leg though. Also comes with a strap to connect it to your clothing to prevent it from slipping down.

Not that it is the best or worst on the market, just an example of there being better quality thigh holsters out there.

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Thank you for all the suggestions. I guess I should have mentioned what I'm carrying - a S&W Model 60 Ladysmith with a 2 1/8" barrel. Pretty easy to conceal (which I can) when wearing jeans, or even a skirt.

Two things, though:

1. Unfortunately, I found out about lack of room safes at the last minute - I leave in the morning. I'd never heard of a decent hotel that didn't have a room safe (it's the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel - I figured it was decent, at least), so I didn't even think to ask until today.
2. Second, for the entire weekend (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning) I am wearing either a white suit or a white dress. I can't conceal well in either (I tried the suit) - either my IWB shows, or you can see the grip through my jacket. :uhoh: I cannot carry a purse, and nothing has any pockets. I can have a tote bag or purse - I just can't carry it (and I just can't bring myself to put it in a bag and leave the bag on the floor). I've only got the one holster at the moment, but even those thigh holsters (if I had one)would show through the fabric.

I think what I'll do is either conceal to a private area to put it into the safe deposit box, orgo with the jewelry-style box approach (I'll rummage around in the morning and find something). But I may well bring it back to my room in the evenings.

Obviously I need to ask for pearl grips and a white leather thigh holster for Christmas. :lol:

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Riana wrote:for the entire weekend (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning) I am wearing either a white suit or a white dress. I can't conceal well in either Is this a mandated uniform?

If it is, you should subtly suggest alternatives as the occasion arises.

If you personally chose this wardrobe, you weren't shopping with cc in mind. Dress for the gun, always, in both personal wardrobe and firearms accessories.

Obviously I need to ask for pearl grips and a white leather thigh holster for Christmas. :lol:

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For ALL occasional wear, no matter the occasion, proper accessorizing is a MUST! Sounds like a great gift plan!

Steer away from the leather thigh holsters, though. You won't like those.

Frankly, the best thigh holsters resemble really wide, beefy, Ace Bandages with a waist band clip attached. You'll have to practice feigning a medical problem in case anyone notices. :lol:

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Pamiam wrote:

Riana wrote:

for the entire weekend (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning) I am wearing either a white suit or a white dress. I can't conceal well in either

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Is this a mandated uniform?

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Yes, it is - at least the color (must be white with no other colors present). Perhaps next year,I just need to buy something a little thicker, so the grip doesn't show. In my defense, though, when I bought the outfit last year, I wasn't carrying (in fact, I didn't even own a gun yet).

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Riana wrote:

Pamiam wrote:

Riana wrote:

for the entire weekend (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning) I am wearing either a white suit or a white dress. I can't conceal well in either

Click to expand...

Is this a mandated uniform?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is - at least the color (must be white with no other colors present). \

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Are you in a cult?

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Riana wrote:

Pamiam wrote:

Riana wrote:

for the entire weekend (Friday afternoon through Sunday morning) I am wearing either a white suit or a white dress. I can't conceal well in either

Click to expand...

Is this a mandated uniform?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is - at least the color (must be white with no other colors present). Perhaps next year,I just need to buy something a little thicker, so the grip doesn't show. In my defense, though, when I bought the outfit last year, I wasn't carrying (in fact, I didn't even own a gun yet).

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Southern VA, all white outfit, vague discription of the "conference"... hmm....





Is it really that hard to conceal a gun under your "uniform?"

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lol Stylez, I was wondering that, too. Maybe she'll clarify for us.

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Too late now, unfortunately. I would have loaned you one of my Center-of-Mass in-car safes, which you could connect to a pipe or safety cord in your room. Or through the cord hole in the desk. Or to a built-in lamp. Etc.

Recommend you get one of these. I used it in a hotel a couple of weeks ago -- staying in Old Town Alexandria but doing the tourist thing into DC via metro.

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For future reference, something like this might work under a suit. Under a dress, probably different story, depending on the cut. If I were carrying using this under a suit, I'd replace one of the shirt buttons with velcro. Now, I've never tried this type of carry. My daughter has, but she doesn't have a permit, so doesn't carry regularly (in TX, no OC) and can't talk to long-term comfort or utility.

Also recommend you check out the Women & Guns forum. I don't get there as often as I should, but they have some threads on concealment.

All this is water over the dam for this trip, though.

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Too late, but maybe next time ask another member can you borrow a smaller firearm from them for the weekend.
A Keltec P32, Beretta Jetrfire or a NAA revolvermighthave worked considering your wardrobe limitations.