There is always a lot of buzz over the guns that women are buying each year, but what guns do women carry concealed? Of course, The Well Armed Woman data on guns that women buy each year is not only helpful to other women who are trying to tackle the big decision of which gun they should buy, but also to the industry as they make important decisions about developing new guns or making improvements to their existing models.

But…As more and more women come into gun ownership, which recent data documents, are a huge number, and, as more of them become experienced, long-time carriers who are buying multiple guns, there is another key question that needs to be answered. Which gun is it that women actually carry?

What gun is the one that women feel most comfortable carrying on their body or in their CC purse? Which one is it that they actually walk out of the door each day counting on to be the ONE partner to protect themselves and their loved ones? This is a HUGE question. One, that I believe is perhaps even more revealing than which gun they purchase year after year.

This is the second year The Well Armed Woman has asked this specific question in its annual survey. So let’s look at the data from this year, 2021, and find out which guns women carry and then see if there are any important things to glean when comparing it to 2020. So let’s get to it.

The Top 10 Guns American Women Concealed Carry 2021

1. Sig Sauer P365 9mm

Of the women who carry the Sig P365, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

2. Sig Sauer P238 .380

Of the women who carry the Sig P238, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

3. It’s A Tie!

Smith &Wesson Shield EZ .380

Of the women who carry the S&W M&P Shield 380 EZ, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

Glock 43

Of the women who carry the Glock 43, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

4. Smith & Wesson Shield EZ 9mm

Of the women who carry the S&W M&P Shield 9 EZ, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

5. Smith &Wesson Shield 9mm

Of the women who carry the S&W M&P Shield 9mm, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

6. Glock 19 9mm

Of the women who carry the Glock 19, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

7. Ruger LCP. .380

Of the women who carry the Ruger LCP .380, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

8. Springfield Hellcat 9mm

Of the women who carry the Springfield Hellcat, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

9. Glock 43X 9mm

Of the women who carry the Glock 43X, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

10. Smith &Wesson 642 .38 Revolver

Of the women who carry the S&W 642 .38 Revolver, the below chart shows the most common holsters they use.

Because there are so many great guns out there, I think it’s important to highlight the models that fall in from #11-#20.

1. Glock 42 .380
2. Sig P938 9mm AND Ruger LC9 or LC9s 9mm
3. S&W Bodyguard .38
4. Kimber Micro 9mm AND the Ruger LCR. .38
5. Ruger LC .380 AND Glock 26 9mm
6. Ruger SR22 .22LR
7. Springfield XDS Mod 2. 9mm
8. Sig P320. 9mm
9. S&W M&P 9mm
10. S&W Shield 2.0 9mm

Some takeaways from the rankings above.

• There are three .380’s in the top 10  ranked 2,3 and 7
• The top 4 models are all “known” as guns with easier slides to rack
• There is a revolver in the top 10
• There are 2 revolvers in those ranked from 11-20
• A larger gun, the Glock 19 ranks very high at #6

Important Note on the Guns Women Carry

It is really important to note that women are buying and owning multiple guns. Simply purchasing a gun in 2021 doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the gun these women carry. The average number of guns women own reported in our survey is 4.5. That’s A LOT of guns!

Now let’s briefly compare to last years data. Many of the top 10 are the same as last year – 8 of them in fact. But, two of 2020 top ten have fallen into the 11-20 range. With the Springfield Hellcat and the S&W 642 Revolver joining the Top 10 list.

To me, what stands out probably the most, is that revolvers have a prominent place in the choices women are making in their concealed carry guns. My hunch is this is likely directly connected to the prominence and preference of women for guns that have slides that are easy to rack. Hand strength is a very common issue for most women, so the choice toward them and revolvers seem to reflect that.

A long-standing myth of the female gun owner is BUSTED! All women are not buying ultra-small guns.  Clearly, function outweighs form. The female gun owner/buyer is way more sophisticated and knowledgeable than I think many give her credit for.

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