“Last month, I featured the Glock 19 in a piece I lovingly dedicated to lady shooters,” Jacki Billings writes at guns.com. “Not sure how it would be taken, I was surprised to find that our readership seemed to enjoy a girl’s take on the G19; so I’m back with my womanly perspective on another handgun.” Yes well . . .

Ms. Billings most excellent review of the Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm (click here for TTAG Ralph’s assessment) dwells not at all on the “woman’s aspect” of the popular handgun. Because there isn’t one?

Once you get past the idea that women can’t handle recoil (they can), consider ergonomic issue (women are smaller than men!), ignore the whole women-buy-pink-guns “issue” (at that point, what difference does it make?), and recognize macho condescension towards female shooters as increasing rare (and plain old stupid). what’s woman-specific about firearms?

I guess you could say there’s a women’s perspective on firearms ownership. But then, maybe not. Don’t women own and use guns for the same reason as men — save protecting themselves against rape? And maybe even that.

The firearms industry is keen on the female market, because it’s growing. But again, what’s so different about women and guns that requires some kind of sales, training and journalistic carve-out?

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57 COMMENTS

  1. Sure there is. Find a woman, ask her, “What is your perspective on guns?,” when she answers you’ll have heard a woman’s perspective on guns.

  3. Just finished reading your Simple shooting hack that lets you hit any target from as far as 100 yards.

    Women might get more out of it if it wasn’t presented as an ad.

  4. Women have hips. And butts. Which means they could hang an engine flywheel on their belts and it wouldn’t pull their pants down. Of course, that decidedly different pelvic shape will change the ergonomics of any holster on their waistband.

    They also tend to have smaller hands and shorter fingers.

    Which means that, when discussing the ergonomics or comfort of a gun or a holster, it’s logical for a woman to seek out the opinions of other women.

  5. i thought they were marketing that ’57 bel aire turquoise and white spectrum to me.
    seriously though, broads with guns can be very sexy.

  7. My wife is more likely to have our toddler with her when a BG attacks, affecting the type of firearm and carry method she uses. It has to be amenable to one-hand draw and fire, cause that’s all she’s likely to have available when it counts. She dresses appropriately to make this happen. Single-stack 380’s and 9’s are all that she can conceal, and the softer-recoiling variety allow decent one-hand use. No big surprises in any of this.

  8. At the range I frequent in a mid-sized Midwestern city, I see more and more women shooters there. Some are in their 20s, but a lot of them are elderly. One elderly woman in the lane next to me was shooting an S&W Model 36 J-frame with very respectable accuracy at 15′, using double-action, of course. I’ll tell you, these days I’d think twice before I’d assume a woman was “easy prey” in my parts!!!

  9. But again, what’s so different about women and guns that requires some kind of sales, training and journalistic carve-out?

    Identity Politics and 3rd wave feminism.

    • The last two customers I’ve helped here this morning have proven only two things that are needed to help a woman pick a gun: an open mind and a willingness to listen.
      If you’re a man in this business or you’re a boyfriend trying to teach your lady friend about guns – leave all of what you think you know at the door and start from scratch… she will NOT be well served with what your chauvinistic brain thinks she’ll like.
      If you can’t put those preconceived notions aside – swallow your pride and leave the teaching to a professional.

      • Oh yeah, I’d bet you’d really like some professional alone time to teach these women how to shoot eh? Kinda like dudes who send their wives off to a personal trainer… ?

  10. A bunch of OFWGs discussing whether a woman has a viewpoint?

    Yeah, this is gonna end well…

    • Yep, we can’t help ourselves, and we’ll never learn.

      Safer to ask a woman if men have their own perspective about guns.

      She’ll say “not until I give him one”. He’ll say “HEY, I’m nobody’s b1tch”. She’ll say “shut up b1tch”. He’ll say, “ok. . .”

  11. In my experience woman seem to have zero problem with recoil, this is proven out by the fact that seem drawn to revolvers like no ones business. My wife lives .357 mags with full power loads. Ive many times offered to get her something that reloads a little easier than that. All I get is a polite, “no thank you.”

    Now I know thats not every woman that prefers revolvers, but i glance around the range and the ratio of revolvers on women and revolvers on men is way skewed to women.

  12. Men and women are different in all sorts of ways. I imagine that translates into differences in use and preferences.

  13. Each individual, men/women/whatever, has a slightly unique viewpoint – perspective. They may overlap some, and they may not, depending on the individual of course.

    This may well be a question that need not be asked, except perhaps of oneself.

    Why so many silly questions these days? I’d rather go back to the silly old caliber/gun brand wars. At least some of those remarks were entertaining. 🙂

  14. All I can say is that my wife’s preference is a 12 gauge pump backed by a .45 but that she has recently developed an interest in 10mm which I attribute, fairly or not, to serge.

  15. Since there are women (and they do differ from men in some ways), their perspective may differ. It also may be the same as a man’s perspective.

    But in general. Yes.

  16. Ugh, egalitarian white knight BS.

    Your average women’s recoil control sucks. The chick pictured has a grip entirely too low. Your average women’s idea of CC is purse carry. They generally will not dress around the gun. Lots of women struggle with simply racking the slide. Not to mention mindset issues.

    Women absolutely need a training carve out.

    It’s not that women can’t be good shooters, it’s just that most of them aren’t and can’t be bothered to figure it out.

    A gun is a talisman for your average girl. IMHO most women would benefit more from proper mindset than anything else. All women should be attacked by a strong man who isn’t holding back at least once in a training environment so they can rid themselves of any silliness men like Farago want to sell them.

