Posted on 02/11/2012 5:22:09 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
As women's participation in shooting sports has increased, so have sales at gun shops leading up to February 14.
It's a given that restaurants, flower shops and candy stores will be hot spots as Valentine's Day approaches. But another industry sees a somewhat surprising boom in sales before the romantic holiday: gun shops.
With women's participation in gun sports on the rise and manufacturers responding with feminine firearms that are even pink and red, many are buying a new gun as a gift for their Valentine.
A few years ago, Mike Blackwell, owner of Big Boy's Guns and Ammo in Oklahoma City, started noticing that his store's sales went up in the week before Valentine's Day.
“The Saturday before Valentine's Day is one of our best days of the year,” he said. “The last two years we've set sale records.”
The shop, at 8620 SW 74, carries a variety of handguns geared toward women in colors like pink, red, green and yellow. Also stocked are pink headphones and goggles for women to wear to the range.
Women's participation in target shooting has increased 46.5 percent from 2001 to 2010, according to the latest data available from the National Sporting Goods Association. And their participation in hunting rose 36.6 percent over the same time period.
When surveyed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, 61 percent of firearms retailers stated in 2010 they saw an increase in female customers compared to 2009. Twenty-four percent said they saw no change in the number of female customers and 1 percent experienced a decrease in female shoppers (the other 14 percent responded they didn't know.)
At H&H Shooting Sports Complex in Oklahoma City, the split of male and female customers is nearly equal. Owner Miles Hall said 53 percent of its patrons are men and 47 percent are women.
“Valentine's Day has always been a good holiday for us. It's kind of an oddity,” he said.
This year, the company designed gift cards with a Valentine's Day theme. He said holiday business for this holiday involves both men shopping for women and women shopping for men.
Because H&H has its own shooting ranges and a cafe, he often finds couples coming in to spend the day together.
“They just kind of make a date night of it,” he said.
When you care enough to give the very best. A firearm says 'your life matters to me' much better than a diamond.
And make darn sure you are mature and stable enough in the relationship before you buy her a weapon.
But as in buying diamonds or emeralds, be prepared to pay.
Ex#3 wanted a $600 SiG for her carry weapon. I wound up with a Bersa. Shows the relative values of our lives, I suppose.
/johnny
But even those who can’t afford expensive weapons can buy a Hi-Point. Nice selection for under $200. http://www.hi-pointfirearms.com
And I have no worries of wives or children anymore, so I can carry what I like. ;)
I was just pointing out some of the pitfalls of teaching the little woman to shoot ie... don't be a jerk, or she may shoot you, and IT'S EXPENSIVE. (But you said we need to practice every weekend, box of 50 each 9mm).
/johnny
“And make darn sure you are mature and stable enough in the relationship before you buy her a weapon.”
I’m good to go with weapons after being married to her for 33 years. But I have been wondering about the after-effects of some of the food she’s been cooking for me lately...
You have to judge what the meaning is. ;)
Pass on a hand salute to the Lance Corporal, from an old Tech Sergeant, next time you visit his grave.
God Bless our men that go in harm's way.
/johnny
Saw this nice S&W M&P 15-22 at the gun show today.
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