A Girl & A Gun Survey Highlights Women's Favorite Guns & Gear

by
posted on June 5, 2025
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
What Women Want

When A Girl & A Gun held its National Conference in Grand Junction, Colo., April 29 to May 4, a total of 1,028 pistols were processed through the organization’s Gear Check process. There were several standout models and brands that emerged as favorites among women shooters, as well as preferences when it came to aftermarket products.

Glock, title sponsor of the event, was the top pistol brand, at 21 percent of all checked in by the women. SIG Sauer claimed second-place honors at 18 percent, followed by Walter at 15. Rounding out the top 10 were Smith & Wesson, Heckler & Koch, Springfield Armory, Staccato, Canik, CZ and Beretta, respectively.

More Walther PDP F-Series of pistols were brought to the annual event than any other handgun—100 in all. The volume of Glock 19s checked in totaled 76, followed by the SIG Sauer P365 XL (45). Trailing that top three were the Glock 34, SIG Sauer P365, Glock 17, SIG Sauer P320, Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ, Glock 43X, Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 and Walther PDP Full Size, in descending order.

Optics
More than half of the participants arrived with pistol-mounted optics—55 percent. Holosun was the preferred brand at 66 percent, followed by SIG Sauer, 11 percent, and Trijicon with six percent.

Red dominated the reticle’s dot color followed by green—62 and 38 percent. One percent of attendees preferred gold.

Only three percent of the gals who arrived with iron sights had upgraded them. When they did select an aftermarket version the brand of choice was Trijicon more often than other brands.

Triggers & Gear
Stock triggers dominated the event (88 percent). Of those upgraded, the majority were Glock Performance units.

When it came to holsters, Comp-Tac led the way, followed by Black Scorpion, Haven Defense and Blade Tech. In magazine pouches, the same four were tops, changing positions slightly to Black Scorpion, Comp-Tac, Haven Defense and Blade Tech.

It’s important to note that the annual national conference includes seminars and range sessions. Because of the volume of fire during training, results of this survey don’t necessarily reflect female preference when it comes to everyday carry for self-defense.

Latest

Christensen Rifles factory floor
Christensen Rifles factory floor

Building Christensen Rifles: A Hands-On View

A cutting-edge enterprise takes on the lightweight-hunting-rifle market with models that defy expectations—all without flinching.

New For 2026: 25 WBY RPM

The 25 WBY RPM is the 17th proprietary cartridge developed by Weatherby, a company whose name is synonymous with magnum cartridges and bullet speed.

The Armed Citizen® Jan. 12, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Firearm Industry Philanthropic Efforts Endure, Despite Lagging Gun Sales

Gun sales in 2025 may not eclipse records, but the firearm industry’s generosity continues to abound, even within challenging economic circumstances.

Product : Ten21 Tactical “The Junk Drawer” Tripod Hammock

Precision shooters using tripods to support their rifles can keep miscellaneous gear organized and within reach by attaching The Junk Drawer by Ten21 Tactical to the tripod’s legs.

Review: SAR USA SAR9 SOCOM Compact

The SAR9 SOCOM Compact from SAR USA packs popular tactical features into a compact package.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.