So, the GLOCK 42 is a woman’s carry gun. And, we discover, a man’s carry gun too. But I’m wondering about GLOCK’s decision to show the pistol as the right choice for off-body carry. Regular readers will know I consider the perfect gun for off-body carry any gun that’s carried on-body. In other words, if you like your off-body carry you can keep your off-body carry. Period. But I don’t recommend it to anyone, ever. Not even if the bag has a holster compartment (:14). At :30 GLOCK gal emerges from her meeting into the proverbial dark parking garage. While she’s situationally aware, her right hand swings free and her left’s curled around the bag. Aside from the fact that she forgets to pause to scan the environment, I’d like Annie to get her gun in time to attack her attacker(s). At :36 GLOCK gal shows us why off-body carry sucks . . .

She’s engrossed in conversation with a friend. Her bag mit GLOCK sits by her chair, ready for snatching. The subsequent trip to the ATM offers another example of not having the gun good to go. Only this time her right hand goes towards the front of the bag as she approaches the potential bad guy. If she had to draw she’d have to stick her hand in the bag and swing it around, or withdraw the gun backwards. Not ideal. Better to cross the street away from the possible perp?

I’m a little confused about the yoga scene. The gun is clearly locked away, as it should be. As it would be with on-body carry. But why point that out? To tweak those of us who feel a little awkward without gym carry (and not without reason)? To show the model’s curves? Perish the thought!

The ad concludes with GLOCK gal slapping the trigger like a 50’s film noire bad girl slapping a fresh-faced private dick. The final shot shows that GLOCK gal carries her bag with the opening facing backwards, which makes the post-ATM scene even more puzzling. Anyway, “Confidence. It’s what you carry” isn’t exactly true.

Confidence. It’s how you carry. Regardless of the gun or caliber, getting shots on target as quickly as possible is the key factor for winning a gun fight.

And if not that, if a woman’s going to carry a gun in her purse, why not a bigger gun? (As Nathan.B points out in the comments below.) While the debate over a .380’s stopping power continues apace (especially after the recent popcorn murder), purse carry opens-up the possibility of schlepping a more defensible defensive 9mm or above pistol.

It’s a shame GLOCK didn’t show the model carrying the 42 in various places with various holster systems. On-body. In terms of practicality and marketing, please note that faliaphotography’s infamous holsters for women video has racked up over 2m views. And counting. Just sayin’ . . . [h/t GF]

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103 COMMENTS

  1. Anyone tired of how all the thugs/potential thugs :40 have to be portrayed as white nowadays? I mean, if we look at the stats we can see that whites are the wrong demographic for your generic, run of the mill, hoodlum.

    • Of course I am tired of that but the simple fact is a white criminal is PC and one of any other race is not. If they used a bad guy of race OTW (other than white), they would get a call from someone who is offended and their lawyer before the end of the commercial.

    • I get that it isn’t accurate, but it at least circumvents cries of “racism!” from other folks. It’s a compromise I accept, maybe because where I live there aren’t a lot of black folk and the criminals are usually Caucasian or Hispanic (which is sort of Caucasian by a different name).

      • But isn’t it racist because you are preventing black actors from getting a fair shot at being cast in the commercial?

        • They should have a commercial like this with a black woman as the protagonist and a black person as the suspicious might-be bad guy. Problem solved. Actually, put a black woman as the lead and you could cast a villain of any race. It would be a good thing to see more minority-centered commercials.

          And no, I do not think ignoring race relations and racism leads to racism. Pretending interracial crime and tensions don’t exist will do nothing to lessen them. If anything, mainstream culture promoting sticking one’s head in the sand in order to avoid conflict and debate will only exacerbate racial problems and make it more difficult to reach resolution.

      • Be patient. Watch what the future has in store for your white neighborhood. There once was a place called Detroit…..never mind.

    • I have some white, meth head cousins that would’ve knocked down their own momma at the chance to steal from our sick and dying grandma… And, I would sooner shove my thumb in their eye than shake their hand.

      Trash is trash, every race and family has them, who cares the color, motives, relation.

      • I’m not sure what the appropriate terminology is for other races, but everyone knows what “white trash” means. The choice to live as a degenerate on the outskirts of society is irrespective of race or color.

      • If multicturalism was working we wouldn’t be having this conversation. No one would be offended. No one would worry about offending. Infact, no one would have even noticed the thug was white.

