Dealer: Firearm sales to women have doubled

CHANDLER, Ariz. — A Chandler firearm dealer said sales to women have doubled since the Sandy Hook shootings.

Nationwide, more women are signing up for firearms training courses and buying guns as the gun control debate continues following December’s school shootings.

Dale Roddy with Desert Valley Firearms in Chandler said gun makers are increasingly catering to the female gun buyer with ink guns and rifles and clothing lines like Camo Kitty. He’s having a hard time keeping items in stock.

“The gunmakers are appealing to women with the colors and patterns, but when it comes down to it a lot of the women just want the Glock,” he said. “They’ve done their homework and they are a very educated customer. Twnety-five percent of our firearms sales right now are to women. Before the Sandy Hook school shootings, women accounted for about 10 percent of gun sales. As far as our firearms safety courses go, a majority are females taking the training.”

Roddy said, while most people might associate men with being strong supporters of the Second Amendment and speaking out against stricter gun control measures, women are equally concerned.

“We have them write down before they take the class what they’re expected out of it. Ninety percent of the time it’s self-protection and learning how to use the firearm safely. They tell me with what’s going on in the world, ‘I want to protect myself.'”

Roddy’s firearms training courses are booked solid through April.