About Guns, Concealed Carry for Women

Most Popular Guns Women Carried in 2020

The Well Armed Woman conducts a survey every year to find out more information about women and the guns they own. For the first time ever we also gathered information about the most popular guns women carried in 2020! We know that it is important to know what guns have been purchased so we can best serve our customers. However, we also know that this is not the whole picture. Keep reading to see the top 10 guns women carried in 2020!

#1 Sig Sauer P365

The number one gun carried by women in 2020 was also the number one gun women purchased in 2020! Women are loving the Sig Sauer P365 and it is easy to understand why. Having up to 15+1 capacity in your magazine is important especially since so few of us carry a spare magazine. The slim design and smaller size makes concealing this gun relatively easy for most women. Need a holster for this gun? Check out our Slim Carry Holster here.

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

Click image to see reviews.

#2 Glock 43

The Glock 43 has been one of the most popular guns purchased by women for years. Coming in at #4 on the Top 10 Most Popular Guns Women Purchased in 2020 list, this is one of the top choices for concealed carry by women. Why? Glocks are reliable, high-quality guns and the G43 is a great slim 9mm option for women who want a simple and easy-to-conceal gun.

 

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

Click image to read reviews.

#3 Sig Sauer P238 .380

If you are looking for an ultra-small gun, the Sig Sauer P238 .380 might be for you. If you are using an IWB, or wrap holster, like our Comfort Carry Belly Band, this small, thin frame will make this so easy to conceal! The P238 is also one of the easier guns to rack the slide making it one of the more popular guns for women with weak hands.

 

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

Click image to see reviews.

#4 S&W M&P Shield EZ .380

The third most popular gun purchased in 2020 is the fourth most popular concealed carry gun. The S&W M&P Shield EZ .380 has taken the gun world by storm. It is so easy to use! The magazine release, slide, and trigger pull are smooth as butter and the load assist makes loading the magazine easier than ever. The sub-compact frame. although larger than others, conceals well for many women. Read my personal review of the S&W M&P Shield EZ .380.

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

Shield EZ

Click image to see reviews.

#5 S&W M&P Shield

Another popular carry gun in the Shield line, the original S&W M&P Shield (#7 purchased in 2020) continues to be a real favorite for concealed carry. Though the EZ series of Shields have really grown in popularity, the original Shield is still a top choice by women for an EDC gun. The frame size and 9mm caliber are great for concealed carry.

 

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

shield 2.0

Click image to see reviews.

#6 S&W M&P Shield EZ 9mm

This one is not a surprise at all! The second most popular gun purchased in 2020 is the sixth most popular carry gun. The EZ 9mm is just as easy to use as the .380 but has more stopping power with the 9mm ammunition. Having a gun that is easy to rack is important for self-defense situations so you don’t lose precious time. The EZ 9 is just as slim and small as the EZ .380. The ambidextrous thumb safeties can add a little extra width so consider carrying in an ultra-slim holster like our Slim Carry Kydex.

 

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

guns women

Click image to see reviews.

#7 Glock 19

Coming in at #7 Most Popular Guns Women Carried in 2020 is the Glock 19. I don’t want to say this is a surprise because this is a great gun, however, it is quite large compared to the others. The G19 is almost 7.5 inches long which can make it harder to conceal for some women. But, its high capacity, reliability, and incredible popularity among all gun owners, male and female have given this gun its legendary status.

 

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

glock 19

Click image to see reviews.

#8 Ruger LCP

The 8th most popular gun women carried in 2020 is surprisingly not on the top 10 purchased list! This just shows that the Ruger LCP (the 13th most popular gun purchased) is a gun that you will want to carry for a long time if you find this is the gun for you. The LCP line holds a well-deserved place in popular concealed carry pistols.

The LCP is a very small and slim .380 pistol that is so easy to conceal it can be carried almost anywhere because of its very small size and lightweight. It is a popular gun for concealed carrying in a bra or with very snug-fitting clothing.  You can comfortably carry this gun with almost any holster. See our holster options HERE.

 

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

Ruger LCP

Click image to see reviews.

#9 Glock 42

The third Glock on this list is the Glock 42. This is one of the top .380 caliber concealed carry guns that women love. As with the G43 and G19, this gun is popular because of the reliability and quality craftsmanship synonymous with Glock. It’s small, slim and sleek, and very easy to conceal.

 

Of the women who carry the Glock 42, the below pie chart shows the most common holsters they use.

glock 42

Click image to see reviews.

#10 Ruger LC9/LC9s

In 2020, the Ruger LC9/LC9s was the 20th most popular gun purchased but it is the tenth most popular gun women carried in 2020. The LC9/LC9s are compact, lightweight, and slim 9mm guns that are incredibly easy to conceal, and being a Ruger it is very reliable. They have been extremely popular concealed carry guns with women for years.