        • Nice ad. Since the demise of the Israeli Supermodels linkage (I CONFESS I was one who took the PC prude line and now admit I miss them…) this Glock ad both scratches that itch and more important reminds me how advertisers target a niche. In this case successful young women who obviously have the means to pay for smart self protection. Is the carry technique perfect? Maybe not but its much better than none at all. And I dont see the Lena Dunham demographic waking up to reality any time soon either…

    • Does it REALLY matter? Lets petition Glock to have a gang of thugs in the next ad: one white, one black, and one hispanic, just to please everyone. Cause, you know, THAT would be accurate.

      • like a 1980’s B-movie rainbow diversity gang? cause we know gangs would never, ever form based solely upon racial lines…

        • Also, was that a Death Wish reference? I know the movies spanned from the 70’s to 90’s, but that feels like a Death Wish reference.

        • Definitely had the image of the gang from Deathwish 2 in my mind, the creepy ginger, the black fro dude, the long haired brunette guy, hell yeah! needs more polynesian and Australian Abo!

    • It could also be that only white guys were around at the time… The black people I know won’t even go to the range with me. They just “know” that if they touch a gun, the po pos are gonna kill them. They see it as a death sentence; be seen with a gun, you’re gonna die.

  2. Most women off-body carry, if they carry at all, women are less apt to dress accordingly for on-body carry- that’s not a swing at women, it’s just an observation.

  3. I get that off-body carry is less optimum. So is using a .380. As long as people recognize the limitation – and I welcome sites like TTAG pointing those out – I just want law-abiding people to be armed, whatever form that takes.

    That site you linked to on YouTube is frankly awesome. Have never seen such good representation of carry options for women and how they actually look under different outfits. No wonder it’s gotten > 2M views.

    • Agreed–that’s a great tutorial for women on how to on-body carry and stay fashionable. It’s very well done.

  4. Those who hang around women might notice a couple of problems with the “on body ALWAYS” mantra.

    Issue One, female fashions are intolerant of firearm carry. Loopless jeans, skin tight yoga pants,form fitting shirts,etc .A woman dedicated to daily carry is gonna have some explaining to do to her non-carry friends why she’s always wearing jackets and frumpy garments .

    And forget business attire.

    I , a 5′ 11″ man with a skinny waist, had to drop $150 on a comptac holster and velcro gun belt to pull it off.A woman in a corporate environment is , pardon the French, epicly fucked if she wants to carry a gun on her person.Remember, if she’s detected at any point , HR will likely launch her out of the office faster then a 10mm slug .

    Lets set aside tactical elitism and face the fact that for millions of Americans, off body carry is the ONLY option. Glock at least acknowledges this,and actually helps people in that state instead of treating then like dope fiends- which can only help our cause in the long run.

    What plays into the hands of the Bloomberg crowd are folks who say “Don’t carry a gun, because you’re not trained ,expert enough, or equipped enough to exercise your Constitutional Rights.Leave your gun at home and let us pros with the 5-11 pants and BladeTech kydex handle this concealed carry thing .”

    To the pits with that bullshit.Carry on, however you wish fellow Americans!

    • Nicely stated. If there’s a gun that can be concealed within today’s yoga pants (and don’t get me wrong, I fall to my knees every day to thank the person who designed them), it would have to be about the size of an average freckle. The woman depicted in the commercial at least appears aware of the limitations and adjusts accordingly. I wouldn’t mess with her. Unless, you know. I was invited to.

      • Off body carry allowed them to put the gun in a bright red bag that grabbed your attention and remained constant through each scene. Being an amateur photographer and pondering how to cram as much useful ‘story related’ info into a purely visual medium, I’d bet this decision for this ad was based on effective story telling as much as practical carry concerns.

        I’d also be willing to bed (not too much) that there are many women who might be interested in carrying but would be hesitant to do so in an IWB holster. Now that may be plain wrong but if i’m willing to, then I’d also bet that Glock marketers could make that assumption, so you show it in a bag, off body and it opens up options for the hesitant.

      • It might not be better than nothing.

        It is better if you see the threat coming far enough away for you to draw your weapon.
        It is better if your assailant ignores your purse and allows you to surprise him.
        It is worse if the threat materilizes inside reaction time and you try pull your weapon
        It is worse if you can’t pull weapon and he grabs your purse and either runs off with it or decides to use it on you.

        Which of these scenarios are more likely to happen?

        • I’d rather see a lost gun due to purse theft then to see it’s owner featured in a “Should have Been a DGU” article.

