since February 2015
- founded by Kelly Ann Pidgeon
born to bring the world of firearms training to women
Armed and Feminine, LLC
Pennsylvania
About Armed and Feminine
Armed and Feminine, LLC is a Pennsylvania firearms training company that offers instruction for women, taught by women. It was founded in early 2015 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, by Kelly Ann Pidgeon, a Western Pennsylvania native with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pittsburgh and a background as a health care executive. Pidgeon is a certified NRA Pistol Instructor, Refuse To Be A Victim instructor and Range Safety Officer, and earned a Defensive Firearms Coach certificate from the ICE Training Academy in Virginia Beach. She has credited Indiana County Sheriff Robert Fyock with sparking her interest in defensive skills.
The company’s beginner pistol course is capped at 10 students, pairs classroom instruction with range time at a ratio of one instructor for every two students, and lets students start with a .22 pistol before trying larger calibers such as 9mm and .45. Advanced offerings include self-defense classes, the NRA’s Refuse To Be A Victim program and an introduction to the AR-15. By June 2020 Pidgeon had trained more than 1,000 women and youth, ranging in age from 11 to 83, and the company later reported nearly 3,000. She also started a local chapter of The Well Armed Woman and serves as Pennsylvania State Director and Northeast Regional Director for Women for Gun Rights, working with legislators on Second Amendment issues.
Key Facts
- February 2015: Armed and Feminine, LLC founded in Indiana, Pennsylvania
- June 2020: More than 1,000 women and youth trained, ages 11 to 83
- Later: Company reports nearly 3,000 women and youth trained
- Founder serves as Pennsylvania State Director and Northeast Regional Director for Women for Gun Rights
Learn More
Sources
- Armed and Feminine: Firearm Training By and For Women – NRA Women
- Kelly Pidgeon – Pennsylvania Leadership Conference
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