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Published: September 08, 2007 09:59 pm
More women pack heat
Experts say desire for safety draws females to firepower
Alice Collinsworth
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND —
Many of the women who attend the annual Women’s Fun Shoot at the Oklahoma City Gun Club north of Arcadia enjoy the experience so much that they return year after year. Many go on to more serious training and eventually earn a license to carry a concealed handgun.
Julee Rutledge of Edmond is one of them. Saturday’s Women’s Fun Shoot was her third. Almost 200 women attended what is the largest of this type of event in the nation, organizers said.
Rutledge took the concealed carry class after her first fun shoot in 2005. She hasn’t completed the paperwork to receive her license, but said she fully intends to do so.
“I want (to be able to carry) for personal safety,” she said. “I’ve taken other self-defense classes and I knew this was something I wanted to do.”
Applicants for an Oklahoma concealed handgun license under the state’s Self Defense Act must be a U.S. citizen, an Oklahoma resident and at least 21 years of age. Each person must complete the required firearms safety and training course, which costs $60.
The applicant must then file paperwork and photographs with the local sheriff’s office, be fingerprinted and undergo a background check. Several fees apply.
According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, more than 54,000 Oklahomans are licensed to carry concealed handguns. That number does not reflect how many license holders are women, but firearms instructors say they see a growing number of women taking firearms classes.
“Absolutely there’s an increase in the number of women seeking concealed carry licenses,” said Steve Tanksley, owner of Savage Trading Company in Oklahoma City, a retail firearms store where concealed carry classes are offered.
“What motivates women is just watching the news every day and seeing how things are in the world. They want to have some say in their own security,” he said.
Dean Vassilakos, head Self Defense Act instructor at H&H Gun Range in Oklahoma City, agreed.
“Women are wanting to take personal responsibility for their safety,” he said. “They don’t think they need a man to defend them.”
Two concealed carry classes a month are taught at Savage Trading Company — “easily 1,000 people a year,” Tanksley said. He estimates that about one-quarter of his students are women.
“Anyone in our business will tell you that more and more women are showing an interest,” he said. “We’re now seeing a lot of first-timers — women who have never even considered firearms before are now enrolling in classes and getting licensed.”
H&H Gun Range offers four classes a month, with class rosters typically filling at least a month in advance, Vassilakos said. He sees more women signing up, with most female applicants in their mid-20s to late-50s, he said.
Tanksley and Vassilakos agree that women make excellent students and tend to learn quickly.
“Women do well both on the written exam and on the shooting exam,” Vassilakos said. “They put their minds to it; they’re more receptive to training than a lot of men.”
Tanksley said concealed carry training is helpful for anyone who intends to handle firearms.
“People need to receive good training,” he said. “Whether you intend to carry or not, taking the class is a great way to learn firearms safety, and that’s a good thing for anyone, male or female.”
acollinsworth@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 117
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