          If a five foot nothin girl encounters a 300lb, body building ex con rapist, the ONLY chance she’ll have is if she’s got a gun.Where it’s located , honestly , is her right to determine.Not mine, and not yours.

        • That wasn’t my point. I was responding to the oft stated opinion that the 380 you brought is better than the 45 you left at home. That statement may not be true if in the process of trying to get you gun out of an inconvient place the 300lb excon rapist grabs the woman’s gun in the process of extraction and holds it to her head while he rapes and then shoots her with it. Off body carry is a poor second best carry alternative. It requires exceptional dilligence to create enough reaction space to respond to a threat. It is very hard to maintain that posture as you walk around doing your daily business. What the industry needs to do is figure out better methods of on body carry for women rather that take the view that it can’t be done and promote off body carry instead. .

        • And now that I am home and could watch the video i note that nowhere do they show her drawing the weapon from her purse. I wonder why? I also like the way she walked by the potential threat near the ATM. He could have easily knocked her down and run off with her purse, Glock, money and all. Not very good SA on her part. My wife knows better than that. Maybe that comes from being in a “gun free” environment 8+ hours a day. .

  5. Call me crazy, but isn’t the point of a tiny gun that it’s easier to carry on-body? If you’re going to carry in a purse, carry more gun… like, well, anything.

    • That was my thought almost exactly. If you’re going to put it in a bag anyway, there’s no reason to opt for a gun that would be, for most people, harder to shoot over something with a little (or a lot) more size and recoil absorption ability.

    • Agreed,
      My wife carries a bodyguard on her at all times and keeps her Kimber in her purse. I consider a purse gun equal to an ankle gun, if you are surprised by an attacker on your way to your car after leaving work or eating dinner or in my wife’s case God forbid an attacker in the bathroom then it would be very hard to effectively get to that purse gun in time.

  6. “…please note that faliaphotography’s infamous holsters for women video has racked up over 2m views.”

    I still think that’s one of the most impressive gun-gear-related videos I’ve ever seen. There’s no dispute that it’s harder for women to carry concealed than it is for (most) men, and she did a great job of demonstrating what works (for her) and what doesn’t. Most holster info things I’ve seen give you a couple pictures and some not very well-written text (and that’s the good ones, for guys; for girls they’re basically nonexistent), so her multiple holsters/multiple outfits video is pretty outstanding.

    On topic, I think off-body carry is pretty much a bad idea, for everyone, all the time. The only exception is if you literally have no other option.

    • Agreed. I’m still new to firearms, I only got into it last March, and to say it was a little difficult to understand what people of the gun were talking about sometimes was a bit of an understatement. Especially when it came to holster choice. Most holster reviews and carry tips were written reviews that would carelessly throw out terms that the uniformed wouldn’t yet know or understand, or describe things that are hard to visualize. The few video reviews there were out their usually just had the camera pointed at the holster while you hear a disembodied voice talk dryly about it with hands reaching out from behind the camera to fondle the holster or pointlessly gesture at something. Faliaphotography’s videos are pretty good at showing you examples of holster and how to wear them, and even if you are a guy, it gives you some idea of how you might wear a certain holster properly in your clothing. I pretty much bought a remora holster solely on her recommendation.

      Someone should take a cue from her videos and maybe partner with her to do video holster reviews for men and women.

  7. This may not be a popular comment, but I’m a bit saddened that a gun advert has to stoop to the social low of so many close-up butt shots to try to sell guns.

    And, if their target market is women…what’s the point? If you buy a GLOCK, your butt will look this good, too?

    Gonna show this ad to my wife to get her opinion. My guess is that she’ll find it quite annoying.

    That commercial has a LOT of flaws in any case.

    • That commercial has a LOT of flaws in any case.

      Yeah. When was the last time anybody saw 3 boxes of .380 ammo in the same place at the same time?

    • I’m not totally convinced that was what they were trying to do, but their is no denying that the camera shots were awkwardly placed. It would have made more sense if they were trying to show how easily the gun concealed on her person with little printing, and would have made the yoga scene make a lot more sense. It’s almost as if they got all the camera angles and shots figured out for a concealed carry commercial and then at the last minute they said, “hey, let’s do an off-body commercial instead!”

      • Well the red bag containing the gun was kept fairly consistently along a ‘rule of thirds’ line or at an intersection, unless there was something else to focus on, like the thug or the sandwich board sign at the gun store. But something tells me there was quite a lot of ‘artistic input’ from a male cinematographer on what would be a good camera angle.

