Women Driving Gun Sales to New Highs

Background checks indicate retail gun sales have been on a record pace for the past 18 months, and gun store owners say women are a driving force behind the surging sales.

Self-defense sales boosted handgun sales during the past two-and-a-half decades, only to transition from pure self-defense to self-defense for women who find themselves in the home alone or to grandmothers who want a means to protect themselves and their grandchildren during a day at the park.

KPLR 11 quotes Steve King, owner of St. Louis’ Metro Shooting Supply, saying, “If I could open a new store it would cater to women and self-defense.” He said the last five years of his business has been driven by women with self-defense concerns.

King said his store offers shooting lessons every day, and “not only are the classes full, but women make up 80 percent of the class.” He added, “The more single household families we have where women are the head of the household, you have them realizing that not only are they only the provider financially and emotionally for children, but also the physical provider as well.”

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