With more females buying guns these days, the gun industry is manufacturing a wide variety of firearms especially designed with women in mind.

“They’re coming out with colorized versions of pistols, a lot of them are very lightweight, some of them are aluminum titanium lightweight materials that are quite strong but they’re attractive to ladies,” said Guy Petinga, co-owner of Lady Liberty Gunsmithing LLC, in Atlantic City.

He said guns are being offered “in green, they have them in turquoise, they have them in pink, they have them in damn near every color, and they’re attractive but they will do the job if necessary.”

“There’s so many households today where the woman is the sole provider, and she has to look out for her family and her children and she needs something to make herself feel protected," Petinga said. "They feel threatened quite frankly, and so they want a firearm around to protect themselves.”

Petinga said his company not only sells guns but also provides training on how to use them.

“Many of the people that have come in the last couple of years are ladies, and they have the common sense to want to be trained before they purchase a gun,” he said.

A resident of Atlantic City is using a Remington .22lr Caliber rifle in purple cameo. (Photo courtesy of Lady Liberty Gunsmithing LLC., in Atlantic City)
A resident of Atlantic City is using a Remington .22lr Caliber rifle in purple cameo. (Photo courtesy of Lady Liberty Gunsmithing LLC., in Atlantic City)
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Besides different colors, many pistols now come in smaller sizes, so they’re easier to use by women, who typically have smaller hands than men.

“My wife, she just can’t handle a semi-automatic pistol, she has trouble pulling the slide back, so I purchased for her, her favorite color, lavender, and I bought a lavender pistol for her - very easily handled, lightweight, she’s thrilled with it, she shoots it fine,” Petinga said.

He explained when someone comes in to purchase a firearm they have to have all their paperwork in order to prove they have a clean record and they are able to buy a gun. Once that's established, the shop and customer will review the different options that are available, the guns that are in stock, and those than can be ordered.

“Most women are generally familiar with what they want, it’s very rare that one will come in and say I want a gun and they have no clue what they’re looking for,” he said. “We show them how the firearm works, we show them how to break it down, we show them how to clean it and maintain it before they purchase that gun.”

Petinga believes women have been interested in guns for years but now it’s more out in the open.

“Now there’s so many families that are split up and apart and then with the crime rate the way it is, women are frightened, and certainly they want to protect themselves. You know, you can’t hit somebody with a broom if they break in your front door,” he said. “If you have a firearm, not that you have to use it or want to use it, but sometime if it’s your life or theirs I mean you have to do what you have to do.”

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