  9. One of the problems with off body carry is what is stored with your weapon. Put your piece in a bag and your trigger isn’t properly protected from being hit/pulled by other items in the bag when shifted. Nothing beats on body carry with your weapon in a properly fitting holster.

      • I saw that, but too many times I have seen people jam stuff anywhere they could fit it in their purse. You never know if a pair of scissors or something sharp could puncture a hole in it and allow the trigger to be engaged.

  10. The assumption that women don’t dress for on body carry is a half truth. If you ever walk around a place like Capital Hill or Wall street you see lots of power women in suits that give ample cover for on body carry of a sub compact like a Nano or Glock 42. If a woman dresses baby boomer casual, i.e, jeans and some sort of top, she can carry just about any sized gun. My wife doesn’t have a problem with a full sized and when dressed in her power suit she is on Captial Hill and therefore can’t carry on body or off.

  11. I think you’re reading way too much into this commercial. It’s simply showing that a woman can carry a pistol and completely integrate it into her lifestyle without going all ninja/operator. Go to the ATM, go to a meeting, have lunch, attend yoga, and maybe do a little target practice – it isn’t like you have to join some secret cabal to carry a Glock.

    Actually, I like the fact that this commercial doesn’t prey on the fear factor – no melodramatic crashes in the night or doors getting kicked in; just exactly like in real life, where the vast majority of folks who carry never need to draw a firearm in response to a threat.

    Sure, you can nitpick this six ways to Sunday – but I think the commercial itself is quite solid.

    • True. And it’s a free country. All Americans should be free to carry a gun any damn way they please. Just as I’m free to point out that people who promote off-body carry are doing women a potentially deadly disservice.

      • As opposed to the people who tell women that guns are evil and should be taken away from all of us?

        Telling people to TOTALLY change their way of life and dress to accommodate a firearm is not realistic. I know it’s crap, but most non-gun people want a gun that will integrate easily into their life and doesn’t take a lot of work to maintain and carry.

        So, purse carry options are the best way to get women to actually carry. Telling them to stop with the tight pants and revealing tank tops will get laughs and a refusal to carry.

        And, the clothing of the average female these days is designed to be as functionless as possible. Like, I wouldn’t be able to fit the magazine for a Mustang in the average 20 something girl’s jean pocket. So, the purse is the go-to thing for carry.

  12. Too bad that in one of the scenes of this commercial, Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall, California, CCW is reserved to a select few in law enforcement and high profile celebrities.

    • I was thinking the same thing. I used to shoot there in my CA days and I just laughed at the CCW sign the showed in the commercial. No one I new in CA had a CCW license. Idaho on the other hand, it’s more strange to meet someone who hasn’t gotten their CCW then someone who has.

    • hahaha. This is great. I shoot there semi-frequently because I live so close. Hopefully we can get some of those concealed carry laws turned around. I’d love that. I have 0 options to carry as of this time.

  13. Where is the resident TTAG once a week blogger Taurus sponsored gunslinger Jessie Duff on this topic?

  15. I agree with Defens. As long as we understand the pros and cons of carry options,choose what works for you. More guns in the hands of good gals and guys is what we need.

    • Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good and all that. I get it! But why NOT promote on-body carry? Again, isn’t that the point of the 42?

      • It’s a chicken-and-egg thing: no IWB support for women, so women don’t consider IWB, which makes manufacturers less likely to promote or cater to IWB carry for women. Now that several woman-made IWB holsters are hitting the market that may change.

  16. The gun you have with you is better than the one at home. My biggest problem with off body carry is that sometimes stuff gets forgotten. Leaving your bag behind is bad enough, now add in the fact that your bag contains a gat….

    • It also reduces reaction time and requires that the carrier maintain exceptional situational awareness. Ever see a woman get her keys from her purse or anyone fumble with a camera bag?

  18. There’s another reason for off-body carry and it has nothing to do with women’s fashions. It has to do with entering creaky middle age and finding my usual carry mode is hurting my back. I have carried an IWB Multiholster skeleton for a year now, and recently, I’ve been feeling the pinch. It’s not a knock on the holster — it is superb and really easy to get on and off (and sadly, no longer made). While I’m breaking in a hybrid holster (and upping my exercise), I have three stopgaps: 1) P3AT in a pocket holster; 2) OWB if I can wear a jacket; 3) gun goes in a Remora so I can move it to my laptop bag by my desk or in a coffee shop. I don’t like (1) in the winter and (2) is a rare occurrence, so (3) it is most days.

