The Best Concealed Carry Handguns for Women

Picking a concealed carry handgun is a challenge, and there are some unique factors that women have to consider when they decide to start carrying a gun. In this video, Miranda shares her expertise and advice for women who are looking for their everyday carry gun.
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00:00 Intro
00:21 On-Body vs. Purse Carry
01:04 Concealed Carry Purses vs. Regular Purses
01:54 Revolvers: Pros & Cons
02:26 Revolver Trigger Pull
03:03 Double-Action Semi-Auto Handguns
03:24 Manual Safeties: Pros & Cons
04:05 What Gun Should You Buy?
04:37 Hand Strength & Racking a Slide
05:03 9mm vs. .380 & Larger Calibers
05:38 Conclusion

[@perryparsons9960]

Traded a handicapped lady my Ruger P-89 9mm, because A) She shot it better B) She had the perfect conceal place for it on her body, even if dumped out of her wheelchair still retained her handgun. C) The .380 Bodyguard the 'gunstore expert' recommended to her was literally the worst choice for her, but perfect for me, and carry it today, 8 years later. D) While I can, and do, carry 2 extra mags for the Bodyguard (for me an excellent choice) gave her 16 rounds of 9 mm, rather than 7 rounds of .380. Her manual dexterity was compromised compared to anyone else for a reload, gave her a better chance to defend herself. And that was all I cared about, that she could win the fight.

[@randomperson1943]

As a woman...i gotta be really real about the S&W EZ. Yes, it's easy to rack the slide. Yes, it's easy to load the mags. Thats where the ease ends. 1. Its fat and bulky. Not ideal for concealing on your person. 2. The mag capacity is low. The mag is a single stack yet the grip is so fat you'd think you had a 17 round double stack in there. Annnnd 3. It has a grip safety. This means you REALLY gotta get the grip juuust right and push it in or its not gonna fire. And this is marketed for women with "small hands and/or weak grips" and peaople with arteritis or hand/wrist issues. Well...given how you really gotta grip it, it defeats the supposed purpose. And its just not comfortable in hand. All in all, i would never recommend that gun to anyone let alone a woman.

[@Jude13able]

Thank you! Thank! You! So much about what you said about the revolver. These men are always suggesting/buying stupid revolvers for their women! Men act like they don't know how to let their women choose the gun that they want. SMH and five to six shots isn't enough when you have multiple attackers🤷!!! So ladies do not allow men to a woman's job. Therefore get the gun you want and feel comfortable using.

[@randomperson1943]

I was recommended a .380 Ruger LCP II because it was "small" and would be "better for a woman's smaller hands". Nah...it was so snappy and painful to shoot. Gotta think, the shorter the barrel, the more muzzle flip and more felt recoil. Not ideal. And especially not a good idea for my first gun. You wanna turn a new shooter off to self defense? Then recommended a Rugar LCP II

[@user-cn9ii3kp6w]

Ok, I'm a guy, I've watched a bunch of these videos on women choosing the right guns, read all the comments and I've been through a number of training classes and was certified by the NRA years ago for basic home defense and basic pistol as a trainer. I've also been carrying concealed for 30 years and my wife got her CCW 3 years ago but has yet to carry or buy a gun of her own. I have yet to see one of these videos that addresses ALL the concerns of owning and carrying a pistol. Nobody talks about whether the lady choosing between a revolver and a semi-auto has considered which one is easiest to clean and maintain. Can she field strip it and does she know the proper procedure for cleaning it? Which one requires more maintenance? That never seems to be a consideration here. Also, carrying a gun on your person every day involves commitment and compromises that have to be worked out on a personal and individual basis and all that has to be balanced against what you're going to need in the face of a lethal attack. A 5-shot 22LR ain't gonna cut it against a wild-eyed crack addict when that's all you've got because it's easy to carry in hot weather. That's just not being serious about self defense. Yet I've seen .22s reviewed along with .357s in "Top 10 Snubby" videos. The expert lady giving advice in this video is very concerned about recoil and how that's a problem. If I could, I would ask her if she's ever gone hunting. I have and I can tell you that when you're hunting, you're not wearing hearing protection and you're in a heightened state of awareness. When you're surprised by game exploding out of the brush in front of you, you pull up a heavy, loud shotgun, acquire your target picture and fire as fast as you can react. There's a rush of adrenaline that totally blocks out the sound of the gun and any felt recoil. You might remember it afterward but none of that affects your shooting. Too much is made of "felt recoil" and "flinching". These are factors we may deal with on the target range but I'm certain that if we have to shoot in defense of our lives, that adrenaline dump will overcome those talking points. Women, like men should concern themselves with the real world issues of how they're going to live with their gun choice on a day-to-day basis. Whether it's a revolver or semi-auto, choose the heaviest caliber you can shoot competently and conceal practically on your body (not in a purse). If needed, keep a separate firearm at home for home defense (preferably a shotgun).

