Major influx in new female gun owners

CBS 13's April Hettinger looks into what triggered the surge

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Gun stores and firearms safety instructors say the amount of new female gun owners has skyrocketed in the last three months.

As small businesses around the country are struggling to make ends meet, this is not the case for those in the firearms industry.

There are plenty of reasons why residents feel the need to purchase guns for the first time.

However, gun stores and firearms safety instructors say it's been the rioting, the election, and the pandemic that's triggered the influx.

Michael Brick, the owner of Yuma Coin and Gun, says female consumers have multiplied, making up 35-40% of their sales, so much that they can barely keep up with the high demand for firearms and ammunition.

"The biggest thing we're seeing is a very, very big influx of first-time buyers of firearms," Brick stated. "A lot of those are women, and a lot of those are people 50 clear up to 85-years-old."

Gerard Violette is the owner and instructor of Safe Arizona Firearms Education.

He runs classes for Carrying a Concealed Weapon (CCW) and gun safety education and can attest to the rise.

"Yuma's usually been some of our bigger locations," Violette explained. "And again, a lot of people that we see nowadays are just people who have never touched a gun before. 

Violette says they usually see a surge during an election year, but this year, there's a lot more to the case.

"A lot of people are trying to get themselves protected right now because between the riots and the COVID and the pandemic and everything else, people are just kind of going ballistic," Violette said.

Brick says people in the community are scared.

"Groups of people who are out there that care little or nothing about anybody's rights except their own," Brick explained. "They're out for mayhem, and true horrible things have happened to a lot of people, but burning down a Macy's is not a way to protest this."

Despite all the small business failures and economic shutdowns, this is one industry that has really hit the ground running.

"The firearms industry is one of the few industries that has actually thrived during this whole year," Violette stated.

For all first-time gun buyers, there's one thing both continue to reiterate.

"Buying a gun is not how to protect yourself. Knowing how to use it is," Brick said. "If you bought a car, you would take driving lessons."

Both industry areas emphasize how important it is to be a responsible gun owner and know how to use it safely.

Getting a firearms safety course is the most critical step in buying a gun.

13 On Your Side's April Hettinger looks into the surge in new gun owners and how the events of 2020 have played a role in their decision.