BUTLER – “There is no way to tell you how much I learned and how thankful I am I had this opportunity,” said local resident Regina Long. “It was so worth it.” Long was one of several local women who took part in a female handgun safety and self- defense course in Butler on November 21.
The course was presented by certified handgun instructor, Melissa Philbrick Rankin and her sister Katy Sparks of ‘She’s a Pistol’, a Fairhope-based organization providing firearm instruction for women. Organized through the efforts of Chris Coody, the class gave local female gun owners the opportunity to learn more about firearm safety and marksmanship. For Long, the course was an opportunity to grow more familiar with guns and to overcome fears about gun use.
“I am very uncomfortable with guns,” she said. “My father was in a hunting accident when I was in the third grade. On Saturday, we went over all the parts of the gun, different scenarios, safety rules, safety features of a gun. We then went to a shooting range and had one on one in- struction with loading, shooting at targets, as well as defensive moves.”
The women who participated in the course were part of a growing number of females in the United States who are opting to arm themselves for protection. As of 2017, as estimated one in five women in the U.S. owned a handgun, according to a Pew Research study, and that number has risen since then. A 2019 report by Crime Prevention Research Center showed that between 2012 and 2018 concealed carry permits for females increased 111% faster than those issued for men.
Men typically own firearms for a variety of reasons, including self-protection, sports, and hobbies, but for most females, the reason is simple. It’s about protection. While about 8% of men say that they own guns for that reason only, at least 27% of female gun owners list protection as the sole reason. About four out of every ten female gun owners say that they go to shooting ranges at least sometimes, men are far more likely to do so, at about 58%. But that could be changing as more women seek ways to protect themselves. The recent Butler event included training in the proper holding of the weapon, loading stances, grips, aims, gun safety, and how to properly clean their handguns. The information included the use of revolvers and semi-automatic pistols, as well as techniques in self-defense.
Following a 1 1⁄2-hour class time held at Butler Volunteer Fire Department, the class moved to the Butler Police Department’s shooting range, where they had the opportunity to put the new information into practice. Each participated was able to shoot 25-50 rounds from their guns and practice target shooting. Coody said that he hopes to put together other programs for local women in the near future.
“This was a very good class that taught confidence and security of using a gun at a distance and up close,” said Coody. “I highly recommend this class to all females.”
