Women Make up Nearly Half of New Gun Owners

Nearly half of the millions of new gun owners since the start of 2019 are women, according to new data from the 2021 National Firearms Survey.

The survey, which polled more than 19,000 adults, found that an estimated 3.5 million women became the owner of a firearm for the very first time. Over the same period, approximately 4 million men did the same. 

This trend comes over a time period in which Americans have been exercising their Second Amendment rights at rates that have never been seen before. Beginning in early 2020, the number of Americans purchasing firearms skyrocketed, and though the trend has somewhat slowed since the turn of the year, it is far from stopping, according to the most-recent data. 

More than 21 million background checks were conducted for the purchase of a firearm last year, according to data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), and many of these sales were reportedly first-time gun owners.

One NRA instructor, Rick Ector, holds an annual safety training event for women in Detroit that draws thousands. This past year marked the event’s tenth anniversary, and afterwards, Ector told America’s 1st Freedom: “This event could become a model for others, and I’m eager to see that happen.”

Women gun owners can be found all over America and in every demographic; for example, we recently highlighted a little group called the Sunshine Shooting Club, which is comprised of women aged 32 to 76, all of whom practice advanced self-defense scenarios.

Nearly a quarter of all women today own at least one firearm, according to recent statistics. Besides the numerous standard training programs for gun owners, the NRA also has a multitude of programs designed specifically for women, including the Refuse To Be A Victim program, the Women’s Wilderness Escape, the Women On Target shooting clinics, and much more.

Also check out NRAWomen.com. “NRA Women is a fantastic (and addictive) resource for women shooters, whether they’re interested in hunting, personal safety or competition, and whether they’re already very knowledgeable or are brand-new gun owners,” wrote Mel Dixon, managing editor of America’s 1st Freedom.