Why More Women are Choosing Firearm Ownership

Over the past few years, there has been an uptick in firearm ownership among American women. Considering the widening partisan gap in America and the sentiments Americans have for gun ownership, the news stories surrounding the subject can seem pretty surprising. And while there have definitely been recent changes, not everything is as surprising as headlines might suggest.

A New Trend That’s Not-So-New

From sharp shooters to covert women in combat roles in pre-20th century America, women’s relationship with firearms is hardly new. And while it’s true that’s many women pick up firearms for hunting, improving marksmanship, learning maintenance and modification, or just for the love of collecting, many today are citing self-defense as their primary reason for the investment.

I would be remiss not to mention that fact that violence against women is widespread, and all too often goes unreported. And those who have experienced victimization are more likely to choose to own or carry or weapon. According to a 2021 Firearms Survey, 56.2% of respondents said that they felt a need to carry a firearm outside of their homes, and 42.2% of respondents were female. That means that roughly a quarter of female respondents regularly carry.

It probably comes as no surprise that periods of economic and political uncertainty are the primary motivators for many firearm ownership decisions, and this is by no means a new trend. During the first World War, the American Women’s League of Self Defense began training women with firearms and advocating for female gun ownership. In 2021, The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that women made up one third of new gun owners, just one year into the pandemic. That same year, The National Firearms Survey reported that women made up nearly half of new gun owners over the period of 2019-2021 compared to 15% in 2015.

A Closer Look at the Numbers

In an already-numbers-heavy article, I have a few more noteworthy numbers that deserve a look. But, before we take that dive, it’s important to know how exactly researchers arrive at these statistics. Obviously, there’s no national registry of firearm owners or sales, and any estimates we have largely based upon the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

It’s worth mentioning that NICS background checks are initiated for reasons other than firearms ownership sales, so no one should expect the number of initiated checks to be a perfect representation of new firearm sales. And used firearm sales outside of the retail world aren’t typically represented in that data either. But considering that NCIS checks spiked to well over 1.6 million, it’s probably safe to assume that there were likely a lot of new firearm sales.

If you check out the NSSF’s chart showing background checks (the same checks used to initiate firearms purchases), you’ll notice that they spike during 21st century presidential election years. As I said before, political and economic uncertainty can be a big motivator for people.

The pandemic was a tough time. Many turned to new hobbies to pass the time, and many faced worries over shortages and housing insecurity. And even though lockdowns may have come to an end, the upward trend in firearm sales didn’t end with it. NRA Women reported that this August was “[…] the 61st consecutive month that has exceeded 1 million adjusted background checks in a single month.”

If we rewind back to 2017, almost three years before the COVID-19 Pandemic began, Pew Research data estimated that 22 percent of American women owned a gun. Fast forward to 2023, and that number rose to 25 percent. A 3 percent rise may look insignificant at a glance, but let’s consider the US population growth on those figures. The population of US females was roughly 165 million in 2017, and 169 million in 2023.

If one were to assume that Pew research statistics are representative on the population at large, roughly 36 million women owned a gun in 2017, compared to 42 million women in 2023. That indicates that 6 million women became new gun owners in just 6 years. That’s one million new female firearm owners every year!  But, of course, things aren’t quite that simple. Obviously, not every woman in America participated in these studies. And even the ones who did may have chosen not to self-identify.

Which Women are Buying, and Why?

As you may suspect, the majority of self-identified gun owners also identified as rural registered Republicans. According to a Gallup Poll conducted this year, gun ownership among Republican-registered females has increased 5 percent from the periods of 2007-2012 to 2019-2024 which is similar to the findings of Pew Research. But as gun ownership has increased on the right, it appears to have remained mostly stable for women on the left.

Even so, there have been news stories about women on the left, especially women of color and those from the LGBTQIA communities that have taken an interest in self-defense since the last presidential election. And there are some important statistics on minority gun owners.

The 2021 National Firearms Survey found that approximately 20 percent of all new gun owners were Black. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s reasonable to estimate that half those new gun owners were female. It’s also important to mention that the same percentage of new gun owners was reported to be Hispanic, many of whom are choosing to own a firearm due to concerns over personal safety and fear of racially motivated violence.

In 2020, a poll conducted by A Girl and a Gun Shooting League found that 12 percent of female respondents were motivated to learn about firearms due to concerns over election results and potential firearm bans. While 12 percent isn’t a huge number, it was the second largest concern in their findings, and the same concerns may have motivated some recent firearm sales.

The American Journal of Preventative Medicine reported that 73 percent of women cited self-protection as a key motivator in acquiring a firearm, and 30 percent of women cited protection from others as the sole reason for their acquisition.

The Power of Advertising

A Journal of Macromarketing Study this year reported that advertising in gun publications from 2016-2020 were most likely to portray women as “serious students” than earlier publications.

According to Oregon State University, “these more recent ads depict armed women as responsible, capable, well-trained and able to use their guns for serious purposes such as self-defense or protecting their children…” From 2008-2012, Researchers found that women were more likely to be portrayed as in a risqué manner, and from 2001- 2007 no women were found to be portrayed in gun advertising.

How Can Women Gain Experience with Firearms and Firearms Industry?

If you’re interested in seeing the path that trailblazers have made, I recommend checking out organizations like A Girl and a Gun, CASTL, The Well Armed Woman, and Shoot Like a Girl. If you’re just starting your journey, look for Firearms Safety training near you. The NRA Instructors website will let you search for firearm-specific course, and even courses that are just for women.

If you don’t immediately see something online that you identify as a good fit, it’s worth visiting your local firing range to see what they offer. If you happen to attend a course and don’t see anyone that seems to be like you, then that just means that you’re a trailblazer!

And no matter who you are, if you’re interested in becoming a gunsmith, and you’re looking to take the next step, MGS is here when you’re ready.

Written by: Lanna Perkins, Education Writer