One of the fastest growing sectors in the concealed carry explosion is women. Within that faction, senior citizens are a huge part of the trend.
Author Beth Alcazar explains the statistics in her article “Granny’s Got a Gun: More Mothers and Grandmothers are Carrying” at USConcealedCarry.com:
“In fact, according to the NRA, an increasing number of guns are being purchased by senior citizens with a noteworthy 400 percent increase since 2010 in the number of seniors taking a basic firearms course.” (Read more at USConcealedCarry.com)
Seniors, and in particular female seniors, are lining up to take concealed carry permit classes essentially for three reasons: independence, safety, and quality of life.
No matter their age, senior citizens want to feel like they can take care of themselves and not be dependent on others. Many elderly citizens prefer to spend their golden years traveling as much as possible, visiting destinations that having jobs and children made difficult to fit into their busy schedules earlier in life.
Other seniors travel alone as a result of choice or circumstance. Women still outlive men, but being a widow isn’t stopping many elderly women for backing up their spirit of self-reliance with a firearm. Naturally, their choices of firearms are significantly different from a 30-year-old’s since they have to consider physical and medical limitations. Weapons with less recoil are favored over heavy-duty pocket cannons and revolvers are generally more in demand because arthritis makes it difficult to rack the slide on the semi-automatics.
Safety is another huge priority for the older crowd. Carrying any weapon not only provides self-confidence, but provides seniors with an option for defending themselves both in their homes and on the street. Crimes against seniors are on the rise and street thugs looking for quick hits to support their drug or alcohol habits see senior citizens as easy prey.
Pepper spray and dogs can help, but unfortunately aren’t one-hundred percent dependable. In addition to that, criminals do not expect the AARP set to be packing heat, so the tactical advantage of surprise belongs to the victim once their weapon is drawn.
One of the most important considerations for senior citizens is the quality of life. As people get older, the idea of venturing out into an increasingly dangerous world becomes a daunting endeavor. Yet no one should have to live in fear of leaving their home and the Second Amendment guarantees the right to self-defense with deadly force if necessary. By obtaining a concealed carry permit and firearm, many seniors are able to maintain the same quality of life they enjoyed in their younger years.
The elderly population is choosing avoid becoming victims of the street punks who are targeting them. As the ranks of armed seniors continues to grow, hopefully the criminals stalking the disabled parking spaces will think twice before attacking someone they see as an easy target.