Men used to buy most of the guns in the United States, but sales slowed down as the market saturated. And so the gun industry adapted, turning its advertising focus to women as potential gun buyers and owners.
The ads have evolved over the last two decades, from appeals based upon fear and sexiness to what Oregon State University researchers call the "serious students" of firearms approach. The researchers point out that the approach can appeal to a person who both favors gun laws and wants to own a gun.
We delve into the research with two of the study's authors, associate business professors Michelle Barnhart and Aimee Huff.