As the crime rates are increasing everywhere, women should think seriously about their self-defense. As a result you will find the best handguns in the market that allows you to stay safe. You never know when someone will attack and rob you, so having something helpful in your bag is necessary.
Paper spray and tasers are great, but if more than one person strikes you, these gadgets won’t work correctly. You need something solid that should scare others, and that solid thing is a firearm.
So we share the best handguns for women, which are easy to carry and use and won’t require a complicated process to clean and maintain.
Our choice of handguns is cheap, lightweight, and will help you hit someone from over a distance of 50 meters.
Our Top Picks For The Best Handgun For Women
After carefully selecting the handguns, we found three that are best for women. These guns are light, easy to carry and have cheaper ammunition. Plus, they don’t have any complicated mechanism that makes them hard to clean.
Before we went any further, we took an extra step and added the USP of each gun to facilitate your purchase. See which gun is most suitable based on its USP and jump into its review section for more details.
- Glock G20 Gen4 – Overall Best Handgun For Women, Editor’s Choice
- Glock G19X 9mm – Most Popular Pistols For Women
- Sig P320 M18 – Best Affordable Guns For Women
#1. Glock G20 Gen4 – Overall Best Handgun For Women, Editor’s Choice
If you want a compact weapon with exceptional accuracy on long-range, Glock G20 Gen4 is the best weapon for you. Instead of 9mm bullets, this gun uses 10mm bullets, which are a bit heavier; thus, it will take time to drop so you can shoot farther targets easily.
It weighs less than 0.8 kilograms when empty and almost 1.2 kilograms when fully loaded. Despite its heavy caliber, this gun has relatively mild recoil thanks to its hi-tech polymer.
This gun is best suited for every hand, especially the small ones. Its customizable grip allows you to adjust it according to your hand size, so you can properly hold the weapon. You might not know, but if your grip is improper, the weapon might slip from your hand while shooting. Also, a firm grip helps reduce the recoil, which helps you aim and hit your target better.
On the other hand, if you travel a lot or engage in hiking every weekend, this gun can survive in every weather or atmospheric condition, making it a suitable choice for traveling. However, you need to keep the weapon in the holster or a bag since it gets hot quickly.
We recommend getting a small foam pouch for this gun to carry it easily and keep it safe. Modifying a Glock G20 Gen4 is not a complicated task either. It is relatively easy to disassemble and offers space for modification.
Despite being an excellent weapon, there are some issues with this gun. The most common is the feeding issue, where the recoil spring or magazine causes the slide to return slowly. The next round won’t fully load in the gun, and thus it gets stuck. You need to take out that stuck bullet every time this happens.
Highlights
Versatility: Glock G20 Gen4 is well known for its versatility as it can survive in any condition and works almost everywhere. It doesn’t matter whether you are hunting predators or joining a training session; this gun will work flawlessly. It is fast, does the soft shooting, is not very loud, and can easily fit a silencer for noise suppression.
However, finding a supported suppressor might be difficult, and also the gun looks really weird with a silencer due to its compact size. On the other hand, you can modify the weapon to make it heavier or lighter for your convenience, which is another plus point.
Long Effective Range: A typical Glock has an effective shooting range of 50 to 60 yards. After that, the 9mm bullet starts dropping, and it won’t cause that much damage. Professionals might use the help of air to make it reach further, but an average person cannot do that.
So, if you are carrying a Glock, make sure to stay close to your target. However, Glock G20 Gen4 has an effective range of up to 300 meters using 10mm bullets, and if you use a lighter bullet, that range extends to 400 to 500 meters. This is why this small gun is accurate on longer ranges.
16 Rounds Capacity: While you can find Glocks with 18 rounds capacity, they’ll all have 9mm bullets. Most best handguns with 10mm bullets have a capacity of 12 rounds, and this gun can provide a magazine of 15 rounds plus one bullet in the chamber. With an extended mag, this gun can carry up to 30 rounds, which is enough to kill multiple predators.
Easily Accessible Attachments: If you want attachments like laser light, extended mag, or an additional grip, they are relatively easier to find than other handguns.
Pros
- Exceptional safety features
- Multi-purpose striker fired pistols
- Easy to operate
- More comfortable shooting
- Reduced muzzle jump
Cons
- 10mm bullets are quite expensive
- The exploding bullets are not suitable for this gun
=> click here to visit the official website of Glock G20 Gen4
#2. Glock G19X 9mm – Most Popular Pistols For Women
If you cannot choose a handgun between Glock 17 and Glock 19, ditch them both and get a Glock G19X 9mm. This gun combines the best features of Glock 17 and 19, making it the best handgun for all conditions and all situations.
