As an aside, the first big surge in the popularity of guns for women was to some degree an unintended consequence.
For many years, women wore impressively large hat pins, which they used to stab aggressive males often when they were trying to rape the woman. An interesting choice of weapon, because if you were stabbed in the abdomen, you *had* to immediately seek medical attention, because you might have deadly internal bleeding. And even if you didn’t, internal infection, peritonitis, was extremely deadly.
This is, of course, if the hat pin didn’t kill you outright.
Aggressive men were, of course, horrified that their actions could spell their end, so there were loud cries to outlaw these “weapons” (especially in NYC, surprise, surprise.)
So, in a manner of speaking, “When women’s hat pins are outlawed, women will carry guns.”
While before the 20th Century, guns were already popular with prostitutes, after WWI, the enormous migration from rural America to the cities meant that there was a pressing need for women’s self defense.
This was redoubled because of the brutality of the authorities against women seeking enfranchisement, as it is unwise to try to abuse those who are armed.
interesting
thanks