Photo: Kelly Carlson as “Kimber Henry” in the FX series “Nip/Tuck.”

From 2003 to 2010, Kelly Carlson starred on the popular FX series, Nip/Tuck. Away from the cameras, her beauty and stardom created even more drama for the actress/model. Unfortunately, the script in her personal life got extremely dark and scary for her. Kelly eventually turned to firearms to help get her life back.

On Nip/Tuck, she played the role of Kimber Henry, a model obsessed with plastic surgery. Needless to say, it was a provocative character which got the attention of viewers. It earned fame and fortune for Kelly Carlson. The problem was, it also attracted stalkers.

She had a stalker or stalkers break into her home on more than a handful of occasions. And those were just the times she knew about. She said it put her into “extreme duress,” and waged “psychological warfare” against her. To make matters worse and even creepier, the technology installed in her home was compromised without her knowledge or consent. This stripped her of her privacy and peace of mind.

Kelly Carlson claims the police were less than helpful, and says they thought she’d “lost it.” But she knew the truth, and she stayed true to it.

For a long time, she had been trained in the martial art of Kali. However, based on the level of sophistication of breaches to her home and technology, Kelly Carlson knew she needed better protection and personal security. So, she became a gun owner, and trained how to use it.

Photo: Kelly Carlson in NRA All Access.

“Owning a firearm… was life changing for me,” Kelly said in a recent television appearance on Fox & Friends, promoting her new episode on the Outdoor Channel’s pro-gun series, NRA All Access. “Because women for sure, but even men too, can be in a very, very vulnerable position with no options if you have intruders or any scenario where you’re being dominated physically… [A firearm] is the only equalizer you have.”

Kelly Carlson has kindly taken on the real-life role of being a pro-gun advocate, especially for women. “If this happened to me, it’s happened to millions of women. I have the responsibility to educate people about firearms and also share my story. I’m not telling people to just go get [a firearm], they’re not for everybody. While my message is supportive, I also very much emphasize on training and safety because it is a dangerous weapon. It’s a lifestyle and it can save your life.”

Kelly was raised in Minnesota. Twenty years ago there her uncle was shot and killed in cold blood during a gas station robbery. Her family was able to keep the tragedy in perspective. They did not blame the Second Amendment and all responsible gun owners. Carlson said, “When it comes to gun grabbing and gun control, we never once for a second did my family even consider promoting stricter gun laws. We went after the criminal. We didn’t put the gun in jail.”

Ares Armor Inc. salutes Kelly Carlson for her support of wounded military veterans, and for taking a public pro-gun stance which she knows may well backfire against future opportunities in her Hollywood career. “It probably has and I don’t know it… I don’t care,” she says.

You might think Kelly Carlson has it all. Beauty, talent, money, fame, and more. You might be right. What’s even better is she now owns a firearm and is skilled to protect herself and her home. Locked and loaded never looked so good.

#ArmedandFabulous

It’s amazing how well some women’s names fit them. For example, Joan of Arc, “Lady Di,” and “Marilyn Monroe.” Then, there’s the Armed and Fabulous, Becky Bieker. For her, the perfect match is her business name.

She’s A Pistol.

This name fits Becky like a custom Kydex holster. It feels like destiny. No doubt, you will be inspired when you discover why.

“I was raised around firearms,” Becky Bieker says. “My dad was a U.S. Marine. He and my mom trained us well with guns from the time we were really little kids. Whether it was target shooting, recreation, or protection, everything was about safety. We were raised with that mindset.”

Years later her training became her career. In August 2012, Becky Bieker and her husband, Jon Bieker, opened their She’s A Pistol store in Shawnee, Kansas. It’s not a guy’s gun shop. It’s not a girl’s gun shop. It serves men, women, and children. The business offers self-defense and personal protection training services and supplies from pepper spray to guns. “I see us as specializing in helping people be safer,” says Becky.

