A Loaded Question: What Do Women Want...

When It Comes to Handguns

I spent my Labor Day at a range with nearly 200 people, most of them women. While I was in Chambersburg, PA, shooting state and regional matches, I extended my stay in the area to attend a Smith & Wesson and Arsenal of Angels event hosted by the North American Rod and Gun Club. You might be wondering just what an Arsenal of Angels is. It’s a local membership organization of women who meet monthly to “practice, learn and grow as shooters.”

The lady behind it all knows how important it is for women to practice firearm safety and, for those who own firearms, to train. Beca Hafer is also the co-owner of Hafers Guns, a successful Smith & Wesson dealer in West Virginia and Maryland. Her passion for empowering women to learn how to defend themselves is why this group of women and girls spent their Labor Day on the range. The Hafer’s team and the Arsenal of Angels truly know how to coordinate an event. With various stations for attendees to visit, including time handling and shooting different Smith & Wesson firearms, this invite-only event ran smoothly and professionally.

I enjoy connecting with women in the various stages of their firearms journey, and this was a special day. I talked to women who ride motorcycles, understanding the importance of being able to protect themselves on the road. I met moms with their young daughters who use shooting as a way to step outside their comfort zones and learn together. I spoke with women who brought their adult children with them as a show-and-tell, proud of the steps they are taking to be safe and confident. It was a full spectrum, from grandmothers to college-aged women, each with their own reasons to attend.  To all those I had the pleasure of speaking with and to Beca and her amazing team, it was such a lovely day. I hope to be able to do it again.

Even though several weeks have passed, it’s still on my mind. If there’s one thing I wish more people understood, both those in the firearms industry and outside it, is that the female gun owner isn’t a single identity or type. That might sound silly, but I think our demographic is often misunderstood because we are so diverse. Not only do we come from different walks of life, but some of us were introduced to firearms at younger ages, whereas others are learning in their middle years or beyond. We have different reasons, interests, goals, and needs when it comes to shooting and gun ownership. It begs the question, how do we welcome women into shooting and offer the right guns and gear to them?

Shrink it and pink it.

“Shrink it and pink it.” It’s a phrase uttered almost like a dirty word, and it’s often tossed around at SHOT Show and other places where gun industry folk congregate. At some point many years ago, the gun world realized that simply producing a smaller, lighter gun in the hue most often associated with women and girls wasn’t the way to win us over. 

Except, what if it actually is?

Let me explain. There’s a difference between taking the smallest, lightest firearm in a lineup and slapping some paint on it vs. being thoughtful with features and overall design. For example, one of the things I was most excited about when I started shooting for Smith & Wesson in the mid-2000s was the opportunity to shoot the M&P pistol with its interchangeable backstraps. For years I competed with a handgun with finger grooves matching someone else’s larger and “perfect” grip. After training sessions on the range, my hands would ache from the awkwardness of it and the strain on my trigger finger. With the M&P’s smooth grip and small palmswell, I no longer felt like I was at such a disadvantage.  

Firearm features are important for design and even more so when dealing with the challenges of smaller hands typically found among female shooters. Finger length, grip strength, palm size, and grasping ability are also considerations that can make safe gun handling and manipulations more challenging for many women. The integration of smaller grips, shorter triggers, and lighter recoil springs makes shooting easier for this demographic. There are, of course, exceptions, but with more and more women choosing to carry a firearm, smaller and lighter guns also have great appeal, especially when concealing on body. 

Isn’t all of this “shrinking?"

As for the color pink, that’s also interesting. Some women I speak with hate it, some prefer a specific shade, and others are full-on Elle Woods in their passion for Barbie’s signature color. What seems to be universal is women’s dislike of using pink to pander to our sex. It begs the question, what does that mean about teal, purple, or blush tones? Many women will gravitate to a firearm that is visually appealing with feminine detailing. Is that pandering? It may not be pink specifically, but the concept is the same. 

And what about women’s only shooting groups?

Many women yearn for the nurturing environment they find when they join a group like the Arsenal of Angels. They want to be taught by other women. They feel more comfortable training, building their confidence, and experiencing the comradery that happens in these groups. Yet, many women don’t. These women prefer to be treated like "one of the guys” and don’t feel intimidated learning from a male instructor. 

The female gun owner is not one persona, just like there simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all pistol for women, no matter how cute or smartly it's packaged or marketed. The way I see it? Incorporating feminine details into how a firearm looks to make it more appealing (pinking), and designing it with size and features in mind to help more women shoot better/carry easier (shrinking) is a good thing. When you combine these things with efforts like Beca Hafer’s and the many other women’s leagues, groups, and instructors, it can only help introduce more women to shooting.

I want to know. What do you think?