BEECH GROVE -
There is a surge in Indiana women who are purchasing guns.
Protection is the number one reason for the 40 percent increase at an Indianapolis gun dealer. The other is a push by gun makers to target women with items like pink pistols.
"It has to do with crime. Anytime you see a news story, that spikes it. World events are spiking a lot of gun sales right now," said Greg Burge, owner of Beech Grove Firearms.
When Burge's store opened five years ago, female customers were somewhat rare, but not so anymore. The display cases have pink guns, fathers are buying their daughters pink rifles. Burge estimates 25 percent of his new customers are women.
"Traditionally, firearms have been a male-dominated world, but we are seeing that change and more of what we are seeing is husband (and) wives coming in," Burge said.
It's a trend that has not gone unnoticed by the manufacturers.
"Now, they are coming out with the colored guns," Burge said.
It's not just the color selection, but a gun that will fit in a purse and a woman's hand.
"The gun makers are now, instead of the 'one size fits all' mentality that has been around for years, where before, it was 'This is the size for everybody, whether it fits your hand or not'," Burge said.
If you are looking for proof that women are joining the shooting ranks, look no further than Dee Bennett. She recently became a certified instructor by the National Rifle Association.
"You have to go through, take some classes to become certified, pass exams, shooting test," Bennett said.
Most of her clients are women and come to her, at first, for the basics.
"They just want to feel comfortable holding a firearm in their hands," Bennett said.
But, she said, they leave with a sense of empowerment.
