In 2007, 4.6 million Americans possessed a permit to carry a handgun. Now, eight years later, that number is 12.8 million Americans, or 5.2% of the population, according to a study by the Crime Prevention Research Center. And contrary to the stereotype leftists hold of gun owners — that they’re white males bitterly clinging to guns and religion — the body of armed citizens is growing more and more diverse. CPRC reports that there is evidence gun ownership is growing among minorities at a greater rate than among whites. Furthermore, gun ownership among women increased 270% from 2007 levels opposed to the 156% rate for men. While these numbers are heartening for lovers of Liberty and advocates for the right to self-defense, they are also probably low. After all, CPRC notes that there are 10 states in the union that allow some kind of permitless handgun carry (with Maine most recently joining those ranks). And there are signs that these gun owners aren’t just exercising their hunting and fishing rights. At the SHOT Show in January, the National Shooting Sports Foundation released a study that found the number one reason women get a gun is for self-defense — all inconvenient truths for those who want to impose more gun control.