Great news!

Via CI News:

For so long the gun industry has been dominated by men, from hunting to sport shooting to security.

But over the past decade we've seen an upward trend in women getting in on the action.

Women are becoming bigger players in the gun industry.

"I think women have always been interested in it but now that it's more prevalent, it's on the news every day, there are more friends that are involved. It's a good hobby for women and to speak to other women who also like the same sport and to be personally protected by it," said Susan Dietrich, a conceal carrier.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, since 2001 the percentage of hunters who are women has risen nine percent to 19 percent overall.

The number of women going to gun ranges has increased 60 percent to more than five million.

"There's a lot of women that go through it, a lot of couples go through it which is excellent," said Susan Darnall, owner of Darnall's Gun Works and Ranges.

While women buy guns for various reasons, experts say self defense is a major one.

Also, gun safety, they say many women are getting into the industry to overcome their fear of guns.

"I was intimidated as well. I would say do it. I think knowledge is information and information is knowledge," said Dietrich.

Millions of women are doing it, gun retailers estimate 20 percent of their total shooting and hunting sales are to women.

Read more here.