If you have a wife or daughter, teach them to shoot. With civil unrest at an all-time high, self-defense guns for women are paramount than ever.
Knowing the safe, proper way to fire a gun can save them in grave life-and-death situations.
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Ideal Concealed Carry Guns for Women
1. Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield EZ
The M&P380 Shield EZ dominated the firearm industry in the past for its usability, functionality, and overall convenience. However, some seasoned female shooters found a .380 ACP too weak for their liking.
Smith & Wesson addressed this issue by following through with an M&P9 Shield EZ. It has a powerful, easy-to-control 9mm chamber, mild recoil, and a petite frame similar to its predecessor's.
This small pistol easily fits in any purse or handbag. Another cool feature about the M&P9 Shield EZ is it has smooth, high-quality components. The trigger feels crisp to pull, and the rack cocks smoothly.
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2. Glock 19
Not many shooters advise the Glock 19 for women. While the Glock 19 weighs heavier than most concealed carry weapons, this double-stacked, 15-round handgun also shoots far more accurately.
Many shooters even use the Glock 26 for shooting competitions.
Also, the Glock 26 has a customizable grip. You can adjust the modular backstrap so the grip fits snug and tight in either your left or right hand.
Remember: comfort has a significant effect on accuracy.
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3. SIG Sauer P365
The SIG Sauer P365 ranks among the best guns for women in 2023. They took the market by storm. In fact, both first-time gun owners and seasoned female shooters loved the SIG Sauer P365.
What made this semi-automatic, 9mm caliber pistol popular is its compact 10+1 round capacity. You would be hard-pressed to find any other pistol in its class with the same specs.
Overall, it's light, accurate, and easy to shoot.
4. S&W M&P Shield
Shooters with small hands know the difficulty of shooting accurately with thick-gripped handguns. A weak, compromised grip makes for a terrible shot.
For those who have trouble grasping traditional 9mm handguns, try the S&W M&P Shield.
It offers a tall, narrow grip measuring less than an inch, so rest assured that even teenage women with tiny hands can fire accurate, stable shots with this pistol.
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5. Glock 43
The Glock 43 is a widely used single-stack, 9mm caliber pistol popular for its subcompact frame, narrow grip, and overall brand reliability. Plus, it has a short 3.50-inch barrel so shooters won't struggle with close-range shots.
Honestly, the only reason it did not rank higher on our list is the market introduced plenty of other praise-worthy models.
But overall, this pistol definitely makes an excellent first-time gun or concealed carry weapon.
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6. Ruger LC9S
For first-time shooters who want a light, functional, and low-maintenance concealed-carry weapon for self-defense purposes, try the Ruger LC9S. This 9mm caliber pistol has a small frame equipped with a 7+1 round capacity.
What sets it apart from other pistols is its high-quality components. The magazine slides in like butter, you can easily cock the rack all the way to the back, and the trigger has a crisp pull.
Many first-timers would find this pistol super-easy to shoot and can be called great guns for women.
7. Ruger SR22
9mm caliber guns are overall higher quality, but .22 LR caliber pistols are much easier to handle. They best suit beginners who do not have the confidence to hold a gun yet—much less fire one.
Plus, it has manageable recoil. You do not have to worry about your wife or daughter hurting their shoulders when they fire a gun for the first time.
8. S&W M&P Bodyguard 38
Most female shooters only have two options: pistols and revolvers. Pistols are nice since they come in many different models, chambers, and calibers, but for those who want simplicity and functionality, go for a revolver.
The S&W M&P Bodyguard 38 makes for a good self-defense revolver. Unlike other handguns in its class, the Bodyguard 38 has a streamlined, easy-to-operate mechanism.
Most beginners learn to use the S&W M&P Bodyguard 38 in less than a day.
Plus, the S&W M&P Bodyguard 38 features laser sight shooting. First-timers can rely on these to fire accurate shots even in stressful, panic-inducing emergencies.
9. Ruger LCP
When it comes to small, compact guns for women, you would be hard-pressed to find anything smaller than the Ruger LCP.
This .380 caliber handgun has a 6+1 round capacity and weighs less than 10 ounces. Even a teenage girl can carry this gun around with ease.
Apart from its excellent concealability, the Ruger LCP offers high-quality components.
So while you might find a few lightweight competitors on the market, they won't have the smooth, crisp mechanism that this pocket pistol offers. Even a complete beginner will notice the difference in quality.
10. Springfield Hellcat
Shooters tend to overlook the Springfield Hellcat when choosing the best handgun for women in 2023. But keep in mind that this 9mm caliber pistol ranked among the best-selling pistols last year for a good reason.
Many loved the Springfield Hellcat for its high-capacity magazine. While other micro-compact 9mm caliber pistols range from 6+1 to 10+1, the Hellcat showcases a whopping 13+1 round capacity. Imagine firing these in one go!
Admittedly, the Springfield Hellcat does have a bit of a kick, which some newbie female shooters might dislike. However, a slightly stronger recoil is a small price for the overall quality and reliability that the Hellcat offers.
Male shooters should avoid stereotyping guns for women. Otherwise, you might end up purchasing a firearm that does not match the recipient's needs.
Instead of choosing handguns based on gender, consider objective, fact-based criteria such as skill, shooting experience, purpose, and weapon preferences.
Loading ...Which among these guns for women do you think suits concealed carry applications? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
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You should take greater care that the photos you use in your articles are accurate or people will sop taking you seriously. In 10 Handguns for Women the first photo is actually a Beretta 92, the S&W Shield is actually a S&W 6906 and the S&W .38 is actually a CHEAP RG industries blank gun.
Hi
What do you think of the walther 380acp?
It has a easy magazine release
Boy (pun intended) it is a good thing that we have manly men to compile such a wonderful list since the womenfolk are not savvy enough to figure out what they ‘need’ (insert eyeroll).
I am not saying anything against any of the guns listed, they are all good, quality firearms. What does give me heartburn is a blatant attempt to ‘market’ ANY tool as gender specific rather than attempting to set parameters base on the individual characteristics of the end user. Doing so is a dis-service to all within the gun community.
To GomeznSA-
Richard and Matt are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT- You have NO CLUE as to what you are responding to !!!
They are simply stating FACTS !! They are honestly pointing out that there is WRONG information associated with the photos and stated firearm species – that’s IT. Do you believe that giving FALSE information to ANYONE is the correct thing to do ? That goes for a Male, or Female NEWBIE that could be relying on this article to possibly make a Firearm purchase. It’s simply DISENGENUOUS, WOW GOMEZ !!!!
I left my prior reply @ 9:29 p.m. on 7-19-21 so I don’t know why it states a posting of 7-20-21 @ 1:30 a.m. ???
I personally would say thT your expert opinion isn’t worth a damn. As noted before, the weapons pictured are not what you claim. Wouldn’t recommend any semiautomatic for an inexperienced female concealed carry. Too many inexperienced people are getting a license to carry. Yet they have no idea what it takes to KILL another human.
Sorry, but train the shooterer, male or female, and make sure they understand that they may have to KILL someone. P
That is impossible to be mixed up with a S&W Shield EZ. These two are as far apart as pistols can be regarding their looks.