A recent report by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) shows the surge in firearm purchases among law-abiding Americans has reached new levels -- particularly among women.
The data, based on an analysis of the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System for 2023, reveals at least 15.8 million firearms were acquired in the past year alone.
This surge, the highest since the events of Covid and the George Floyd insurrections in 2020, underscores the assertion that Americans are actively exercising their Second Amendment right to purchase, keep, and bear arms.
Women Show Big Rise in Gun Ownership
A number of pressures seen recently during our cultural and political fracturing are prompting more women to become gun owners. Firearm ownership among women has witnessed a significant uptick in recent years. Between 2019 and 2021, half of all firearm purchasers were women with a 77 percent increase in gun ownership by women from 2005 to 2020.
This rise in female gun ownership, particularly among women of color in crime-prone neighborhoods, reflects a growing awareness of the need for self-defense.
Instructors like Robin Evans and Maj Toure of Black Guns Matter are two of the many people who are introducing women in urban environments to responsible firearm ownership and armed self-defense.
Women Now Make Up the Largest Group of New Gun Owners
Women now make up 42% of new gun owners accounting for nearly half of all new gun owners over the past 5-years according to a study done by Harvard University
Earlier studies show that this trend accelerated in 2020 during the pandemic, violent civil unrest in a number of large cities, and increasing violent crimes such as home invasions and carjackings.
It would not be a stretch to assume that women are seeing the negative results of the defund the police efforts in cities as evidenced by increased response times by police and EMS.
There is a resurgence in recognizing the right to self-defense to those who face an increase in deadly threats. And, armed citizens are proving the effectiveness of concealed carry (CCW) permit holders in thwarting criminals and preventing potential tragedies in public spaces.
Contrary to FBI statistics, the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) reveals that more than one-third of "active shooter incidents" are stopped by CCW-licensed gun owners, a stark contrast to the strikingly small single digit percent figure presented by the FBI.
Yes, it's true. Good citizens with guns can -- and do -- protect themselves from the bad guys.
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