When women step into a gun store for the first time, a lot of the guys behind the counter have historically tried to direct them toward very small, lightweight guns, sometimes in pretty pathetic calibers, all because there was this notion that the ladies couldn’t handle a “big boy” round like the massive 9mm or something.

Yes, that was sarcasm.

I’ve never really liked this way of thinking, and while it might be on the wane as more and more women become gun owners and a big part of the gun culture, thus shattering the myths that led to such so-called advice, there are some people who will never let go of those ideas.

But even so, it might be nice to know what the ladies actually prefer. How can we do that? Well, there are a lot of ways, but a good one comes from A Girl & A Gun. They just held their national conference and published a report about what kind of guns were being used.

Pistols: Trusted Brands and Optics Preference

At the 2025 A Girl & A Gun National Conference, a total of 1,028 pistols were logged during the Gear Check process. Among the major brands, several standout models emerged as favorites among women shooters. GLOCK, who was the Title Sponsor of the event, had another strong showing with the G19, followed closely by the G34 and G17. SIG Sauer’s P365 XL also ranked highly, reinforcing its reputation as a viable option for everyday carry and training. Walther’s PDP F-Series earned the top spot for the second year in a row across all brands, and far outpaced other Walther models, thanks to its ergonomics tailored specifically for women. Smith & Wesson showed a strong presence with a mix of Shield and M&P variants.

This data gives us a clear view of which models women are truly choosing to train and carry—based not on hype, but on performance, comfort, and reliability. When it comes to pistols, here are what women prefer:

• Represented Brands:
  • GLOCK: 211 (21%)
  • SIG Sauer: 182 (18%)
  • Walther: 153 (15%)
  • Smith & Wesson: 104 (10%)
  • Heckler & Koch (HK): 70 (7%)
  • Springfield Armory: 64 (6%)
  • Staccato / STI: 61 (6%)
  • Canik: 56 (5%)
  • CZ: 44 (4%)
  • Beretta: 15 (1%)
  • Ruger: 12 (1%)
  • Shadow Systems: 11 (1%)
  • FN: 5 (0%)
  • SAR: 5 (0%)
  • Bul Armory: 5 (0%)
  • Kimber: 4 (0%)
  • Colt: 3 (0%)
  • Dan Wesson: 3 (0%)
  • Taurus: 3 (0%)
  • Mossberg: 2 (0%)
  • Stoeger: 2 (0%)
  • Wilson Combat: 2 (0%)
  • Accuracy X: 1 (0%)
  • Chiappa: 1 (0%)
  • IWI: 1 (0%)
  • Kahr: 1 (0%)
  • MasterPiece Arms: 1 (0%)
  • Palmetto State Armory: 1 (0%)
  • Rock Island / Armscor: 1 (0%)
  • Tisas: 1 (0%)
  • Nighthawk: 1 (0%)

There’s also data on rifles, shotguns, holsters, the works, which is interesting.

Now, as for these numbers here. Let’s look at this for a second and consider what we’re seeing. These guns represent some of the most popular brands out there, and when you look at the popular models, you’ll see something interesting. There aren’t a bunch of .32 and .380 pistols in the bunch. They’re pretty much all 9mm.

It’s almost like women are capable of shooting a regular defensive caliber pistol like the guys are.

Weird, right?

Now, understand that some women might prefer those smaller calibers, and that’s fine. I’d rather a woman have a gun on her person when something bad happens than be afraid of a larger gun and never carry it. The same goes for guys, so there is a balancing act here, but that’s true of anyone.

Honestly, what I’d like people to take away from this is that while women and men are built very differently and a woman may lack the strength of the average man, that doesn’t mean they prefer tiny, wimpy firearms. My wife, who is anything but a tomboy, can handle 9mm just fine and prefers my Glock 19 to most other firearms she’s messed with. I have to believe that most women can.

So, fellows, let’s stop pretending women can’t shoot many of the same guns the guys prefer.