What Were The Top 1o Concealed Carry Guns in 2022?

We just revealed the Top 10 Guns women bought in 2022, but what guns did women choose to carry concealed on their bodies in 2022? Yes, there is a difference! Buying a gun during the year doesn’t mean it was bought specifically for concealed carry. Women on average own between 2-3 guns. So obviously they are not carrying all of them. So, which guns have the features, size, and confidence of women that they would choose that one to depend on in the event of an attack?

Let’s find out what the data reveals. Here are the top 10 guns women are carrying concealed.

My Take-Aways

There are some similarities between this list to the list of Top 10 Guns Purchased in 2022, with the number one spot on both lists being the Sig Sauer P365. The S&W EZ Shields all rank high and there are multiple Glocks on this year’s list.

But, interestingly, and what I find very interesting is the Sig P238 coming in 2^nd. This pistol has historically always ranked very high as a favorite concealed carry gun with women, but it is a model that Sig is no longer producing other than 1 CA-compliant version.

It appears, that even though there are now so many new models out there to choose from, women just won’t give up their Sig P238’s as their carry gun, and/or they are buying them used. Perhaps Sig should re-think the decision to discontinue this long-time favorite. Cleary, women love it as a CC gun, and for good reasons. It’s very small and thin and has a slide that racks like butter and was available in numerous colors. I have to confess, I carry mine A LOT, always with a spare magazine  when my clothing style just won’t permit my larger Springfield Hellcat.

9mm handguns slightly outrank the .380 pistols and revolvers barely make a showing in the top 15 with only one, the S&W 642 .38 revolver coming in a tie for 13^th place. I think we can definitively say that the old “go-to advice” to women that they should carry a revolver has been put to rest!

Smith & Wesson’s Shield product line is clearly a preferred go-to for women taking third, fourth, and fifth places. Their higher ammunition capacity, slimness, and the EZ-ness of racking the slide make them extremely popular.  They are a bit longer than some of the others on the list, but the benefits of these features clearly outweigh their slightly larger size.

No list would be complete without Glocks on it and there are 4 of them in the Top 10. That’s impressive but not surprising. The Glock 19 is the largest gun on the entire list. Many believe this is the most popular handgun in America and for good reason. Yes, I have one of those too and although I don’t carry it, (it’s just a bit too big for me to effectively conceal) I keep it by my bedside.

The Springfield Hellcat placed higher on the Top 10 Guns Purchased in 2022 (sixth) and finished up 10^th on this year’s concealed carry list. I do suspect that all of those women that purchased this gun this past year are going to be giving it a try as their concealed carry gun!

The Kimber Micro series, both the 9mm and the .380 are proving to be very popular with women. My guess is that it is just the higher price tag that places them in lower placement on these lists.

So what’s the wrap up of all of this? I don’t think there is a “one line” summary here. But, clearly, the manufacturers that have listened to the needs of women gun owners and are producing guns that meet their needs and address the challenges we face, are seeing the fruits of their labor. KUDOS to them all.