Drizzt
January 14, 2003, 06:46 PM
Gun sales to women on the rise
1/13/2003 8:15 PM
By: Stacy Neumann & Web Staff
You don't have to look too closely in Fayetteville to know Fort Bragg deployments are on the rise. Car sales are slowing. Military surplus stores are doing big business and many other stores are wondering what will happen if mass numbers of troops leave town.
An intruder brutally murdered Angela Mosden in her blackbird road home last March. Her soldier husband was away at the time, serving in Afghanistan. It is a worst case scenario for any person who has been in the military, called to duty far away from home.
"There's a self protection component,” Retired U.S. Army Officer A.D. Ackles said. “You can't help but worry about the family you left behind and what conceivably might go wrong."
One of Fayetteville's most prominent gun shops said that concern is what's fueling some of their sales lately. Since news of deployments began filtering out, more than two times the normal number of females are shopping the aisles.
"Last time we had a large deployment, there was an increase in violent crime and sexual assault so a lot of women are coming in now having heard that and they want to prepare in case something like that happens again,” Jim’s Pawn Shop Co-Manager Jo Faircloth said.
Employees at Jim's Pawn Shop said what they are seeing is strikingly similar to what they saw during the buildup of the Persian Gulf War. Military couples are coming in to shop for weapons.
As a matter of fact, they now have a female instructor permanently on their staff to make military spouses more comfortable with safety techniques.
"We try to get them a gun they're comfortable with and let them practice with it,” Faircloth said. “We make sure it's the right size and it's not too powerful for them."
Those associated with the military said the decision can provide the service member and a properly trained spouse with peace of mind.
"Military towns historically, I think, have had a little higher crime rates than ordinary communities,” Ackles said. “There a sense that you left your family vulnerable, particularly young soldiers with young children, particularly a spouse that isn't familiar with firearms."
Managers said the overwhelming choice of spouses who are buying weapons for personal protection is a revolver.
http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=21418&SecID=2
1/13/2003 8:15 PM
By: Stacy Neumann & Web Staff
You don't have to look too closely in Fayetteville to know Fort Bragg deployments are on the rise. Car sales are slowing. Military surplus stores are doing big business and many other stores are wondering what will happen if mass numbers of troops leave town.
An intruder brutally murdered Angela Mosden in her blackbird road home last March. Her soldier husband was away at the time, serving in Afghanistan. It is a worst case scenario for any person who has been in the military, called to duty far away from home.
"There's a self protection component,” Retired U.S. Army Officer A.D. Ackles said. “You can't help but worry about the family you left behind and what conceivably might go wrong."
One of Fayetteville's most prominent gun shops said that concern is what's fueling some of their sales lately. Since news of deployments began filtering out, more than two times the normal number of females are shopping the aisles.
"Last time we had a large deployment, there was an increase in violent crime and sexual assault so a lot of women are coming in now having heard that and they want to prepare in case something like that happens again,” Jim’s Pawn Shop Co-Manager Jo Faircloth said.
Employees at Jim's Pawn Shop said what they are seeing is strikingly similar to what they saw during the buildup of the Persian Gulf War. Military couples are coming in to shop for weapons.
As a matter of fact, they now have a female instructor permanently on their staff to make military spouses more comfortable with safety techniques.
"We try to get them a gun they're comfortable with and let them practice with it,” Faircloth said. “We make sure it's the right size and it's not too powerful for them."
Those associated with the military said the decision can provide the service member and a properly trained spouse with peace of mind.
"Military towns historically, I think, have had a little higher crime rates than ordinary communities,” Ackles said. “There a sense that you left your family vulnerable, particularly young soldiers with young children, particularly a spouse that isn't familiar with firearms."
Managers said the overwhelming choice of spouses who are buying weapons for personal protection is a revolver.
http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=21418&SecID=2