The business opened to a mixed reaction. “Some in the community were truly excited,” Becky recalls. “Others were hesitant, and maybe even scared. Since then, pretty much all have come around. People know we’re here to be an asset, and make the community safer as whole.”

She’s A Pistol takes aim differently. “We often see some fear of gun element,” explains Becky. “So, we start people with training. Then they buy a gun. This gets them comfortable with a firearm before they take one home where children may be living, or others could get hurt. We give people safety first, teach them mechanics, and help them make better choices.”

The state of Kansas recently passed a Constitutional Carry law. It goes into effect July 1, 2015. Firearms are now on fire with all kinds of Kansas Jayhawks, who want to arm themselves, and be trained how to handle a gun properly. “I think regardless of gender the more law abiding citizens choosing to protect themselves is always a good thing,” says Becky. “Women with guns is especially valuable for society. It can empower women to feel safe, be safe, and take control of their destiny.”

That Day - When Safety Met Dangerous at She’s A Pistol

It was January 9, 2015, inside the She’s A Pistol shop. Shawnee Police say this is what took place with the botched armed robbery:

Becky Bieker was showing a gun to a man, De’Anthony Wiley. Three other men entered the shop. They pulled guns on Becky. She raised her hands. Nicquan Midgyett jumped over the counter and hit her. Jon emerged from a back room shooting a gun in defense of his wife. A shootout ensued. Three ran. Jon shot two of them. Tragically, Jon was killed by gunfire. All four suspects are charged with first-degree murder.

Becky says, “There is only so much I can say legally right now. Basically what we’ve been trying to get out is there are always going to be criminal elements no matter where you live. You have got to be able to defend yourself, and be trained to do it to increase your odds of survival. Our scenario did not end as we prefer, but ultimately four dangerous criminals are off the street today.”

A Truly Grand Re-Opening

About a month and a half after Jon was killed, Becky Bieker re-opened She’s A Pistol, because… She’s A Pistol.

“I didn’t see I had a choice,” she admits. I knew we would have changes and struggles, and we would do our best to overcome them. People told me they would have closed or just stayed in bed and fallen apart. That’s not who we were as a couple. That’s not who Jon was, and I remain the person he loved. I honor the sacrifice he made for me that day.”

(Shawnee Mayor Michelle Distler - left. Becky Bieker - right)

Now, the 7-person team at She’s A Pistol uses new sayings in everything they do:

1. Stay safe.
2. Stay strong.
3. Be a pistol.

Becky explains, ”Jon would want this. He wouldn’t want any of us be to broken. He’d want us to have that fire inside to keep going, keep fighting, keep helping, somehow. I’ve been humbled by all the support in the community, and across the country from as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. This made it easier to get out of bed some days. Plus, customers have been coming in or calling to tell us what Jon or I did to make them safer, or even save their lives in some scenarios.”

“Becky has the biggest heart in the world,” says Chad Stevens, her friend since high school.“ Chad spent 17 years in private security, and came to work at She’s A Pistol with the re-opening. “She is courageous, strong, and inspirational. The business is growing. Becky is doing a helluva job.”

(Photo: Chad Stevens: She’s A Pistol)

On the She’s A Pistol website, it says the name is an attitude which means, “Mind yourself around this one. She can stand up for herself.” Like we said, for Becky Bieker, She’s A Pistol is proven perfect.

#ArmedandFabulous

Shelley Calton is a great shot. The native Texan is so Armed and Fabulous, you don’t even need to see her firearm, or her target. All you need for proof is to look through the eye of her camera in her unique, professional photography on women with guns, Concealed. It’s her second book, being released across America in Fall 2015.

Below, we’ve made a video of some photos in the book, Concealed. Yet, you might enjoy them more once you know the story behind them.

For starters, here’s how Concealed began. Shelley saw a friend right after an incident in a Houston hair salon. Her friend was in the salon when another patron dropped a handbag while paying. The handbag hit the floor. The handgun inside discharged. The bullet ricocheted, and actually went through a can of hair spray a stylist had in a back pocket of his pants.