It is compact in size, making it easy to carry, and the textured grips allow you to use this gun at full speed without wasting a single mark. This gun is perfect for those who want to improve their accuracy within a short time. However, since it uses 9mm bullets, it is not an ideal option to use in long range.
Mostly you’ll find handguns in black color since it is easy to clean and cheap. This Glock comes in greenish brown color to give a unique look. If all your friends have Glocks, your gun will stand out among them. The best part is that you don’t have to ask for this color exclusively, as the Glock G19X comes in it by default.
Moreover, it is exceptionally light, weighing 625 g without a magazine, 704 g with an empty magazine, and 890 g with a fully loaded magazine. Despite being such a light gun, it feels solid and offers a premium feeling while holding it, thanks to its metal body and solid build.
The loaded chamber is one thing that most people fail to check when they are using the weapon. It doesn’t happen once you are used to handling the weapon, but in the initial stages, people forget to check for the loaded chamber and often need to slide the barrel to check for a bullet. Glock G19X removes this hassle by featuring a loaded chamber indicator. All you need is to check the top of the gun to see if there is a bullet.
Highlights
Extended Reversible Magazine Catch: Most weapons have a magazine catch button that only works with one hand. Since the majority of people are right-handed, companies make their weapons optimized for right-handed people. With practice, a left-handed person can get used to the magazine catch, but there are times when people can’t be able to press that button.
Glock G19X removes this hassle and offers an extended magazine catch button with a smooth surface, allowing users to reach it easily on either hand. On this gun, it doesn’t matter which hand is your dominant; you can quickly press the magazine catch and change or refill the magazine.
Customizable Frame Size: Holding the gun tightly in your hand can save you from a lot of hassle while firing. With a loose grip, the recoil will throw the gun out of your hand; if the gun is close to your face, it can hurt you.
Moreover, you never know when you’ll need to use it, you can drop your gun in a lake or from a height and can’t get it back. Glock G19X comes with a customizable grip to help hold the gun properly. You can simply change the circumference of the grip using the backstrap frame so it can perfectly fit your hand. There is no need to spend extra money to get an additional grip or modify it.
19 Rounds Capacity: Glock G19X has the biggest round capacity among all other 9mm Glocks. Since it holds two rounds per slot, you can add 16 rounds in the mag, two on the top, and one bullet in the chamber.
High Power Led for Extreme Brightness: LED light is an exclusive attachment for this Glock version; it is extremely powerful and easily fits on the front.
Pros
- Lightweight and compact tactical light
- Ambidextrous operation
- Glock marksman barrel
- Gen4 RTF and no finger grooves
- Safe action system
- Mounting rail
Cons
- Hard to conceal
- No interchange of Gen 5 17mm magazine
=> click here to visit the official website of Glock G19X 9mm
#3. Sig P320 M18 – Best Affordable Guns For Women
Sig P320 M18 is the best option available if you want a reasonably priced military-grade handgun. This gun was issued to all the military branches of the USA, and they all provided a positive response to its performance.
Remember, in the military; they test weapons to an extreme range to see how well it fits in a different situation. This gun has been stated as one of the best weapons for a close-range fight. However, it is not a strong gun, and its bullet might not be as effective once it crosses the 50 meters range, and in case of strong winds, the bullet won’t go past 30 meters.
The best part about this gun is the manual safety system, which gives you extreme shooting control. The automatic safety system works with the trigger, where you have to press the trigger twice to shoot the first bullet. This system is not convenient as even a kid might pick a gun and randomly press the trigger twice to shoot.
While on the manual system, a person has to disable the safety before firing, making it quick and reliable in almost every situation. However, manual safety sometimes gets stuck; to avoid that, you must clean your guns once a month at least.
This is an optics-ready gun, which means it has a small attachment point at the back where you can attach an optic to improve aiming. Most other handguns require additional attachments to install an optic sight, increasing the overall cost.
While these optic sights are not very useful, you can install night sights at the back to hunt down predators in pitch black. The night sight will be small, but if you keep watching through it, you’ll get a clear shot at anyone in front of you.
Highlights
21 Round Magazine: Sig P320 M18 features a 21-round magazine with 20 bullets in the mag and one in the chamber. You can use an extended magazine to add 12 more bullets; one mag would be enough to last a whole trip.
