Best Self Defense Gun For A Woman

The best self-defense gun for a woman is, wait for it;  Whatever She is Comfortable With!

Was that answer too simple? Well, let me elaborate a little. There is no best gun for anybody to carry, man or woman. It all depends on what an individual is comfortable carrying and using, if necessary. The real questions are; What fits your hand? How will you carry it? Where will you carry it? When will you carry? Do you get the idea yet?

There are so many questions to be considered here, it’s anybody’s guess what would be the best gun for carrying, concealed or otherwise. I don’t believe anyone has ever written an article explaining exactly which gun is the absolute best. If it has been written I certainly wouldn’t take it seriously. In this article, I will give you some ideas and suggestions based on my opinion and the opinions of others in this lifestyle. I’ll surely not tell you which gun to buy or why you should buy it. What I will tell you is you should do your own due diligence. Shop around. Look at many guns and fire as many as you can before you buy. Lots of gun shops have indoor ranges right on their premises to test-fire whatever they have available.

Some of the most popular self-defense handguns for women are what are referred to as ‘pocket pistols’. They are the sub-compacts. I don’t personally recommend these because;

1. They’re too small to handle safely under stress.
2. They can be concealed in ways to make them harder to access.
3. The recoil can be too much for some women to handle (depending on the woman, of course, and caliber).
4. The caliber may be too small to be effective for stopping power.

There may be more reasons someone else can think of, but these four are enough for me to consider. The so-called ‘pocket pistols’ are usually, but not always, small calibers like .22LR, .25, and .32. Some of them are in .380 and 9mm, but we are getting into a bit larger frame than a pocket pistol. My first two carry guns were a .22 revolver and a .25 semi-auto pistol. They were both so small I had a hard time fitting them into my hand. They also sprayed GSR (gun shot residue) all over me. I eagerly replaced them with something more appropriate.

The ‘best’ sub-compact handguns I like are no smaller than the Ruger LC9 (9mm). The LCP (.380) is a bit smaller and still a decent size, but in some states, they are only allowed to be purchased by law enforcement officers. The Ruger LCR revolver is another one of the same size. Most people prefer to carry semi-autos, though.

The ‘Baby Glock’ pistols are a good size, weight, and caliber for concealed carry. They hold 10 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber because they are what is called ‘double stacks’. This means the rounds are staggered in the magazine to hold more ammo. However, this also makes the gun a bit wider that a ‘single stack’. Glock recently came out with an answer to this in the G42(.380) and the G43 (9mm). They’re both single stack, so they are thinner than the Baby Glocks (G26 & G27). I like to carry my G43 in an IWB holster.

There are many gun manufacturers making compact and sub-compact handguns for concealed carry. They are all suitable for both men and women. I think it’s appropriate to mention here that I find very little difference in what a woman carries and what a man carries. This is worth repeating; “There is no difference in what a woman carries and what a man carries”. The method of carry and comfort are the only differences.

I will list a few of them here for you to look at when you’re in the market. They are not in order of recommendation. They’re just listed.

Kahr Arms –

Ruger –

Glock –

Springfield –

 Sig-Sauer –

Smith & Wesson –

Beretta –

Taurus –

Conclusion –

There are many, many more handguns made for concealed carry for both men and women. Some are made in colors designed to appeal to women more than men; like pink, purple, orange, red, etc. There are also gobs of holsters made just for women. This is the biggest difference between carry for men vs. women. There are more options for women to carry concealed. However, as I said before, some of the carry methods don’t provide very good emergency access. This will all be a matter of personal preference and the circumstances you are in at the time.

Please leave a comment below and tell me what you like, or dislike, about this article. It helps me do a better job on the next one. if you have questions, please ask. I’ll get back to you as soon as humanly possible (at least, for this human). Thanks for stopping by…..