    Off-body carry — it’s not just for shapely gals anymore.

  19. “Glock 42: so concealable you’ll put it in a large bag you carry everywhere you go.”

    I feel they missed the mark with this ad. Isn’t the point of the 42 to be small and concealable, a concealable game-changer for Glock? That’s why it’s in .380, to be smaller, lighter, and more concealable, right? With that bag she could have carried her full-size Glock without a problem.

    On top of that my wife can hardly get the phone out of her purse in time, I can only imagine what would happen under stress.

    Don’t petty thugs go for the purse first? As we all know a gun in the safe is useless but giving the crook the gun is worse!

  20. My last multi state road trip(No permit, CA resident) I carried my S&W model 10 in a binocular case. Not ideal, but I felt it was my best option, considering.

  21. My wife carries a Berretta Nano…in her purse. I steered her towards buying a pistol that size intended for body carry. It’s going to take some time to convince her. It took 4 months to get her to carry with a chambered round. She commented recently “If I am going to just carry in my purse, then I should have a bigger gun”.

  22. Since I’ve never been a woman, I cannot speak with any authority on the subject of the ladies and their carry options. I’ll let them figure it out so they can tell me.

    I’m not a fan of off-body carry for guys if there’s an effective on-body concealment alternative. So guys, don’t. Just don’t. Unless you absolutely must. But even if you must, please please please, no fanny packs. Unless you wear Bermuda shorts, black wingtips, long black socks and a white belt and are willing to look like Wilford Brimley in a scene from “Cocoon.”

    • The next time you see a man wearing a fanny pack, imagine he’s packing a Smith and Wesson 629. You will have a new appreciation for the fashion.

  23. I agree. Any time a gun is off the body and not in a gunsafe or locked container it’s not secure or under one’s control. Women should use a holster or fanny pack, something/anything that keeps the gun attached to their person in some secure fashion. A purse over the shoulder doesn’t do it … makes me crazy. Maybe a Maxpedition bag is ok… maybe. I’ve adjusted my wardrobe to be able to carry IWB (or in pocket), and I don’t know why some women claim their wardrobe won’t accommodate on-body carry or won’t change/adjust their mode of dress. Slightly looser pants and you can carry a Ruger LCP in pocket, or waistband, for example.

  24. Off body carry, alone, isn’t ideal, I agree; but it’s the reality for many women whose only alternative, whether real or perceived, is no carry. Rather than argue about it, I’d emphasize how to get the most out of off body carry, particularly purses. Ladies:

    Get a dedicated concealed carry purse! The quality ones have great features and come in many shapes, sizes, colors and styles. They’re as fashionable as anything from Coach or Louis. They have reinforced stitching to support the weight and odd angles of a firearm, so they won’t fall apart. They have a separate firearm compartment, accessible from either the purse’s interior or exterior, providing uncluttered retrieval.

    Some even have velcroed sides and holsters, so you can custom position your firearm. Also great, is that many have a thin steel cable embedded within the leather strap, to thwart strap-slashing purse snatchers.

    Check it out before you go without.

  25. I finally saw my first video of the G42 being fired, it does look really controllable.

    As for off body carry, not sure why she would not be using the G17 she had next to it since she has the big old honkin’ purse to lug it around in.

    • Need room for make-up, cell phone, birth control and women products. G17 takes up too much space. 😛

      • I wonder how many tampons you can fit in the hollow backstrap? Lots of guns have handy places to store things…

        I want to see the Glock Bikini. Always prepared for the beach! So small it fits in that backstrap hollow place… YEAH!

  26. “The ad concludes with GLOCK gal slapping the trigger like a 50′s film noire bad girl slapping a fresh-faced private dick”

    I snickered.

  27. Despite the shitty pants women are forced to wear nowadays, I’ve finally made the move to carrying on body almost all the time, due to Farago’s incessant nagging :), and with the help of commenters here, and videos from falia and the Wellarmedwoman. It helps a lot that I can wear pretty much whatever I want most of the time, so my wardrobe is flexible

    I had to buy a gun belt and get used to wearing belts again, and of course had to purchase the proverbial drawer full of holsters.

    I will mention that for those who insist on carrying in a non-holster purse, Crossbreed’s purse holster works great if the bag is large enough to contain it.

  28. i feel famous!!!!!! (well maybe famous is not the word.) i have shot at that range in the video twice! its called “Oak Tree Gun Club” it is in so cal. if you are in the area, look it up! it would be worth a little drive.

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