Women and Defensive Handguns — The Guns Ladies Prefer

Women are arming themselves — millions of females now have carry permits and female gun ownership is up 77% since 2005. What factors should women consider when choosing a handgun for self-defense? What are good choices for a lady’s defensive handgun, suitable for concealed carry? Is a self-loading pistol better than a revolver? In this article we include two videos focusing on handgun options for females. The videos cover six key factors: function, size, weight, ergonomics, reliability, and concealability.

Classic Swiss Precision — the Sig P239
The single-stack Sig P239 is an ultra-reliable, compact pistol with a grip suitable for smaller female hands. Weighing 25 oz. in 9mm, it is slightly heavier than polymer-framed handguns, but that may be a good thing. During my handgun training days, this Editor found most women shot the Sig P239 better than Glocks, with more control over recoil. This is a hammer-fired pistol with decocker but no separate safety. There are many other good handgun options for concealed carry — some smaller, thinner and lighter, but the Sig P239 provides a good benchmark for reliability and accuracy. Shown is the .40 S&W model. We prefer the 9mm Luger version. Photo Creative Commons BY-SA 3.0.

Choosing a Self-Defense Handgun — Ladies Explain the Options

Not Just a Guy Thing — Half of New Gun Buyers Are Women

According to the Wall Street Journal, over the past two years, “Close to half of all new U.S. gun buyers since the beginning of 2019 have been women.” And the percentage of female gun owners overall has increased dramatically. Here’s an interesting statistic — according to an NSSF survey, the percentage of gun owners who are female has increased dramatically. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has documented a 77% rise in female gun ownership since 2005, just 16 years ago.

And now nearly one-quarter of American gun owners are female. According to statistics from the NRA, around 23% of women in the U.S. own guns currently, when just 13% did in 2005.

The vast majority of first-time female gun buyers acquire a handgun for defensive purposes. However, the statistics also show that many new female gun owners are also getting involved in sport shooting and/or competitive shooting. An interesting TWAW survey shows that 76% of female gun owners are over 45 years of age, and most are married or in a serious relationship.

NRA News host Cam Edwards has interviewed Celia Bigelow, who has written about the rise of gun ownership among ladies on the Townhall.com website. Follow Cam’s interview in this YouTube video:

Similar Posts:

• Self-Defense Handguns — Favored Pistol Options for Ladies
• Self-Defense Pistol Options for Women — Ladies Tell the Story
• Self-Defense Handguns — Ladies Choose Their Favorites
• Not Just a Guy Thing — 23% of U.S. Gun Owners Are Female
• Females Purchase Firearms in Increasing Numbers

Tags: CCW, Female gun owner, gun buyer survey, Handgun, Sig P239