[@Zoco101]

There's a lot of good advice in the video, and it's nice to see the ladies speaking up and showing that guns don't have to be a male domain. I'm surprised if shooters need to train (even) more with full reset triggers. I thought those triggers are made precisely for people who have less training, so that they don't run the gun too quickly. But if a short trigger reset makes for a more accurate second and third shot, well that is something worth having.

[@Max-wd8ox]

my wife got her finger pinched in the slide of a semi auto and from that day she only like to shoot revolver. easy to reload and the not so easy trigger is actually a plus in her book because can t shoot without really wanting to make that bullet leave the barrel to stop the threat

[@perryparsons9960]

Another tip. My hardcore liberal 80 year old mother asked me in 2016, when Trump got elected and the fascist mobs were coming to kick in her door, what gun should she get, so she wasn't raped and robbed? Kid you not. And mom, so was respectful, and gave her my best advice. Asked her, what experience do you have with firearms? Essentially none, but as a teen did go to the river and shoot with her dad. Having been through my grandfather's boot camp for firearm safety and marksmanship, knew she had shot a Stevens bolt action single shot. Bought her a Ruger 10-22, with a 25 round magazine, which is securely stored in her personal Alamo. I doubt it will ever come to that, but in the event of a home invasion, all she has to do is go there, and has a wasp's nest she can unleash, while between two upright freezers full of grandma content.

[@ZombieCSSTutorials]

Thanks for showing these tips. It's good to know even if you aren't a lady shooter cause you might need to give advice about stuff like this someday. Funny that you mention you carry a micro-compact, and to be honest as a guy i carry a micro-compact too, it adds mobility (less weight and material) and is concealable, it doesn't interfere with what i wear that much and I can do day to day stuff. One thing I would suggest is holsters for ladies. This seems to be the key issue among lady carriers, the holster needs to be comfortable enough where it does not interfere with carrying. Maybe do a video explaining different holster options for women, because a kydex holster might seem like a good idea at first until the stippling starts tearing your sides like sandpaper, which means you'd need a double shirt every time you carry with that holster. One thing that bothers me is that the purse carry thing is not ideal, the most likely scenario is that any attacker is going to be feet away by the time you notice, and the idea that you'd have time to dig in there and pull out a firearm is foolish, especially when the attacker (if he is just a robber) will most likely want to get out as quickly as possible, and will either demand the entire purse or just grab the whole thing. The reason purse carry exists is because of the lack of comfortable options for waist carry holsters, especially for women.

[@markpelenytschka8374]

Shot placement is the key! practice, practice, practice

[@armedmindset6778]

Excellent information and great advice! Great video, keep them coming.

[@brodyhagemeier9356]

This was very informative. Thank you!

[@williehenton8154]

Awesome

[@stufields5125]

We got a Ruger LCR .32 for my wife who had essentially zero hand gun experience. She did quite well at the range and enjoyed shooting it. She had very little ability in ratcheting the slide on a couple of semi-automatics we had access to. The recoil on the Ruger is much less than the equivalent S&W short barrel .38 spec. The trigger pull was also better than the Smith.

[@johntoothman4888]

Nice job ladies!!!

