BEAUMONT, Texas — Today, women are purchasing guns at a faster rate than ever before. 12News anchor Tia Johnson stopped by the Beaumont chapter of A Girl and A Gun to test her metal and find out why more women than ever are buying and training with firearms.
"Range is hot, you may shoot," said a range worker right before a cacophony of gunfire exploded from a group of women focused on honing their skills.
For these women, it's about more than shooting.
"We have a camaraderie. We're pretty much friends now," said member Tracie Updike.
A Girl and a Gun is a national organization designed to introduce women and girls to shooting, in hopes that they will feel more comfortable when handling firearms.
"I now shoot at least twice a month," said Updike. "I had actually owned several guns but I really didn't do much with them because I was apprehensive."
This sentiment is sweeping across the nation as more women like Updike are arming themselves and hitting the range.
"Most people just want to learn how to use a firearm. Its not 'hey I gotta have a gun for my protection', it's 'I want to learn how in case I need something'," said Reba Hennigan, Beaumont Chapter Facilitator.
The statistics back this up, research shows that there has been a significant uptick in women purchasing guns.
But what about women that have never even touched a gun, but want to learn?
According to Hennigan those women are what this program is all about, and she's there to coach them through everything they need to know.
"Deep breath, lean slightly forward, I want you to focus and put it in the window," Hennigan told Johnson as she lined up her target.
Johnson takes a sharp breath, squeezes the trigger, and as the handgun bucks in her hands, puts a bullet directly through the center of the target.
"It's really small, but its hard to see. You got one right in the purple," Hennigan said with a smile.
Hennigan has been a facilitator for seven years, and she walked Johnson through the learning process for beginners. From the safety, the parts of a gun, unloading, reloading and shooting.
Another part of the course is learning which gun works best for you.
"It's an adrenaline rush because they've gone from not knowing, to knowing and they understand," said Hennigan.
That understanding can take some time though.
"I was afraid somebody would knock me down and take my gun away from me," said Updike.
However, the ladies from A Girl and A Gun will be there every step of the way to provide support.
"Now I feel more confident that they're not going to take my gun away from me," said Updike.
As more women flock to buy a firearms, A Girl and A Gun will be there to foster that skillset and make sure everyone leaves safer and more confident.
So, what about after the initial training is done and you're ready to take the next step but are unsure of which gun to purchase for yourself?
Hennigan says visiting a gun range is an important step. They give you a chance to try out different guns and find what works best for you.
"Most gun ranges have rentals for a price. You can rent a gun and would you rather spend $20 to try a couple of guns or spend $500 and find out you don't like it," Hennigan said.
Johnson stopped by Freedom Firearms in Beaumont to learn about the process of visiting a gun range.
"These are the most popular guns we're seeing women chose and roughly your hand size," said owner Drew Davidson as he showed Johnson an array of handguns.
Davidson says Johnson isn't the only woman trying to figure out the process of purchasing a gun.
"All the industry data shows that women between the ages of 25 - 45 are the fastest demographic of gun ownership right now, especially as gun buyers and we do see a ton of women in here," Davidson said.
The first thing employees will do when you go to purchase a gun is ask what your purpose is for buying a gun. Whether that's hunting, personal protection or concealed carry.
Then they'll help you find guns that fit your hands.
"Hang on. Feel the difference, right?" Davidson said as he helped Johnson adjust the gun in her hand to feel more comfortable.
The next step is to try the guns out in a gun range.
After you've found a gun you like, you can purchase it after passing a background check. This takes around 45 minutes.
Hennigan wants to remind you that a gun is not a toy, but a weapon.
"A gun should always be your last resort. Understand it is a deadly piece of equipment," she said.
Davidson and Hennigan both agree it's important to practice.
"Don't ever stop and say I've purchase a firearm, I've taken a license to carry now I'm good to go. You're not. You have to learn, you have to be accurate and you have to understand when its appropriate to use that firearm," Hennigan said.
Guns aren't for everyone, and if you're one of those people but still want personal protection, there are other options. This includes pepper spray, a taser, cat ears keychains, open point rings and basic self defense.