On the other hand, the best part is that you can also use a smaller magazine to drop the rounds to 17 if you want to use this gun on a shooting range. Especially if you want to learn sleight of hand to increase your reload speed, a small magazine would be good since it empties faster and is not easy to switch.
Stainless Steel Slide: The rust inside is one of many reasons your slide gets stuck while reloading. A metal slide might be more durable but tends to go rusty when you use it outside. So, when you pull the slide back to load a bullet in the chamber, it won’t move.
The best option is to use rust-removing sprays to remove the rust and open and clean the slide. Sig P320 M18 eliminates this hassle by offering a stainless steel slide immune to rusting and relatively smooth to move. Remember to hold the slide from the rear end to load a bullet so you can do it in one shot without hurting your hand.
Extremely Convenient to Carry: Compared to all other handguns we mentioned, this one is the most convenient to carry due to its smallest size and lightest weight. You can easily carry it in your jacket or pants pocket if they are a little bigger than usual.
Reliable Striker Fired Trigger: This gun has the best trigger, which only presses when you have the finger on the inner trigger, providing the best way to security.
Pros
- Medium polymer grip
- Carbon-steel barrel with a stainless-steel finish
- The slide is compatible with the ROMEO1 PRO
- Striker-fired action
Cons
- Ejecting live bullets
- Unfavorable performance with 9MM
=> click here to visit the official website of Sig P320 M18
How We Made This List Of Best Guns For Women?
Purchasing a handgun is a long time investment; a weapon can stay with you for a long time if you choose the right one and take care of it properly. So, while selecting these weapons, we kept some standards in mind for the best choice.
Handguns should not be expensive, so choosing a relatively cheaper firearm was the first. The second trait we looked for was the build quality. Despite being affordable, the handgun should have a solid build so it won’t cause problems in training sessions.
The third thing was ammunition; bullets get expensive, so we chose only handguns with 9mm or 10mm shells. These are light and cheap bullets but quite effective to 50 meters.
Finally, we checked which guns are easy to clean, so you won’t have issues keeping your weapon in perfect shape.
What We Looked For?
- Lower Price: No one would like to pay more than $800 for a handgun, especially if there is no guarantee when it will start causing problems. So, the price was our top priority when selecting the best firearms.
- Solid Build Quality: While some ladies rarely use a handgun, some are busy using them every weekend on a practice field. They’ll need a solid handgun for frequent sessions that won’t die on them. So, we chose handguns with stainless steel bodies, making them rustproof and lightweight.
- Cheaper Ammunition: Ammunition price might not matter much for a person who won’t use the gun frequently, but a person using it once or twice a month cannot afford expensive bullets. 9mm bullets are relatively cheaper than others, so we chose guns that easily support 9mm bullets.
- Maintenance: A gun has many parts from where the dust, oil, water, or other stuff gets in and causes a blockage. Most guns are never cleaned in years; thus, they won’t perform to their peak. We chose compact handguns that are easy to disassemble and only require lubrication monthly.
Buying Guide: Factors To Consider While Looking For A Best Handgun For A Woman
Here are some factors that you ladies should check before selecting a handgun. A professional might not need to research thoroughly, but if this is your first time purchasing a gun, these factors can be helpful.
- Why You Want A Gun
Not all guns are built the same; some are made for self-defense, while others are for excessive usage. Based on their features, the price will change; you might get a gun that will cost you more but is less useful.
For example, if you want to carry a firearm for self-defense, there is no need to go after a military-grade handgun as it will cost you more. Instead, get a weapon that you can easily carry, and it won’t take long to get ready so that you can defend yourself quickly.
On the other hand, if you want to use a firearm for fun on weekends on training grounds, you’ll use lots of bullets. For this, you’ll require a handgun that should not heat up or stop working if you fire hundreds of shots in one session.
- Never Go For A Used Weapon
Here is the thing, it only takes a little bit of lubrication and cleaning to make a gun shine like brand new. A person might have used aggressively for a long time causing huge performance issues. They’ll offer you a lower price, and looking at the gun’s condition; you’ll buy it and regret it afterward. So, the best way to avoid such scams is to get a new weapon from renounced stores.
You’ll get a warranty for a new weapon, and the shop owner will guide you on how to use and adequately take care of them. Moreover, you can always visit the shop in case of any issues that you can never do if you purchase a used weapon.
Still, if you don’t have enough money for new weapons, purchase used weapons from stores. Avoid getting a gun from online portals.
