The best guns for women can help you defend yourself, put food on the table, or score higher in shooting competitions. Firearms for women don’t always get the same level of attention as those marketed for men. Finding the right gun for yourself or a woman you care about takes more than just buying a small handgun. As with any other shooter, you have to understand their particular needs and which firearms address those needs the best. Pennsylvania’s Largest Gun Show has a larger selection of new and used firearms than any brick-and-mortar store can match, giving you the best opportunity to find the right deal for you.
There’s No Such Thing as a “Women’s Gun”
Before we begin, we want you to understand there isn’t a gun that is really a “girl’s gun,” as in “only for women to use.” We don’t care if it’s marketed as the best women’s gun, is the smallest of small handguns around, has a hot-pink frame, or shoots pumpkin spice-scented ammunition. We’re just talking about guns–tools. When we’re talking about firearms for women, we mean gun choices that are sometimes easier to handle considering the broad differences in the average female anatomy vs. the average male anatomy guns are primarily designed for.
Plenty of women can pick up any gun on the marketplace and outshoot most guys with it, period.
That Being Said…
So what makes a gun more suitable for the average female anatomy, and what happens if your anatomy is different? After all, people aren’t made with cookie cutters. One of the priorities when selecting any firearm is how comfortable it is for you to safely shoot and control, and that’s true regardless of gender. In this circumstance, women often find guns more comfortable if they have:
- A Slimmer Grip – Women tend to have smaller hands, and that means they can have trouble properly gripping a full-size double-stack frame and positioning their off-hand for support.
- A Shorter Stock – Likewise, women frequently have shorter arms and less meat in the shoulder pocket to manage the recoil of a properly seated long gun.
- Less Powerful Ammo – The best guns for women need to chamber ammunition that packs a punch but comes with less recoil.
- Lighter Weight – Less weight is more comfortable to carry on the body or in a purse, and it’s less punishing to hold proper aiming form, such as during all-day shooting competitions.
- Discreet Size – The best gun for women who intend to conceal carry isn’t just lighter–it’s often smaller to accommodate their smaller body frames.
- Use-Based Attributes – The best gun for any woman will be the one that fits her use case. A competitive shooter needs different qualities than a hunter, who may need a gun entirely inappropriate for concealed carry self-defense use.
Our Recommendations for the Best Guns for Women
With vendors drawn from across the state and beyond, you can find the gun you’re looking for at a great price at your local gun show. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
Best All-Around Long Gun for Women: AR-15
The AR-15 is one of the most produced and best-selling firearms in history. While most are chambered for the .223/5.56mm NATO cartridge, AR-15 pattern guns are made in various rifle and pistol ammo calibers with a wide range of features. The split-receiver design lends itself to endless customization options, so it can be tailored to meet almost anyone’s firearms needs. That’s precisely what makes this one of the best guns for women.
Look for an AR-15 model chambered for either the .223/5.56mm NATO round or a pistol cartridge with stopping power, like a 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 Auto. The recoil should be more than manageable with any of the three from a shoulder-fired stance. Opt for a shorter or collapsible (where permitted) stock that better fits the average female frame.
The AR-15 works well as a hunting, sporting, or rural home-defense gun.
Best Shotgun for Women: Mossberg 500 Bantam
The Mossberg 500 is a popular and economical shotgun, but their bantam line might just be one of the best guns for women. It has the same rugged pump action as full-sized models but with a shorter, slimmer stock for youth and adults with smaller frames. While the 20-gauge shells may not pack the same power as their 12-gauge cousins, they’re still a viable choice for various use cases.
The Flex 500 package is a great choice for all-around use. It comes with both a shot and slugger barrel so you can optimize to meet your loadout, and the stock features a tool-less adjustable locking stock so any shooter can find the perfect cheek weld.
This gun is excellent for hunting, sporting, or home defense purposes.
Best All-Around Pistol for Women: Sig P365
The SIG P365 is the latest in Sig Sauer’s line of modular pistols, so the serialized portion that’s considered the gun is a small fire control unit (FCU) housed in the grip module. The FCU can be easily swapped to other grip modules that better fit your hands, but the P365 is already small. Designed from the ground up as a concealed carry pistol, it’s easily hidden under clothes that aren’t too tight and would make an excellent purse gun.
The P365 Optic-Ready model has everything you need for self-defense in a small package. It’s chambered for the 9mm Luger (some models are chambered .380) with a 10-round magazine that slides easily into the narrow grip. Day/night iron sights come standard, as well as an RMS footprint for mounting a red dot sight for improved accuracy.
The P365 is perfect for close-range self-defense and may be suitable for some close-range sport shooting.
Do Your Research
While these may be our suggestions, there’s a lot more out there than we could fit into a single article. Consider what you need your gun to do and what features you think will help you do it better. If there isn’t a commercial gun that checks all your boxes, your local gun show is also a great place to find beginner-friendly gun customizations to tailor your rifle or pistol to meet your needs.
Get Your Gun Show Tickets Online
The next local Eagle Shows Gun Show is coming to a community near you. Take a look at our Pennsylvania gun show calendar and start making your plans to find the best guns for women. Order your gun show tickets online from Eagle Shows today.