number of NICS checks processed this year increased each month in relation to the same month in 2008. March 2011 showed a 39.3-percent in- crease from March 2008. These num- bers aren’t reported by gender; how- ever, surveys are conducted by certain agencies, which
supplement such
fi gures. One extensive survey was re- cently completed by NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation), which polled fi rearms retailers across the country. According to Frank Briganti at the NSSF, 70 percent of the retailers reported the number of female cus- tomers increased, while 20 percent re- sponded: “remained the same.” Only 1 percent reported a decrease in sales to women and the rest couldn’t make the determination. Further questions in the survey were directed toward discovering the driving factors behind the increase in gun sales. Briganti reports the results showed personal protection and regulation expecta- tions are driving sales for all shooters, including an 80-percent increase in sales to women for personal protec- tion alone. With these numbers and reasons in mind, I attended a female- oriented handgun-training course to discuss the importance of such in- struction. In the process, I discovered fi rearms training can be not only em- powering, but also downright fun.
Safety Gun safety has been ingrained in me
since I was a little girl. My father, Dick
WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM 9
Williams, has been involved in the world of fi rearms most of his life and made a name for himself in the indus- try with his own articles and expertise. Though I never embraced his passion for hunting, I grew up target shooting, and we share an enthusiasm for hand- guns in particular. We also share a love for writing — his in the gun industry and mine primarily in golf — so when I proposed an article on this topic over dinner one night, he tossed it back to me, reasoning that I could offer a more appropriate perspective on the subject. I immediately began looking into lo- cal training facilities. When I visited
Taran Butler, a world champion shoot- er who offered to show me how to train a group of women with varied levels of handgun experience, I jumped at the chance to learn. Butler’s credentials could fi ll an
entire page, but to summarize, his expertise and primary focus are in fast, accurate shooting in the 3-Gun Arena where he is a multi-time champion. While he doesn’t conduct formal training to the public, he sometimes instructs small groups designed to make good shooters better, and occasionally
instructs some lucky beginners as well. A few women of
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