GLOCK and effortlessly locked the slide back. This is just one example of how men and women can be treated differently at gun stores and ranges. Whether it’s deliberate or not, it can drive away a lot of business. With women being a fast-growing market in the gun world, you’ll have far more successful sales if you leave assumptions out and treat everyone equally. Though the shooting sports is filled with many great men who continuously encourage and praise women for taking safety into their own hands, like all industries, the few bad apples — and even outdated perceptions or mistaken assumptions — quickly tarnish the experience. BY AVA FLANELL Avoid These 5 Deterrents For Women Women have fought to vote, get a credit card in their name, receive an Ivy League education and to even wear pants. Purchasing a gun, the greatest equalizer, shouldn’t be something we fight for or feel any discomfort in the process of doing so. It’s our American right. So why, after all these years, are so many women still facing discrimination at gun stores and ranges? And is this something done unconsciously because women are still in the minority? Let’s explore five common deterrents women face when coming in for a visit. 1 DIFFERENT TREATMENT Recently while traveling out of state, I walked into a gun store and expressed interest in purchasing my first gun out of curiosity to see how I would be treated. The salesman didn’t inquire about my potential use and needs. Instead, he defaulted by immediately starting me off in the GLOCK department. I asked about a .45 ACP to which he committed the first misconception and said, “The problem with .45s is pulling the slide back and chambering it correctly. Sometimes it’s a deterrent for a lot of the women who come in here.” Then, instead of verifying my ability to operate the slide, he brought out a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield EZ and talked about the multiple safety features and the ease of operation. The salesman put the gun on the counter and then handed me a GLOCK and told me to feel the difference in tolerances, expecting me to struggle with the GLOCK. To his surprise, I took the Men and women can be treated differently at gun stores and ranges. Whether it’s deliberate or not, it can drive away a lot of business. 2 NOT BEING ADDRESSED One of the biggest issues I see and face as a female is not being addressed in the store. When I’m alone, the salesperson assumes I’m in there with my boyfriend or husband who’s off buying something. As a result, they don’t ask if I need anything. If I enter the store with a man, the salesperson talks directly to him and rarely makes eye contact with me. This, unfortunately, is a very common experience for women. Vicki Hommes, a firearms enthusiast said, “When I go into a gun store with my husband or son, the salesman ignores me and assumes it’s the guys who are there 36 Shooting Industry May 2021
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