Guns are barreling back…thanks to the ladies. Jay Hawkins is the training manager at Reno Guns & Range. As he told me, "More women are interested in personal protection and firearms than we've historically seen in men." Across town at Maccabee Arms, Carl Martin agrees: "I would say yes. And their husbands are bringing them also. But there's a lot of interest."
And as shopper Norma Marcus told us, "I think it’s the changing times right now." Norma is interested in a Beretta, and she's not alone. 1 in 5 women owned a firearm in 2017 compared to more than 3 in 5 men according to the Pew Research Center. The National Shooting Sports Foundation says gun ownership among women has risen 77% since 2005.
Decades ago, local gun shops were primarily male establishments. Reno Guns & Range was started by, and is now owned by a woman. Hawkins says, "Her interest in wanting to develop this company and training facility was so that new shooters, women and families would have a place to go train."
You can certainly see that in what her store offers. On TV screens above the shooting range, classes and training designed just for women are advertised. And many guns that fit a female hand. Hawkins says, "They're a little slimmer, they're a little lighter. But they still have capacity adequate to address a threat."
At Reno's Maccabee Arms, similar guns take up whole displays. Martin says they are all "Easy to use, and this is an-all metal gun so lower recoil. Palmers will have higher recoil." It's not just firearms at Maccabee, but apparel and accessories too…like the purses you can hide a gun with a Velcro holster inside. The reason women are buying more now is for protection…self-defense…shooting practice and hunting. Basically the same reasons men buy. Martin says he hears a lot about "Unlighted areas, being alone, walking trails, that kind of thing" from women.
Back at Reno Guns & Range, shopper Norma Marcus says her reason is, "Just security." Was there a time when she didn't want to have anything to do with guns? "Absolutely." And Hawkins hears a common story from women shoppers: "Too many cases where women have either been the victim of a violent crime, or they've been threatened."
For Norma, it's a good feeling to know she can protect herself if she has to. For Jay and Carl, yes it is a controversial business, but one they say is built on skill…and safety.
Both Reno Guns & Range and Maccabee Arms offer classes for women new to firearms. We have links for those below:
