Setting the Standard for Women in Firearms | Training. Insights. Intelligence.
Women aren’t just buying pistols. They’re building carry systems around them. New A Girl & A Gun survey data shows which holster brands women prefer, how they carry, and why more than two-thirds plan to change their holster setup, with key trends for manufacturers, marketers and firearms instructors.
What makes a great firearms instructor? It takes far more than marksmanship. At A Girl & A Gun, Director of Training Tatiana Whitlock has built a comprehensive instructor development program that teaches women not just how to shoot, but how to teach. Through Train-the-Trainer, teachbacks, mentorship, and ongoing education, the organization is redefining firearms instructor training by equipping women with the coaching, communication, and leadership skills needed to develop confident, capable shooters in communities across the country.
The growth of women in the firearms community has become one of the defining shifts in the shooting industry over the past several years. Headlines often focus on record firearm sales, but the more meaningful story begins after a woman purchases her first firearm. Why she decided to buy, what motivates her to seek training, and what keeps her engaged offer a much clearer picture of where our industry is headed.
The shooting sports industry has long measured growth through participation, but attendance alone does not explain who remains engaged, develops advanced skills, and becomes a leader within the community. Analysis of A Girl & A Gun training and membership data reveals that women follow a remarkably consistent path: they are introduced through relationships, gain confidence through quality instruction, and advance through structured training that transforms initial interest into long-term involvement. The findings suggest that sustainable industry growth is driven not simply by participation, but by progression.
Firearms have never been more capable, but three years of gunsmith support data from A Girl & A Gun National Conferences suggest the industry’s biggest reliability challenges may no longer originate inside the firearm itself. Optics, batteries, mounting systems, modular holsters, and increasingly customized equipment configurations are reshaping what reliability means for today’s shooters, instructors, and manufacturers. As firearms evolve into interconnected systems rather than standalone tools, even the smallest components, from battery contacts to mounting screws, can create disproportionately large operational consequences.
At A Girl & A Gun, we are in a unique position to understand how women are actually training. Each year at our National Conference, hundreds of women from across the country come together with a shared goal: to improve. They bring their experiences, their skills, and their insights, and in doing so, they give us something incredibly valuable: visibility. Through our pre-event skill assessment survey, one pattern emerged with surprising clarity: a consistent gap between carrying a firearm and regularly practicing the drawstroke.
Every piece of gear tells a story, but holsters tell us something especially important: where a woman is in her carry journey. Unlike firearms, which tend to show strong brand loyalty early, holster choices often evolve over time. The numbers from our most recent member profile survey confirm that story in a big way.
