Many “womens” line of handguns and rifles are scaled down versions of the original that were designed with men in mind. A few manufacturers have been designing handguns with women in mind, but the normal outcome is a slightly smaller version of the original that is painted in pink or purple. Many of the rifles are the same as the original, but with a child-sized stock to make it smaller. The end result is ill-fitting weapons that normally painted an awful color, pink. In recent years, there has been a growing number of companies that have been using women to design handguns and rifles specifically for women. There are many obvious differences between men and women, but these subtle differences, such as neck length, are also being considered.
According to the NSSF, approximately 19% of hunters are women. That means 3.3 million hunters a year are female. Women are also the fastest growing segment of shooters on the market currently and there are still only a few weapons that are meant for women. While the number one reason for women to own a weapon is self-defense, the close second is the desire to learn to hunt. An important tool for any hunter is a good, reliable shotgun. A common fix for shotguns to make them usable by women is to add a youth-sized stock. The biggest problem with this route is that the smaller stock makes the gun top heavy, long, and the recoil is much more noticeable.
A few companies have been designing shotguns that are actually meant for women. Syren, a division of Caesar Guerini and Fabarm, has been designing shotguns for women for a couple of years. The stock has been modified to not only be shorter, but to be taller, called a Monte Carlo, to allow for a better cheek weld since women have longer necks. The stocks are also canted to allow for the stock to rest at the shoulder better to help minimize recoil. They are overall lighter, most of the shotguns are under 8 pounds, and are balanced differently to account for the changes. The guns are also designed have a feminine touch without being pink.
Syren currently offers 5 styles of shotguns in a variety of formats and gauges to account for individual use. These are on the pricey side, with some packages costing as much as $7000. If you are a female hunter and are tired of using an ill-fitting weapon, check out some weapons that are meant for you.