Jill Hamblin: The Rise of the Armed Woman
Jill Hamblin: The Rise of the Armed Woman In a decade as a firearms instructor, Jill Hamblin has trained thousands of people—mostly men—but she’ll never forget Mary Lune, who told her, “I’m not afraid anymore.” Twenty years ago, that was Jill, overcoming her own fear. “I remember loading my first gun,” she says. “I had so much anxiety. I thought it was going to explode!” Jill grew up in a Utah family of hunters, but because she was the oldest sister / cousin, she got stuck with babysitting, missing out on familiarity with guns. Her family owns five pawn shops, and when she and her husband, Aaron, took over the Cedar Post in Hurricane from her grandparents, handling firearms was part of the job. “Then I decided to conceal carry,” Jill says, and she realized her life story would make her an effective trainer. For Mary, Jill is the perfect mentor. “She’s so approachable. She removed all the mind noise, the mental dialogue: ‘You’re gonna get your finger stuck. You’re gonna hurt yourself.’ “Honey came out of her mouth, so soothing and easy to absorb.” According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, “the number of female hunters, target shooters and gun owners has increased dramatically since the start of the new millennium.” Jill sees it in her classes. “It’s the whole Covid thing. The rioting and protesting, the politics and the rhetoric, the advertisement of crime. “A firearm in a woman’s hand is the first thing to level the playing field. The first time a lady learns how to safely handle a firearm and shoot, she’s hooked.” Females follow through, Jill says. “Women tend to be more into wanting to learn and practice.” That’s why 43 percent of female gun owners go target shooting at least once a month, according to NSSF. At Jill’s suggestion, Mary joined Southern Utah Practical Shooting, where Jill is the treasurer. Mary says, “Her words of encouragement catapult me to the next level.” Jill also volunteers at Red Cliffs, becoming an RSO in 2019. Two years ago, she added RAO responsibilities. She says she would teach a firearms safety course for kids if she had time. Even if parents don’t own guns, Jill thinks all children should learn how to prevent accidents, which is the purpose of the NRA’s Eddie Eagle program. Jill went beyond the introductory level with her three boys, taking them to Front Sight. The middle son became a competitive shooter, but Jill is happiest with the basic takeaway. “You just have to know how to be safe,” she says. Email jillhamblintraining@gmail.com for information about CCW classes and other courses. By Kevin Foster Cox
