Photo project about sultry Texas women and their favorite weapons

In 2016, Texas was officially allowed to openly carry a gun with you. But many armed local women prefer to hide it — for reasons, oddly enough, of safety and comfort.

According to data for 2014, more than 268 thousand women in the state have a valid license to carry light firearms. And these numbers are steadily growing, which has given rise to a related accessories industry, including a bra holster, camouflage leggings and gun holders in a leopard-colored car.

Photographer Shelley Calton, in an attempt to document the role of women in modern firearms culture, shot a series of portraits of her Texas friends for the book Concealed: She's Got a Gun.

Source: Business Insider

For some Texas women, a gun permit is more than a right. It's a matter of life and death.

On January 1, 2016, a law was issued allowing Texans who have a license from the Texas Department of Public Safety to openly carry weapons.

More and more women are arming themselves. According to the Department of Public Security, the number of women who applied for licenses increased from 22 thousand in 2010 to 103 thousand in 2016.

Photographer Shelly Colton is one such woman.

At a young age, Shelly and her sister learned to shoot targets outside the city. Their father always kept a pistol on his bedside table and deer hunting rifles. For kids growing up in Houston, this is a common story.

Shelly Colton asked her friends to shoot for a photo project with their weapons. There were plenty of them.

The photographer quickly realized that most of these women had grown up with guns and felt quite comfortable holding them in their hands.

They keep weapons in a safe, under a mattress or in a drawer of a bedside table.

One woman told the photographer: "My gun is my police, self—defense and my peace. Only my Glock under the mattress will provide security better than any lock on the door, alarm or boyfriend."

Other women sometimes hide guns in more unexpected places.

Shelly Colton does not agree with the statement that Texas women are turned on guns. "Everyone has their own story and their own reason why they carry weapons. Some have had life-threatening incidents."

"I've always had a dangerous job," said a participant in the photo project, who sells used cars and works in a liquor store. "The weapon gives me a sense of confidence and strength."

Others are in danger not far from home. One woman lives on an 800-acre ranch where cougars, wild boars and wild dogs are found.

Another heroine of the photo project told about her brother, who suffers from bipolar disorder and sometimes becomes aggressive and violent. She's ready to defend herself.

93 Americans die every day as a result of gun crimes. Although studies show that guns don't make society safer, these women are determined to take care of themselves.

The compulsory license courses teach that if you take out a gun, be ready to use it. Otherwise, someone else uses it.