Women enjoy the power of firearms
9:30 a.m. Monday, March 20, 2006
Gun manufacturers are banking on women, from the soccer moms to professionals. Many women at the Blue Ridge Gun Range in Chantilly, Va., and elsewhere around the nation are packing heat for sport, self empowerment and protection.
"I am a short chubby housewife. I'm not as scared of the bad guys because the guns are my great equalizer," said Jacque Blundell of Arlingotn, Va.
The gun industry is catering to women with everything from more girly guns and apparel, to all female hunting trips to free ladies nights at the range.
It's clear the feminine touch is adding up to big business.
"A quarter to a third of all our customers here are women shooters," said Keith Weaver, employee at Blue Ridge Arsenal.
Five years ago the National Rifle Association offered just 13 firearms training classes for women, today there are more than 200 nationwide.
"If you look at statistics, there are more crimes of passion committed by men than there are women, but I say that everyone has their emotions and one of the things you learn when you take firearms classes is you learn to control your emotions," said Sandra Forman, President of the National Rifle Association.
One of the industry's biggest guns is a woman, Sandra Froman is only the second female NRA president in 130 years. She says today what begins as a self defense tactic for many women often turns into a love for the sport.
The NRA's "Women on Target Program" for shooters and hunters has increased more than a thousand percent since 2000 and now has 6,000 participants.
"We have a lot of women now going on women only hunts for elk for deer for feral pigs, different kinds of game animals and women who have never hunted before are learning about the enjoyment of hunting, of being in the outdoors," Froman said.
But not everyone's convinced encouraging women to carry a gun is a good idea.
According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, it's at least 20 times more likely that you'll use your weapon to shoot someone in your home, rather than using it to protect yourself from an intruder.
And those consequences could accidentally involve a child.
"If you bring a gun into the home it increases the risk of homicide by three," said Becca Knox of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "If you decide that's the method of self defense you're going to choose you better be prepared to deal with the consequences."
John Blaschke says all parents need to lock up their guns like Fort Knox.
His daughter Darby is already a pro at just 11 years old.
"Every time you pull that trigger you feel that rush," said Darby.
She's just what the gun industry is hoping will represent the next generation of pistol-packing women.
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