Shelley Calton (pictured below) started thinking about why that woman was carrying a gun.

Soon after, she pulled the trigger on Concealed in 2011. It was a personal labor of love. Shelley Calton had no guarantee of a book deal or a payday. Still, she spent until 2014, photographing 70 women from all over Texas. Many were in the greater Houston area where she makes her home. But, since everything is big in Texas, what began with her own circle of friends, grew into word of mouth photo opportunities across the Lone Star State.

“I wanted to find out about other women who decided to arm themselves,” says Shelley Calton. “95% of the women I photographed have their Concealed Handgun License (called CHL in Texas). I got my CHL in the first year of the project. I wanted to make sure I experienced what it was like to go through that process.”

The making of Concealed wasn’t easy.

“I wanted to photograph women in their own environment,” she explains. “It was difficult because you don’t want everything to look staged. Sometimes the shot was where they would store the gun, or where they would carry it.”

Shelley Calton had a handgun handed down to her from her father. “I grew up around guns. My Dad got me shooting when I was young, probably 10 or 11,” she recalls. We started me target shooting with a revolver. Then, we moved to bird hunting with shotguns.”

Shelley discovered all of the women she photographed had a personal story which motivated them to carry a gun. “Some have had incidents. Some have been threatened,” she says. “Others had life history growing up in Texas gun culture. People don’t really speak about Texas gun culture, mostly passed down from dads and granddads.”

Shelley Calton says the women featured in Concealed shared a common mindset. “One thing I have learned is on a basic level women own guns for protection. There is a bigger question to my project, and that is why they feel the need. We live in a society where a majority of violence and sexual assaults are against women.” Shelley added this powerful point:

The women I photographed in Concealed, refuse to vulnerable and victimized.

The book was published in Germany. It was recently released in Europe. American distribution begins in Fall 2015. In the meantime, Shelley Calton has found herself defending American women.

“I am a photographer,” she says. “When I started Concealed, I felt I was documenting a sub-culture of women in Texas. But it has become bigger. A story about my book in the Daily Mail newspaper in the U.K. got 2,000 comments. People outside the U.S. have ideas of American women being crazy, gun-wielding, whatever. I hope my explanation of these women protecting themselves and their families will squash these ideas other people have in their minds.”

As the saying goes, “Don’t Mess with Texas.”

For more information on Shelley Calton, or to directly purchase a copy of Concealed, visit ShelleyCalton.com.

#ArmedandFabulous

This young lady is a Special K. Kasey Nelson just turned 21. But don’t let her age fool you. She already has an Armed and Fabulous story with real value for you and others.

Growing up in Escondido, California, Kasey Nelson describes herself as having been a “shut in” kid. She tried baseball and football, but spent much time indoors. At age 7, she began shooting with her father, Kurt. They would go to the range a couple times a month. At first, she liked it, didn’t love it.

Truly by accident…everything changed.

Kurt was on a biking trip, just after divorcing Kasey’s mom. He was involved in an accident. Kurt broke his back, severed his spinal cord, and became a paraplegic. Kasey was 9.

“Shooting created a bond for us,” she says. “We began doing it a couple times a week. It was kind of what held our family together because it was an activity my dad could still do, and me and my brother began enjoying it more, too. One day, a guy at the range told us to show up the next week. Somehow, we got ushered into the state shooting competitions and were training seriously three times a week.”

Kasey Nelson set her sights on competing. She became a star shooter on championship California Grizzlies Rifle Teams. “We would always hold our own against other teams. But it’s amazing how much young shooting talent there is,” she says. “I’m really proud of her,” says her father Kurt Nelson. “I used to keep a scorecard pinned up on the wall from the first time she out shot me a number of years ago. It was like an ‘Oh Wow’ moment, a passing of the torch. Now, when I have a shooting problem to solve, I go to her. It’s been a great journey.”

