A Girl and A Gun

A Girl & A Gun Women's Shooting League (AG & AG) is a women’s club that introduces women and girls to pistol, rifle, and shotgun shooting. The organization has over 5,000 members in the United States.

The league takes beginners to whatever skill level they wish to achieve and provides experienced shooters with more opportunities. AG & AG’s events (self-defense, recreation, and practical shooting) have a girl-friendly atmosphere that can often be less intimidating to new shooters. Female instructors share tips about posture, grip, and maneuverability that are all unique to a woman’s physical characteristics. While there are wonderful male instructors, it can greatly benefit women to learn from other women.^[1]

Events

Every day of the year AG & AG is hosting an event. There are four levels of events:

• National
  • National Training Conference
  • Facilitator Development Program Presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors
• Regional
  • 3-Gun University
  • Girl’s Getaways
  • Back the Blue Female Law Enforcement Officer Training
  • Ladies' Multigun Fall Festival
• Local
  • Chapter Events: Girl's Night Out
• Virtual
  • Shooting Journal with Facebook group support

Competitive Shooting

A Girl & A Gun breaks barriers for women and girls in practical shooting sports by hosting clinics that welcome beginners to learn the basics of safe and accurate shooting and provide experienced shooters with advanced-level opportunities. AG & AG’s girl-friendly events have been successful stepping stones for thousands of women into shooting sports and fostered their love of shooting with caring and qualified instructors to coach them.^[2]

In 2014 AG & AG hosted the first-ever all-ladies squad at the International Defensive Pistol Association National Championships.^[2] Months later A Girl & A Gun hosted the first-ever all-ladies squad at the IDPA Smith & Wesson Indoor National Championship. The AG & AG squad shot 13 stages on Wednesday, February 25, 2015. The squad comprised nine ladies from across the country.^[3]

The league also hosted the only all-ladies multigun match of 2016.^[4] The Brownells Ladies’ Multigun Fall Festival was held October 27-29, 2016, at Rockcastle Shooting Center near Mammoth Cave National Park. Participants included 105 female competitors, who shot 8 challenging stages and 2 bonus matches over 2 days.

NSSF Women's Study

AG & AG was selected to participate in a commissioned study by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). The report, Women Gun Owners: Purchasing, Perceptions and Participation, was presented at the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The objective of the study was to "understand female gun owners including behaviors, attitudes, motivating factors influencing participation in shooting activities and social and environmental factors creating opportunities and barriers to participation."^[5] Pages 59 through 64 of the report highlights AG & AG members specifically. The report states, "AG & AG members own, on average, over one and a half times the number of guns women from the general sample own. AG & AG members also significantly outspent the general sample of women for guns and accessories. Nearly all of AG & AG members (98%) have had training as compared to the general sample’s 69% and AG & AG members average nearly 1.5 more classes than the general sample. Finally, AG & AG members are considerably more active participating on average once per month or more frequently as compared to the average few times a year of the general sample. AG & AG members are considerably different in their attitudes towards guns and shooting activities. AG & AG members tend to feel more secure and empowered because of their knowledge of guns; less insecure and nervous about handling guns; more enthusiastic about shooting activities."^[6]

References