- Always Try Before Buy
Every firearm shop has a practice room where you test the weapon. It doesn’t matter if you purchase a new firearm or a used one; always empty a magazine quickly to see if the gun causes any problems or not. Typically, if a firearm has issues, it will show within the first ten rounds or once you empty a magazine.
If the seller doesn’t allow you to try the gun, do not purchase it. You can also get a one-week check warranty for the weapon; if it shows any problems within one week, you can return or exchange it. Use it daily for a week, and you’ll start seeing the old issues it had before.
- Size And Weight
Not all handguns are light; some of them have more than 1 kg of weight, and adding the bullets gets even heavier. While it looks easy to pick such a gun, it causes problems with recoil and if you have a light purse to carry them. Such a heavy gun will shake your wallet a lot and irritate you.
For a female, carrying small and light guns are always beneficial as they are convenient to carry and won’t take up much space in a pouch.
On the other hand, the grip matters the most. Your gun should fit properly in your hands so you won’t drop it while firing. Recoil sometimes gives a strong jerk, and if you don’t tightly hold the gun, the chances are that it will slip from your hands and might even hit your face.
- How You Plan To Carry It
You can get a holster for a gun or a concealed carry handgun, depending on how you want to use it. If you work where you need to show off your weapon, a holster is an excellent option, but if you want to carry it for self-defense, you should keep it in your bag or pouch.
FAQs On Best Handgun For Women
What Is The Best Handgun For Women?
There is no fixed answer to this as every woman has a different preference for the weapons she wants. Some want loud and big guns, while others prefer compact and silent ones. Some might prefer using a gun with less recoil, and some might choose to have a revolver with concealed carry.
Regardless of choice, some factors play an important role in selecting a gun. We shared the best handguns for women and a detailed buying guide to help you find the right gun. We recommend getting a concealed carry handgun so you can easily carry them without a holster or pouch. Concealed carry handguns might be a bit expensive, but they are worth the price.
Can I Find A Concealed Carry Weapon In The USA?
Yes, it is quite easy to find the best-concealed carry handgun market in the USA. Most weapons sellers provide a concealed case with a handgun, especially if you get a revolver, since a concealed revolver looks exceptional.
However, weapons are not free to carry in the USA; you’ll need a license, and you can use that weapon under extreme conditions. For example, you can use a handgun in self-defense under life-threatening conditions or if someone is robbing your house.
But there are also some restrictions regarding using a weapon. You cannot shoot that person in any critical area, especially heart and head. Shoot them on their legs or arms to stop the person from attacking you. A handgun might not do much damage if you use it on non-critical parts, but it will be enough to stop them from attacking you.
Is It Legal To Carry Handguns In The USA?
In July, president Joe Baiden signed a bill that allows US residents to purchase a weapon, get its license and use them while abiding by rules. It is not illegal to carry a licensed weapon in the USA; with such a high crime rate, it is better to carry a handgun.
If you want to get your aim better, there are many private institutes giving training on how you can use a weapon when necessary. They’ll help you control the trigger pull so you won’t press the trigger in anger or fear, injuring the other person.
They also provide a license once the training is over, which is helpful if someone sues you for using a weapon. An armed woman will most likely get hit by thugs on the road, and this new bill has given them a chance.
How To Know Which Handgun Is More Suitable On Average?
A lightweight and easy-to-carry handgun should be your preference. Moreover, it should have a cocking mechanism that won’t get stuck if you haven’t used your gun for a while. Cleaning a handgun is not an easy job since you have to disassemble it, but if a gun is easy to disassemble, you can clean it at home. You can easily find the best-concealed carry handguns in the USA. However, you might need a concealed carry world license to use such a weapon in public.
So, your next option should be to find a gun that you can easily clean at home as taking professional services are expensive. A stainless steel frame body can help the gun to survive for long without rusting. Since you won’t be using handguns daily, the chances are that they’ll catch rust a bit earlier.
For better control, you can add grip safety to your handgun. This will help your hand to keep a firm grip on the gun to stop the recoil. A textured grip would work, but you can choose from among many.
How To Keep My Gun Maintained After A Shooting Session?
A handgun won’t last long if you take it for many shooting sessions. Handguns are not made for such extreme usage, and you might see them locking a lot while shooting.
On the other hand, if you do take a handgun for shooting sessions, it is better to maintain it properly. You can open it and remove all the gunpowder and change rusty springs, but lubrication is also an important step.
Once you are finished cleaning, lubrication is a must, so the gun should operate smoothly. If it has all metal components, the chances are that they might get stuck if they get dry.