[@bridgettecarpenter4655]

Personally I would never carry in a purse!! If you think about it, someone can easily snatch your bag from you and then you have no self defense at all!

[@francinebarr1204]

Not getting a gun, But I’m Getting Home Security, My Double Glass Door Was Shoot By A BeB Gun. Was Not Home, At The Time. Thank You 🌷

[@kimecosx]

Francine Barr Home Security won’t prevent a bad person who truly has an intent on breaking in and hurting you. Best to learn to use a gun in case the police don’t get there before the criminal tries to hunt you down first. Even in home invasions these criminals carry guns and some don’t intentionally kill people but they do happen. So it’s either kill or be killed when a situation like that comes. At the end of the day it’s your choice, but can you honestly say that you’d rather live in a home with no way to protect yourself when a gun is involved? I know if I was a parent I would definitely never leave that option out if it meant keeping my kids/loved ones alive.

[@bertscott3842]

I took my wife to a gun range and rented a variety of different pistols, and allowed her to choose the one she was comfortable shooting. She loves her SIG P365

[@bertscott3842]

@Doran Krotan I also carry one. I shoot it better than my Kahr CM9

[@SmudgyContent]

Carrying the right and same ammo in semi-autos yah don’t wanna mix and match the ammo, u will most likely have issues, 9mm ammo is obsolete now cause of all the new gun owners... u will find 10mm ammo and .40 cal ammo still out there. Nothing and I mean there is nothing for 9mm ammo out there that u can find right now... I don’t recommend a 9mm cause “the ammo is cheaper” there isn’t any... also there’s no primers out there either to make ur own ammo. Lolz good luck 👍🍀

[@rbm6184]

Gun owners should always practice the four rules of gun safety and train with their gun regardless of having a manual safety or not. If you don't train with the gun then the stress will be that much worse trying to use the gun whether it has a manual safety or not. Manual safeties when used prevent negligent discharges. Negligent discharges are a felony in some states not to mention dangerous or life threatening. However long heavy double action triggers provide more safety than light sloppy single action striker triggers. A trigger can and will snag on something when you least expect it without your finger even touching it in or out of the holster. I am tired of hearing the myth that just because your finger is off the trigger the gun is safe. Its not a good idea to put an aftermarket hair trigger on any gun as that even makes the chance of an ND even worse than an already light factory trigger. If you take the risk of having no manual safety or not using it then you take the risk of an ND and its consequences that goes along with it.

[@clawhammer704]

Get a revolver that uses 327 magnum and use 32 H&R. The revolver is simple. It’s what I carry.

[@rachaelmorder6762]

I carry a M&P 2.0 full size. I carry in my purse because it’s too big for on my person.

[@michaelsweaney3890]

Excellent choice 👍 That's my home 🏡 defense gun 🎯🔫

[@rubengonzales9150]

Carry the right ammo for a revolver and it won't have a big recoil so much

[@Zoco101]

I believe that in certain circumstances (perhaps not many) a revolver is the better weapon. It's marginally quicker to draw (very important in the street) and simpler to operate. Staying on target despite heavier recoil would be my main concern, but like you say, ammo choice can help. And, unlike 9mm, the ammo is still available during the pandemic. The Ruger LCRx with a 3" barrel and adjustable rear sights looks good to me. It only has 5 shots, but I'm not very concerned about capacity. There are, however, some good reasons for going with a semi-auto.

[@rubengonzales9150]

@@Zoco101 ya I like revolvers there more easier for me to handle I'm not to good with automatics

[@Zoco101]

@@rubengonzales9150 ¿Pero vives en los EEUU Ruben? Yo estoy en España.

[@margovallen]

In a situation, your adrenaline will make up for that 10lb trigger pull and then some.

[@TietLung]

Yes...lets carry in the thing that is the number 1 target of most thiefs....a purse. So now youre out arming criminals cause your fashion was more important. Adjust your clothing around on body carry. Id rather you didnt carry than have you put yet another gun into the hands of a criminal. Stop encouraging this absolutely horrible way of carrying a gun.

