Now that concealed carry has become more mainstream in the US, statistics indicate that the number of women applying for concealed carry permits is on the rise. For example:
With Illinois recently passing a CCW law, the Illinois State Police are reporting that almost 12% of those concealed carry applications coming in state are from women. As of the end of March, just over 7500 Illinois permits were issued to women.
The latest Gallup poll indicates that the number of women who own guns rose 23% last year, with the historical average running closer to 12% each year.
I’d expect, and most firearms experts would probably agree, that this number will only continue to increase year over year.
Unfortunately, the holster industry as a whole has yet to “catch up” to the trend as there really aren’t very many gun holsters or CCW holsters that specifically geared towards women. Most women are forced to either buy holsters made for men or resort to some form of off-body carry (CCW purses, etc.) My wife’s only real complaint about CCW purses, is the fact that nice ones cost about 3 to 4 times what a nice holster costs. The model my wife really wants is close to $275!
Here’s a great infographic that charts the rise of women carrying concealed weapons:
