What Type Of Gun Should I Get As A Girl?

Via Evie Magazine

There are many challenges for women nowadays, and one of the most important steps we can take towards empowerment and independence is to arm ourselves and become proficient in self-defense. But where would you even start?

Well, here.

Things To Consider When Carrying a Handgun

One of the best things about being a woman is the chance to be feminine and creative. To have fun with trends, shapes, and colors, and to express yourself through your wardrobe. Some days I’m feeling greyscale, and some days I’m feeling flowery or even polka dot.

When it comes to gearing up for self-defense, however, women often run into practical issues such as where to place their weapon. The holster clip needs to be attached to a belt, otherwise it won’t be secure enough. And yes, you will need a holster. The cowboy move of placing a piping hot revolver into your pants doesn’t actually work in real life, spoiler alert.

Now you have a hard plasticky holster on your waist. Or maybe you have a soft holster, which would make it more comfortable against your skin, but might not be a great safety measure if your gun is locked and loaded, ready to fire.

You’ll still have the butt of the gun sticking out or pressed against your skin. The pressure of it against my back or my stomach for hours while I drive, for example, often leaves me with red bruises and painful marks. Yikes!

To be fair, you could always open carry. But you may not want to do that because you may become a target for someone who wants to try and steal your gun. There are plenty of crazy people out there, and if they have a gun on them, already drawn and ready to fire, you’ll be in for a tough time. It’s best, in my opinion, to keep your lightning stick to yourself, hidden from public sight, until it’s time to use it. Yes, I did just use those words.

So, if we consider open carry out of the equation, then we’re left with the issue of concealability, comfort, and cuteness all over again. I, personally, do not want to wear oversized sweaters for the rest of my life in order to carry.

Which Gun Should I Get?

When it comes to what gun to pick, many men, especially those who are tall with loose clothing, can get away with concealing larger caliber weapons. Women may not be so lucky, so my rule when it comes to picking your everyday gun is this: Pick the highest caliber gun that you can easily conceal.

A compact 9mm or a 380 tends to be a good choice for women. This is where, however, saving up and spending a little more will be in your best interest. The reason is that smaller guns absorb much of the impact of the shot into their smaller bodies and will recoil hard, making it very difficult to fire accurately, especially more than once.

A more expensive gun will be built with more stability. More reliability. And please do not buy a pink or neon gun, for obvious reasons. This isn’t Ultra, and you’re not going on a date with Marshmello.

You’ll need to clean your gun every now and then, and you’ll need to practice with it fairly often. Keep in mind that add-ons such as lights, lasers, etc. may add to the bulkiness of the weapon. You’re carrying a heavy, metal, bulky thing attached to your jeans, and you need to ensure that you find a middle ground between being tactical and being practical.

For smaller guns, the compromising part tends to be the magazine capacity, so I tend to buy a bigger magazine because I can still conceal it and could use the additional rounds. The grip of the gun is also greatly improved by having an extended mag. If the grip around your hand feels too bulky, kindly request the store to show you different grips, thinner ones, for that same weapon. Yes, they can be changed very easily.

Safety Switch Options

I would also stick to something like a Glock, or a gun that has a safety switch to it. Because, well, you don’t want to shoot yourself in the leg, and because pistols (yes, please stick with a pistol, you’re not a cowboy and we’ve established that) that don’t have a safety button will come with a long trigger.

A long trigger means that this gun also has a safety feature, just a different one. With this one, however, you will have to pull the trigger all the way back, e v e r y t i m e, before firing each shot, which will hurt your finger, make you miss the target, and give you a slight nervous breakdown.

Just…stick to a simple safety pin option.

You can always set up your weapon, with the safety off, to fire the first shot with a long trigger and the subsequent shots with a normal trigger pull. That would be a good setup to keep it on.

Take Movement into Consideration

We’ve talked about being mindful of shooting ourselves, so we need to address that little detail.

When you’re moving up and down, squatting to get the cat food on the lower shelf or jumping up (maybe climbing, depending on your height) to get that hair conditioner that’s finally on sale at the grocery store, your gun will be flopping around, with the risk of being exposed to strangers, which in many states and cases is actually against the law.

Not only that, but it will also be subject to pressure and movement which could trigger the firing of the projectile, and thus your next visit to the hospital and an awkward conversation with your parents.

To avoid that, you should determine the risks related to movement and to the loading of the gun. If there won’t be much movement, my gun is locked, loaded with safety off, properly holstered, of course. If I will be moving around or have the gun on my hip, I will perhaps have the safety off but not have a round loaded. Or vice versa. A gun will fire the first round if it has been loaded prior to the safety being on, so be careful.

Maintaining your gun, cleaning it, and getting to know it are paramount to avoid accidents and misfirings. Become familiar with proper gun safety and ensure you’re following those rules at all times to keep yourself and others safe.

But, we still have the problem of carrying the gun on our hands. And now I’ll solve it for ya: The word is…HOLSTERS!

Holsters Are Like Shoes, You Need Different Ones for Different Outfits

Yes, the stores will sell you those basic waist holsters, but they can be obvious to onlookers if you’re wearing skinny jeans and, quite frankly, very uncomfortable. The waist is also a place of your body subject to a lot of movement and that can be unsafe if the gun is tightly packed in your jeans.

If you go on the internet, however, you will find a multitude of holsters. Bra, underarm, holsters that are also tank tops, belly bands, calf, thigh, and all sorts of different types.

Invest in those so that, no matter which outfit you choose, you can look confidently beautiful, safe, secure, and still be armed, without the need to “tuck it in” every two seconds, because that’s something we do if we’re not comfortable with the gun’s positioning, and it becomes obvious to everyone in the room that we’re carrying.

It’s very possible to be a woman, be fashionable, be safe, and be armed. Nobody really talks about holsters and how those can be good for you, but I know that we also want to wear that cute dress when summer comes without worrying about flashing your gun to strangers or staying unarmed against evil creepsters.

I have personally gotten to the point where I have a lot of fun pairing different holsters with different outfits, feeling tactical, and being what (between you and me) I like to call “cute as hell, deadly as f***.”

Closing Thoughts

I hope you can learn more about it and have fun too. Women can still be badasses and be in touch with their femininity. You don’t need a pink gun, what you need is what we always need in our wardrobes — options!

For examples of what types of guns to get, check these out:

• Best Handguns for Women 2020, by Armed Forces International
• 10 Best Handguns for Women in 2021, by The Gun Zone
• Best Concealed Carry Guns for Women 2020, by Gun Digest
• 10 Best Handguns for Women for Self-Defense, by Gun News Daily
• Best Handgun for Women, by Gun and Shooter

Be safe and kick ass!

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