Use the dedicated gun oil to lubricate all the moving parts, ensuring that it won’t spread all over and contaminate everything. Moreover, do not use normal oil; get exclusive oil from a weapon store.
What Is The Best Way To Carry A Weapon?
If you want to carry a weapon, the best way is to get a leather pouch that buttons with your pants. However, that’ll make the weapon visible, so carrying it in public will cause people to panic.
Another way to carry a handgun is in your purse since handguns are not huge and won’t take up much space in your bag. You need to be careful while taking out the gun; if the safety is not locked, you might end up firing the gun and hitting someone by accident. The trigger is sensitive so while carrying the weapon in your bag, make sure the safety is on.
If you are comfortable carrying it in your pants, that will save you a lot of hassle and extra cost for a bag or pouch. Taking out the gun from your pants is relatively faster than a bag; you can give someone else a peek of your gun to scare them.
Should I Keep The Safety On My Handgun?
Before we go into safety on or off, here is something you should know about safety mechanisms. It simply disables the firing pin so that nothing will happen even if you press the trigger. This is a feature that you’ll find in every handgun except for revolvers.
Revolvers have a relatively tight mechanism for firing, requiring extra force so you can’t use it suddenly on anyone. On the other hand, ordinary handguns have sensitive triggers that demand a safety pin to prevent accidental firearm discharge.
On average, you should keep the safety on, so if anyone gets a hold of your weapon, they won’t hurt anyone. Plus, turning off the safety requires only a second to disable so that it won’t be a huge problem in heated moments.
You can see the safety lever on the right side of every gun, just rotate it, and it will change to safety or fire. If the safety level is not working, just remove the magazine from the gun and insert it when you need it.
How Much Does It Cost To Get A Concealed Carry Market Permit?
Usually, it won’t cost you to get a permit or license for this, but some states have a fee of almost $100 to $150 to grab a concealed carry market permit. This permit shows that you have positive behavior while using a weapon and won’t hurt anyone with it.
Basically, it is a report that helps understand concealed carry license holders’ behaviors, perceptions, and attitudes. If that person doesn’t show any positive response while having a weapon, the chances are that their license will be rejected, and they cannot carry a weapon with them.
More than 20 million users in the USA have concealed firearms permits. You can get an idea of how many weapons are circulating in the USA streets; this number excludes the weapons in the military since military-grade weapons are not allowed in the general public. If the authorities find a military-grade weapon at your place, they’ll charge you with hefty fines.
Is Sig Sauer A Good Weapon Brand?
Sig Sauer is one of the most famous firearm brands featuring weapons for the military, commercial users, and hunters. This brand has branches all across the globe and even helps businesses to start a gun store.
You can find lots of helpful information on their websites about weapons, ammunition, and how to use and maintain them. The best part of this company is they help you build a customized weapon. However, they only deal in customized handguns, so if you want big weapons, you should look for other brands.
On the other hand, you can also find many accessories related to Sig Sauer weapons on the website. They also give custom attachments like laser light, extended mag, and hollow point bullets.
Hollow point bullets are best for defense as they won’t penetrate the body but deliver a more painful sensation on impact. So, you can easily take down the attacker without sending them to the hospital. However, avoid using hollow point bullets at a very close range as the bullet can easily break a bone.
What Is The Most Reliable Handgun?
Glock is the most reliable handgun without any doubt; however, it is not made for long-term or excessive usage. This is one of the most common handguns you’ve heard of and is readily available in every firearm store.
If you are not interested in a Glock 17 or 19, the next best gun is Sig Sauer P320. Since you can customize it however you want, this gun has become quite reliable. The best part of both these guns is that they are light, easy to carry, have no complicated tricks to use, and won’t die on you quickly. Moreover, they are easy to open and clean, plus their ammunition is cheaper compared to other guns.
If you want an upgraded and latest handgun, CZ P10C is an excellent option. Compared to both other handguns, it is relatively smaller but delivers a deadly impact. The only problem is that it has a 12 bullet magazine, while Glock can carry 18 bullets, and Sig Sauer P320 has a magazine capacity of 21 bullets.
Conclusion: Best Gun For Women?
Having a firearm with you brings peace of mind; you know, you have something that can help protect you. Since you can’t rely on complicated guns in the heat of the moment, it is better to grab firearms that are easy to use and lightweight, so you can easily carry them.
We shared three of the best handguns for women. Read their review and see which one is more suited for you. Remember, you are not allowed to fatally shoot anyone, even in self-defense, so you better get training after purchasing a handgun.
