RALEIGH — Some people have always owned guns to protect themselves, but more and more, women are arming themselves to keep from being victimized.

Women are usually concerned about their personal safety. Some choose to study martial arts as a means of self-defense. Others are choosing to use more lethal weapons.

At a Wake County firing range, working women take time out of their busy schedules to learn how to use a firearm. More women are calling the Personal Defense and Handgun Safety Center to learn how to defend themselves. PDHSC co-owner Craig Wilson says women don't want to be victims.

Melanie Johnson of Garner is a wife, mother of two and a traveling sales representative who spends many hours on the road alone.

Firearms safety student Aileen Danko says she is concerned about her safety.

Protection remains the top reason why most women choose to own firearms. An increasing number of women are signing up for classes on gun safety. Pamela May says she's learning the proper way to use a gun, and that she wouldn't hesitate to do so if the situation called for it. .

Everyone who buys a gun at the center is required to take a safety and usage class. Students are also taught when the use of lethal force is warranted.

Gunmaker Smith & Wesson has begun manufacturing and marketing the Ladysmith line of guns designed specifically for women. The grip is designed to be more comfortable in a woman's hand and the guns even come in designer colors.