Could have those deaths/injuries been prevented if firearms were allowed on the base?

[spin]

55. I know a number of women who own firearms and even have concealed carry permits. ...

I even know some women who can out shoot me with a handgun even though I have over 40 years experience target shooting.

I've helped a number of women learn how to shoot handguns. All enjoyed the experience and most proudly took their targets home to show their friends. In my experience a woman is easier to train on firearms as she doesn't have a lot of misconceptions formed by watching far too many unrealistic movies.

Several woman have told me that they found learning how to shoot a firearm oddly liberating and a real confidence builder. These women often went on to get a concealed weapons permit.

More and more women are showing up at firearm ranges. They often bring their female friends.

For the gun industry, women are the next big thing
By Aaron Smith @AaronSmithCNN February 7, 2014: 7:27 AM ET

Guns with slim profiles, pink stocks and glittery grips are aimed at one of the industry's fastest-growing clientele: women.

***snip***

Nearly 80% of gun retailers reported an increase in female customers in 2012, the most recent figures from the NSSF. In Florida, 22% of the concealed carry permits are held by women. In Texas, women hold 28% of concealed carry permits, up sevenfold in the last 10 years.

Tiffany Lakosky, a former flight attendant who hunts professionally on the Outdoor Channel show "Crush with Lee & Tiffany," said she's noticed a big increase in gun-related products for women. She doesn't care about pink guns, but she does appreciate pistols with smaller frames, like her .380-caliber semiautomatic.

***snip***

Butler, who is married to a Marine veteran of Afghanistan and who has a son that is also serving there, said that shooting is a relaxing sport for women who are stressed from balancing the pressures of career and family.

"When you are aiming at your target and you're executing a safe shot, you're not thinking about what's for dinner," she said. "You're not thinking about the problems of the day. You're thinking about what you have to do to hit the target. When you do that, it's just a sense of relaxation, followed by a sense of gratification. I think that every woman should experience that feeling."
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/07/news/companies/guns-women/

Firearms are no longer just "boy toys."