Most of us that follow the firearms community are aware that women gun owners and shooters are the largest and fastest growing demographic in the sport.  Actual numbers are quite staggering when you really break them down at just how fast women are getting into the sport.

For the six year period from 2005-2011 women firearm owners rose 77%, making women gun owners nearly 25% of the firearm owning population.  Even going to my local range I often find a few women shooters on the line out for target practice. I have also found that I am teaching more of the women I know about shooting and firearms in general.

Now it seems that the general media is beginning to take notice.  In an article last week the Tucson Sentinel covered this very topic.  Part of a larger project on firearms called “Gun Wars” where they are looking at firearms related issues. This article takes a look at how women are making their mark on the industry.  Below is an excerpt from the article.  If you want to read the complete article, you can find the link here:

http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/nationworld/report/093014_women_guns/women-emerging-force-defending-firearms/

More women than ever before own guns.

Nearly 79 percent of firearms retailers reported an increase in female customers between 2011 and 2012, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. From this surge in popularity comes classes, specialized apparel, custom firearms, shooting-group memberships and conferences for women.

Women have also become the sellers, the lobbyists and the business owners.

Entrepreneur Carrie Lightfoot founded The Well Armed Woman in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2012 to be a resource for women shooters, by selling female-friendly merchandise, establishing educational chapters and hosting certified firearms instructor training sessions. In just two years, Lightfoot said it’s become one of the largest female gun groups in the U.S., boasting 350 chapter leaders in 43 states.

Cover Photo Credit Natalie Krebs/News21