As a woman, I conceal carry in a Flashbang Bra Holster almost every day. It’s a standard part of my CCW life.
Guess how many times I’ve shot myself in the boob?
None! Shocking, I know!
When women hear the concept of a “bra holster” for the first time they often get a look of bewilderment followed by an inaudible gasp. They think it sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
The Flashbang is a magical way for women to conceal carry a gun! I want to help you get past the shock factor of a bra holster and understand the benefits of the Flashbang so you can evaluate if it is something that might work for you.
The Holster Struggle is Real
The first challenge a women new to conceal carry faces is deciding which gun to buy. It can definitely be a stressful decision to make! The gun is a major component of CCW. It’s a hard choice because guns are expensive and there are so many options. You don’t want to make the wrong choice.
But the second challenge a women new to conceal carry faces is even more important than the first. Even if you pick the perfect gun in the first challenge, that gun will serve no purpose unless you figure out how the heck you are going to conceal carry it. You need a holster option that works for you. And there are oh-so-many holster options out there! For ladies, the conceal carry holster decision can be just as overwhelming as the gun decision.
The second challenge is more important because if you don’t figure out a holster, then you aren’t actually going to conceal carry that gun you spent so much time stressing over anyway.
In fact, I actually think that the challenge of finding the right gun holster is what prevents most women with the concealed carry license from actually carrying a gun regularly. I hope this review of the Flashbang Bra Holster and my personal experience with it helps you as you try to find what works for you.
A Bra Gun Holster Sounds Crazy!
I get it. I thought a conceal carry bra holster sounded crazy before I tried it! Honestly, I didn’t think the Flashbang would be a holster I would use. I started carrying in 2012 using more traditional waistline carry options. I took the plunge (hey there is a pun there!) and ordered a Flashbang holster in 2016.
I originally ordered it because I was going to talk about women holster options at the next Rosie Pistol Women’s Shooting Group meeting. I wanted to cover all the options so I figured I should at least mention bra holsters. I wanted to get some first-hand experience with it that I could share at our meeting. I never dreamed it would end up being my personal go-to holster option!
I’m Talking Specifically about the Flashbang Bra Gun Holster
Disclaimer! I am specifically talking about the Flashbang Bra Holster in this post! I’ve seen other concealed carry bra holsters options even some handmade ones on places like Etsy. You would need to carefully evaluate the safety and effectiveness of other brands. (I’ve seen some where the bra sits positioned vertically with the muzzle pointing at the wearer’s face. Yikes! I wouldn’t be comfortable with that!)
Also, Flashbang has another style of they call the Marilyn. I’m not that familiar with it. To be honest, the pistol draw stroke and overall set-up would be very different and I’m not sure it is something I would consider for myself.
It Takes Time To Figure Out this Holster
You will find plenty of Flashbang naysayers out there in internet world. Anytime I read a comment from someone knocking the Flashbang I always wonder if they gave it a true effort before deciding they didn’t like it.
I’m not saying it will for sure work for every single woman, body shape, lifestyle, and gun choice. Maybe some naysayers really gave it a fair try before deciding they didn’t like it. But I bet most of them didn’t.
After my Flashbang holster arrived, I sat at the computer watching YouTube videos and following along*. Many holsters are fairly self-explanatory and don’t take much special instruction. The Flashbang is a little different. The videos I watched taught me all the fundamental things I needed to know. I’m not sure how I could have been successful with the Flashbang if I had not watched them. Seriously.
*Note: I sat at the computer watching these videos with my completely unloaded gun. The first few times I carried in the Flashbang out in public my gun was unloaded. This is a good practice to follow.
Helpful Things to Know About the Flashbang Bra Holster
1. The snap is tricky at first
The first time you attempt to unsnap it you will think it is impossible. It’s actually not that hard once you know the trick. You have to “peel” it. When you do it right, it’s easy.
After a few times you’ll have the hang of it!
2. It comes with 3 straps each with various holes
Do you know the technical name for the material between your bra cups? It’s called the gore. Which strap you need will depend on how big the gore of your bra is.
Your Flashbang holster comes with 3 standard straps: small, medium and large. Each strap has various holes. I have to change my strap out fairly regularly as different bras I own require different length straps.
The standard 3 straps that you get free will accommodate a bra up with a gore up to 4 inches. You can order an XL strap for an additional $3.00 that will accommodate a sports bra up to 5 inches.
3. There are 3 ways to set up the straps for conceal carry
To successfully conceal the gun, each bra and outfit might require some slight adjustments. There are three main conceal carry methods: low carry, high carry, & custom carry. Be ready to switch out the strap to find what fits the best for you. (I have a small screwdriver that lives in a drawer near my gun safe!)
You can screw the strap on so that it is facing down or up.
If it is going down, the gun holster will sit higher in your bra. This is called the high