    • I don’t “dress around the gun” either. That’s just silly. I choose a gun that fits what I have to wear. Why tailor everything you wear to a specific gun when you can tailor the gun instead. And, open carry is an option, too. (In most states.)

    • In my experience women are more honest about carry and recoil. I know plenty of dudes that have horrible recoil flinch, shitty follow up times and don’t carry their full sized “manly” gun because it’s too hard to conceal. If you truly dress around your gun and aren’t a LEO or the like your mindset is in the minority. As far as a talisman, I know countless CCW holders that only practice at static ranges and do little draw and CQM pistol drills, most aren’t stupid they just have limited time and competing priorities, in the most likely dgu situation they will be fine. It runs counter to the whole John McClane scenario but it’s more likely and most men and women prioritize like that. The philosophy of getting the smallest gun and biggest caliber you can shoot minute of bad guy at 25 ft may leave you under gunned compared to the more extreme situations but I would wager the person carries more often and is armed enough for what they likely will encounter.

      • “don’t carry their full sized “manly” gun because it’s too hard to conceal”

        Guilty. LCP-.380 is so easy to carry.

    • Paraphrasing a quote I read on some forum: You’re not going to look down at the 9mm hole in your chest and say, “pfff, that chick gripped the gun way too low…”

  17. At first glance I thought Amanda Marcotte had changed sides. Now I feel bad about insulting the woman in the picture than way.

  18. I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but as a man I sure do also carry a gun to prevent being raped.

  19. The only difference I see is how women conceal carry differently than men. We naturally have different body shapes and some methods and place of carry work better for women than men and vice versa. As far as the recoil issue, any size woman can be taught to handle and caliber weapon with the right training. My wife bought a Glock 29 10mm compact and shoots some hot ammo (180gr @1350 fps) accurately no problem and she is no Amazonian. Just like with anyone that’s a new shooter you start out small, learn good fundamentals, and up the caliber over time.

  20. Mostly I like guns as toys. To go with all my other toys. Tweaking liberals and being better prepared for unlikely strife are bonuses. On average, I’d guess women think differently.

    And if I do find myself in the midst of violent strife, the urge to mansplain and fix things will be strong.

  21. “what’s so different about women and guns”

    Women smell nicer than guns, unless the guns use Hoppe’s, in which case guns smell nicer.

    Guns are also cheaper than women. You can buy a gun for a few hundred bucks and you get to keep it forever. Buy a woman for a few hundred and she’s gone in 30 minutes.

    And a gun will never run away with your boss and make you hand over your house and half your earnings.

    That’s about it.

    • You can lock a gun away in a dark airless space for years and the cops won’t get upset with you.
      You don’t have to feed a gun every day.
      You can ignore a gun for years and it won’t get upset.

    • Your gun won’t get mad if you spend too much time looking at and fantasizing about other guns…
      Your gun won’t get mad if you bring a newer, lighter-weight gun home this evening…

  22. My wife has a grip so strong she can practically crush my hand. And she’s a gorgeous goddess. No problem with recoil-is that why she wants a revolver? This whole discussion is BS…

        • Oh totally, also probably tranny, I didn’t think of that.

          Tranny bodybuilder, makes sense now.

        • Dude, your wife can crush your hand…you’re not kicking anyone’s azz.

          You know who can’t crush my hand? My wife. Cuz she’s actually a real girl, not someone I made up in my head.

          Sigh, why am I wasting my time, your probably some lesbian who thinks this silly sh!t helps feminism or something equally stupid.

  23. My daughter always complains about being “talked down to” or “mansplained” when she goes to the LGS. I know she can shoot better than probably 90% of the guys there.

    • Then she should make an example out of them.

      I’ve made a few hundred bucks on bets with people who were certain they could shoot better than my wife.

      Dumb $20 bets with prideful OFWG’s adds up to some nice electronics.

  24. I would say that a “woman’s perspective” on guns has more to do with the author of the review than the gun itself. I think people are more interested in the opinions of those who are the most similar. That includes women valuing the opinions and gun reviews of other women.

    I don’t care if a gun fits a smaller hand, conceals on a woman’s hip, how manageable the recoil or weight is for a physically smaller person. My wife would care though. That’s what I picture the woman’s perspective to mean.

  25. Several years ago, I said to my husband, “I’d like to learn how to shoot a handgun.”

    I meant semi-automatic. He thought a 38 would be good. Then, he spent three days suggesting several, until he realized my hands might be smaller than his.

    I went shopping. The kid at the big box store couldn’t look up from his paperwork to help me, or call someone from the back. I did find a Mom and Pop store, where I bought. Next day, my husband bought, a few weeks later, we bought my son his first handgun. A wonderful relationship was formed.

    Racking was hard for me, at first. I got started in my fifties, didn’t go to the gym. Then I used an unloaded gun to rack while I watched T.V. Wasn’t long before a new 45 wasn’t a problem.

    I lean towards 1911’s, and clean my own. I do own that 38, too. I also keep the house supplied with ammo, something I’m re-stocking today.

  27. Women do have different emotional and ergonomic concerns. So it makes sense that they’d want to hear from other women, right?

    I dunno. I’m a man. There are many times when women seem like a different species. :p

  28. “But again, what’s so different about women and guns that requires some kind of sales, training and journalistic carve-out?”

    Well, position determines perspective and if you’re not a woman, you’re not going to have the same perspective.

  29. Only perspectives my wife has on guns is what fits her hand and what she can effectively shoot. She has small hands and does not deal well with double stacks.

  30. We want to know how it compares to different tampon brands and how effectively it will kill people that come within a 5 ft radius of our red tents when our in utero Berlin wall is crumbling. Duhh.

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