MCCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky. - If you had a gun on your Christmas list this year, there's a good chance your wish was granted.

Gun sales in the U.S. are shooting through the roof. 

It's hard to get an exact figure on the actual number of guns sold, but one indicator is the number of FBI background checks.

In December there were 1,400,000 background checks, which beat the old record set just the month before.

Why the sudden increase? That too is hard to pinpoint, but one group that's making up a large percentage of sales is women.

Barbara Howell is somewhere she never thought she'd be, doing something she never thought she'd do. "I have always been really scared of guns," she said as she looked over the selection at Shooter's Supply.

But today, she has her sights set on buying her first.

"I've been interested in getting a small one for self defense, if I need it."

And she found one to do just that, with the added bonus of matching her sense of style.

Trudy McCutchen owns Paducah Shooter's Supply, where you are seeing a lot more than just black, chrome, and camouflage these days.

"It was barely starting 5 years ago, now it's all pink," says McCutchen.

Gunmakers have it figured out too. They're now making weapons for the youngest female shooter, with plenty of pink.

Now its gone beyond that. This month, the growing demand triggered Shooter's Supply to start its first women's only concealed carry class.

The numbers show there's a growing demand for guns by women nationally. This past Black Friday set the record for one day gun sales, with 129,166 FBI background checks that day. Rhonda Stratton was one of those buyers.

Some women say they just feel more comfortable and safer with one around. In fact, a study by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that's why most women buy a gun. 80% for self defense, 35% for target practice, and 24% for hunting. 

And while there are no exact numbers on how many women own guns, a recent Gallup Poll may shed some light. In 2009, 51% of men and 33% of women reported living in a home with a gun. By 2011, the percentage of men was about the same at 52%, but for women that number grew to 43%. 

It appears this phenomenon is not a flash in the pan, but Trudy has a warning for those guys pushing their girlfriend or wife to buy a gun: "Most of the time, women can outshoot men."