Women have been a part of the firearms community for a long time. More than 100 years ago, Annie Oakley rose to fame as one of the most accomplished shooters of all time.
Today, the number of women who own firearms is skyrocketing. Women are finding more interest in target shooting, training, self-defense, and hunting. In 2020, 8.4 million people bought their first firearm, and 40% of those people were women, many of whom live in major metropolitan areas. That’s 3.4 million more women with firearms! This is great news for FFL dealers and those looking to get their FFL license. Women’s interest in firearms is creating a whole new market for gun dealers.
It used to be that the extent of guns and gun-related products that were geared toward women were the exact same guns, shooting glasses, and hearing protection that has always been available – except that it was now available in pink and purple. Not all female shooters are “girly-girls” and one-size-fits-all products aren’t really one-size-fits-all.
As a result, companies that create lines of holsters designed specifically for women’s bodies as well as off-the-body carry options have become increasingly popular. Entire fashion lines have sprung up allowing for non-traditional holster options built into clothing. Blogs written by women shooters specifically for female shooters provide tips and tricks for shooting, carrying, and just firearms in general. Ranges have certain days of the week geared for ladies, and training courses are becoming available across the country which are formatted just for lady shooters. Everything that was once mainly for men is now being revamped for women.
There are even gun rights groups entirely composed of women, such as the DC Project, which has seen its member numbers soar in the past year. By fostering firearm safety and education, not legislation, the DC Project encourages the preservation of America’s gun culture and highlights the diversity and rising demographic of female gun owners.
“Our message resonates,” said DC Project Pennsylvania State Director Kelly Pidgeon. “The ‘anti-gun moms’ don’t speak for us, and with more women arming themselves, the suggestion that we should wait for someone else to come to our rescue is impractical. The DC Project team’s collection of experiences demonstrates how guns put women on a level playing field when it comes to personal safety and how restrictive gun laws place a heavy burden on our well-being.”
At FFL123, we think it’s awesome that the firearms world is continually opening up to another demographic across the US. It’s a situation in which everyone wins. Another thing we’ve noticed here at FFL123 is that more husband and wife pairs – and even just women on their own – are obtaining their federal firearms license and starting their own gun businesses. It’s exciting to hear the success stories from all across the country that individuals, regardless of gender, are seeing great results because of getting their FFL license.
The firearms world is no longer just a man’s world, and that’s a good thing. There’s strength in numbers and the firearms community needs all the numbers it can get. Thankfully, women are joining in with full force. There are many reasons as to why this is being seen, whether it’s the joy of hunting, self-protection, or just enjoying the shooting industry as a whole. Whatever the reason, we’re glad it’s happening!
We’re interested to know what you’ve been seeing in your locality when it comes to women and firearms.
Leave your comments below to fill us in on what you’ve seen!
The more we know about the expanding number of women in the gun community, the better we can serve our customers, and we can’t wait to see more women having their own FFLs!