 

Of the women who carry the Ruger LC9 or LC9/s, the below pie chart shows the most common holsters they use.

Click image to see reviews.

Most Popular Guns Women Carried in 2020 Final Thoughts

If you haven’t found “the one” gun for you to carry daily, this is a great place to start! What makes a gun good for concealed carry? First and foremost is your ability to use the gun effectively. It will not help you to carry a gun that you can’t accurately and quickly shoot. Remember, every second counts! Another important factor is concealability. Can you hide the gun on your body with a reliable, safe holster? If the gun you love is too big to conceal, you may need to make some clothing style changes or perhaps look for a gun that is easier to hide that you can still shoot accurately.

You also want your gun to have stopping power you need to stop an attacker. However, if you can only effectively handle and shoot a .22 caliber gun, then carry a .22 caliber!  The rule of thumb is to carry the highest caliber you are comfortable with shooting and carry every day and everywhere you can.

 

Have you tried our Gun Finder yet? This quiz will ask a few questions about your characteristics and hand measurements and then supply you with a list of guns that would be great for you to try! The guns that are given are based on your answers so, they are a match to you! You have to try it!

The Well Armed Woman Gun Finder

Most Popular Guns Women Carried in 2020 11-20

11 – Glock 43X

12 – Springfield Hellcat
13 – Sig Sauer P938
14 – S&W 642 .38 Revolver
15 – S&W Bodyguard .380
16 – Ruger LCPII
17 – Kimber Micro 9
18 – S&W M&P Shield 2.0
19 – Springfield XDS Mod.2
20 – Ruger LCR

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15 thoughts on “Most Popular Guns Women Carried in 2020

  1. Sunny Sonja Meidell says:

    I’m 78 and camp and hike. I have a charter 38special and a Ruger Wrangler 22 for plinking at range. Revolver is much easier to load and clean. No flying debris hitting back at you. Taking test for ccw in a week or so and I am practicing on a SW 9mm revolver and a 38 revolver. Any info for senior user would be helpful.

  2. Susan says:

    I’m looking to buy a gun 1st time buyer. What do you recommend

    1. Carrie Lightfoot says:

      Hi Susan,
      Have you tried our Gun Finder? Click here to take the short quiz and have a list of recommended guns specified for you to look into and try!

    2. D.A. LANG says:

      KEL-TEC 3AT, KEL-TEC P15. LIGHTEST, SLIMMEST DESIGN, DOUBLE STACK CLIP, RELIABLE.

  3. Karen Justice says:

    As of 09/01/21, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbot will allow open-carry, Most articles seem to cite IWB carry: I’d like to see more OWB-carry holsters for the guns some prefer (mine a Springield Hellcat), most especially those (1) not needing a belt for anchoring and (2) which will accommodate red-dot and/or lasers.

  4. Karen Justice says:

    As of 09/01/21, Texas Gov Gregg Abbot will allow open-carry, Most articles seem to cite IWB carry: I’d like to see more one-carry holsters for the guns some prefer (mine a Springields Hellcat), most especially those (1) not needing a belt for anchoring and (s) which will accommodate red-dot and/or lasers.

  5. DDupre says:

    Interesting list, I’m curious why CZ hasn’t broken into the carry list yet? Is there a reason more women aren’t carrying CZ compacts?

    1. Suzanne says:

      I finally gave mine to my grandson. The slide was extremely stiff, and I knew in an emergency I would have trouble with it.

  6. Margo Liss says:

    Nice article and breakdown by carry type. What population was polled? I’d like to see the hard numbers that go with each carry category/firearm in addition to the percentages. Also, while I’m thrilled that more women are carrying all the time, I’d like to better understand the seemingly large percentage that only (?) purse carry as this is not the safest option. What can we do to help those ladies move to on-body carry? Be safe all!

    1. Carrie Lightfoot says:

      Hi Margo,
      Our survey was open to all women gun owners who had access to our site and we had over 5,500 entrants! Our next data series article is “Top Holsters and Carry Locations for Women in 2020” and will be released next week. If you are on our mailing list you will be notified when it is posted! Thanks for the comment!

      1. Tabitha says:

        When will you have an article on open carry?

        1. Warehouse says:

          Thanks for the suggestion, we will add it to our list! 🙂

  7. Denise says:

    Excellent write up! Giving me food for thought for my next purchase! Thanks for ALL you do for us Well Armed Women!

  8. N K Hall says:

    I own 5 of these….good list!

  9. Susan Smith says:

    Great article! Knowing what women are buying and how/where they are carrying is great information.

    I offer a “try before you buy” option and have 7 of the top 10 guns. Interestingly, I only added one more from the list of 11-20. I feel good that my offerings reflect what women want.

    Perhaps in a future survey you could break down IWB carry a bit further to include AIWB. Just a thought. 😉

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