Gun Makers Creating More Pistols for Female Buyers

The gun industry is catering its products to female shooters, in a trend that is showing no signs of slowing down.

According to CNN, women are the fastest growing demographic in the gun industry, helping to push background checks to record numbers in 2015 amid an increasing desire for personal safety and protection. Simply put, more and more women are signing up for concealed carry permits, and the industry is responding in kind by manufacturing more weapons for the female buyer.

“Women have always been around in the industry,” said Glock spokeswoman Kie Wagner. “We’ve always been here; we’ve always been shooting.”

Wagner showed CNN the newly-released Glock 36, part of Glock’s Slimline series. This subcompact pistol is just 1.13 inches wide and utilizes a single stack magazine. It’s perfect for concealed carry.

Another new product for women is the Honor Guard pistol by Georgia-based Honor Defense. Company president Gary Ramey told CNN that he consulted with women while designing the Honor Guard. It was specifically created to meet the demands of the concealed carry market.

Other manufacturers such as Smith & Wesson, with their M&P 9 Shield compact pistol and subcompact Bodyguard which features an integrated Crimson Trace laser, are also catching the concealed carry wave.

“We’ve seen a dramatic increase with women in handgun shooting,” Smith & Wesson marketing director Paul Pluff told CNN. “We’ve gone across the United States and we’ve seen a lot of states pass concealed carry laws, so it has helped drive sales.”