Women Driving Local Gun Sales

Due to the spike in local crime, the number of women seeking to purchase firearms in Tuscaloosa has exploded since late September and early October. Local business owner, Randy Simpson, visited several local gun stores but their inventory had been depleted. While shopping Plus One Tactical Advantage, he discovered a store buzzing with business.

Whatever expectations Simpson had before walking into the store, he wasn't prepared to for an unusual observation: women are driving demand and helping deplete supply.

According to Melissa Baisden, owner of Plus One Tactical Advantage, 90% of their business in February 2015 was primarily male. Beginning in late September, she noticed a surge in interest among women between the ages of 30-60 who now make up almost 40% of their total sales.

'Women don't know a lot about guns when they first come in so there might be some initial hesitance, but they're very vocal about their determination to avoid being a victim of rape or worse,' Baisden said during our phone conversation last night. 'They're also extremely eager to be trained on the proper use and safety of their firearms.'

Demand for firearms spiked so quickly that manufactures are struggling to keep up with orders from all over, local companies included. Baisden said her company is able to meet about 80% of current orders and added, 'I've got a few waiting lists for specific pistols made by Glock and Smith & Wesson as well'.

Requests for first-time conceal and carry permit applications in Tuscaloosa County have spiked sharply as well. The average three-day wait for approval has stretched to 30 days or longer as law enforcement officials process 'hundreds' each week.

In the video below, Randy Simpson aptly describes the surreal scene he stumbled upon when he first walked in to Plus One Tactical Advantage.