Concealed carry is increasingly popular among women in Washington and elsewhere. In the Evergreen State, 23 percent of the active concealed pistol licenses are held by females.
By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Almost one-quarter of the active concealed pistol licenses issued in Washington state are in the hands of women, according to the Department of Licensing.
An e-mail exchange with the agency revealed that roughly 23 percent of the state’s more than 481,300 CPLs reported recently belong to women. The DOL said more than 110,600 CPLs are now held by Evergreen State women, which squares with a recent report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) that “women are now the fastest growing segment of the shooting sports industry.”
The shooting industry organization surveyed women who had purchased at least one firearm during the past 12 months and found they, “spent an average of $870 on guns, and more than $400 on accessories.”
Among the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit challenging sections of Initiative 594 is the Northwest School of Safety, owned and operated by Aberdeen resident Monica Cowles. This school “provides foundational firearm safety classes to women in their teens to their 70s,” according to the lawsuit.
Washington isn’t the only state where women are buying guns. In Ohio, according to WKEF news, “More and more women in the state of Ohio are getting their concealed carry weapon license…After a special seminar in Xenia last night, there will be a few more local women licensed to carry.”
At the January Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas, one could find loads of products, from firearms to footwear, specifically designed for women. There were women retailers, wholesalers and company officials, and a lot of women at the annual “Range Day” for writers and bloggers.
The WKEF report noted, “Teacher and mother Becky Bollinger recently started the Wilmington chapter of The Well Armed Woman. Her 33 member group spans 60 years of age. The oldest group member is 85.”
The story said Bollinger “encourages all mothers to at least have a working knowledge of a gun for your kids.” She told the reporter that when people don’t know how to handle firearms, that’s when accidents happen.
NSSF released a report at the SHOT Show that noted, among other things, “The most commonly owned firearm by women in the study is a semiautomatic pistol, with 56 percent of women reporting they owned at least one. Shotguns ranked second, with 50 percent of women owning at least one.”
The report further revealed that, “More than 42 percent of women have a concealed carry permit for their state of residence. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of women reported having taken at least one training class. Placing a premium on safety, women say the single most important reason why they decided to purchase or own a firearm is protection—both personal and home protection. Learning to hunt and going shooting with friends and family were also cited.”
Another revelation from the NSSF report is that more than one-third of women participating in the study were first-time gun owners. They bought guns within the last three years, and they were “primarily between the ages of 18 and 34.” This reflects a “changing demographic” among women who want to own firearms, the report said.