[@johnmaxx4818]

Most women don't understand the idea of a semiautomatic pistol ,a revolver is ideal ,more so public defender is the ultimate in wife's opinion

[@MrNpc81]

You sir, win a prize for the worst gun related advice I've ever heard. Congrats!

[@johnmaxx4818]

@@MrNpc81 a revolver is easier quicker go to without wondering if there is a round in the chamber, congratsyourself

[@MrNpc81]

@@johnmaxx4818 even of that were true, which it isn't, saying that the Public Defender is a good choice is laughable.

[@johnmaxx4818]

@@MrNpc81 if u didn't have a limp wrist,u might agree

[@MrNpc81]

@@johnmaxx4818 lol you know nothing about me chief. Also, are you liking your own comments....?

[@rubengonzales9150]

She really has no experience talking about revolvers

[@stephenscharff6358]

I watched this and you know I get so tired of well these are the best guns for women these are the best guns for elderly or these are the best guns for blah blah.... I also get tired when I'm at the gun shopsporting store and I listen to the husband flap his gums about what kind of gun in his wife needs or what kind of gun his wife is going to buy . when my wife went to the gun store the guy looked at me and asked what we were looking for I said talk to my wifeshe'll know what gun to buy when she goes through and checks out a few granted I did give her some tipslike I think of all practicality what are you going to use it for concealed carry or home defense also keep in mind caliber and accessibility of ammo and also keep an accountability how it feels your hand cuz ultimately it's her gunI know what guns I like I'm not going to let anyone tell me what I should or shouldn't buyyou take your woman to a gun store let her ask the questions let her get the information let her feel the guns out and on top of that if she respects your opinion she'll ask you hey I'm looking at these three guns what do you think give a quick simple opinion and let her figure out the restif your wife thinks she can handle the 500 magnum if she wants to carry in her purse well I guess then she wants to do it she'll find out when she shoots it if it's good or notas long as you can put rounds on Target and the gun is comfortable and you know the ins-and-outs and how to properly work the firearm then that's the firearm for you by the way my wife has a Beretta PX4 Storm 40 caliber and a Glock 43 x 9 m m she picked them out women can handle anything a guy can call mine powerso let's stop trying to tell a woman what she should buy and let her figure it out for herself some people don't want 9 mm some people don't want 380 some people just want to ask questions and being control

[@NAGRstaff]

so...you liked this video then?

[@armedmindset6778]

Did you even watch the video? It made many of the same points you rambled on about.

[@1965startrek]

Thanks. Good ideas.

[@owenfriday8620]

The Best Concealed Carry Handguns for Women are Glocks because they were designed specifically for Women & forced on Men when the FBI knuckled under to Feminist political pressure to adopt a gun for the small framed female agents it was forced to hire. Had the FBI leadership had any spine they would have either opted for a modern 1911 type Double stack pistol in 9mm or a Beretta 9mm or a decent high capacity 9mm striker fired pistol with full size for male agents & commander or compact versions for female agents.

[@everythingisaworkinprogres5729]

For real?

[@owenfriday8620]

@@everythingisaworkinprogres5729 It took you almost 11 months to reply to my post, you must have a very slow internet connection. My post is based on information I got from 2 sources - one a retired FBI field agent & the other a retired NYC homicide detective Sgt. who was previously a firearms instructor. The FBI chose Glock under pressure from the politicians who were at the time beholden to feminist pressure groups . Glocks are reliable but uninspiring & are a one size fits all weapon.

[@everythingisaworkinprogres5729]

@@owenfriday8620 I don't even know where to start... but I've got to somewhere... First, I only came across the video and your comment when I did. I've only somewhat recently worked up enough courage to delve into the firearms industry and have been watching a ton of videos to learn as much as I can. Sorry I'm late to the game. But hey, better late than never. Second, I am a petite asian woman, so my question was actually in support of the fact that Glock was made for women. Thanks for the low down, though. This is why I love reading through comments. You do learn a bunch of stuff.

[@rubengonzales9150]

She needs to forget about the camera and concentrate on her subject