By 19, Kasey Nelson was classified as a Nationally Distinguished Master. For her, the inner rewards ran deeper than the public awards from competitive shooting. “It is something I like to do to de-stress. It’s fun,” she says. “Having minor OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), or major OCD as others would call it …shooting has really helped me. I like having goals, something to work on and improve. It gave me everything I needed.” Dad adds, “Shooting kept Kasey grounded in reality. It taught her how to focus, train hard, and go after what she wants.”

This girl’s gift with guns has also offered her a chance to give back to the next generations of young and female shooters. “Kasey is a very good coach to the younger kids, says grandmother, Lucy Nelson, who serves as Treasurer of the Escondido Fish and Game Association. “She has a great reputation in the shooting community. The little girls especially would ask for her to coach them at Junior Rifle.”

“KO’s: Kasey’s Observations on Shooting”

Kasey Nelson has keen insights and observations beyond her years. For what it’s worth, here’s some advice she believes can benefit others:

• Try shooting. You might like it. Kasey says, “For many people the only experience they have ever had with guns comes only from what they see in the media, or movies or TV. This gives you a portrayal of guns which isn’t real. Come out to a range. Close your eyes if you want, but hold a gun. Are you still breathing? Okay great. Now let’s go from there and move on. So really for me, the big focus is getting people to try shooting once.”

• Guys, Don’t Shoot Your Mouths off. “A whole lot of times I get guys talking to me like I don’t know anything about guns or how to shoot them,” admits Kasey. “They tell me they’ll show me everything what to do. I am like, ’Yeah whatever.’ It does get irritating. Just because you see a woman or someone younger, please don’t assume they don’t know anything.”

• Curb Your Enthusiasm. “There is one thing I have noticed over and over again,” observes Kasey. “I see women express even the slightest interest in shooting, and their male friends or family members jump all over it. The excitement is real. They mean well. But the men tend to give way too much information too quickly. I’ve seen it get many women feeling overwhelmed very fast. One solution is have people who don’t know you well teaching you about guns. It can take a whole lot of the pressure off learning good habits and skills. For anyone interested in this, Women on Target is a great program which serves this purpose.”

New targets for Kasey include getting accepted into the Nursing Program at Palomar College, and getting her Conceal Carry permit. Ares Armor wishes her well. Kasey Nelson is Armed and Fabulous.

#ArmedandFabulous

Clint Eastwood is, and always will be, “Dirty Harry.” Like they say in the Geico commercials, “Everybody knows that.” But did you know, Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore is “Dirty Harriet?” It’ll take you much less than 15 minutes to discover why.

Raised in Brooklyn by a single Mom, Michele had two uncles who were NYPD. One was a mounted policeman. The other was a beat cop. They helped spark two loves of her life, animals and guns. “Being in a police family, I got to shoot with my uncles when I was 9 years old,” she recalls. “The first time was a .38 caliber revolver. It was just great. What I liked about guns when I was a kid was, on my second shot I hit the target. I just kept wanting to hit the target.”

Dead on target is Michele’s “Dirty Harriet” label. Don’t blame the dirty world of politics for it. Don’t blame the liberal Democrats who have mostly ruled the Nevada state legislature since before gambling was legalized in 1931. Credit Michele Fiore instead. The Republican Assemblywoman from Clark County District 4 (Las Vegas) has rightfully earned the nickname, “Dirty Harriet.”

“Yeah that’s me,” laughs Michele. “It’s because I smile a lot, and am really warm and fuzzy. I’m friendly. But I don’t ever allow that to be taken for weakness. That’s when the Brooklyn girl in me comes right out.”

There’s more to Michele Fiore than just being a loaded gun. There’s the issue of her always having one or more in her possession. You can bet she’s the most heavily armed politician in the state, from Boulder City to Carson City.

“Right now I have my Glock 19 in my purse,” she said during our interview. “I always have a bullet in the chamber. Generally, I have 3 to 4 guns on me at any given time. It could be as a necklace, sidearm, and so on.”

Tourists travel from all over the world to the district Michele Fiore represents with her heart and soul, and firearms. Can you blame her? Year after year, visitors and residents of “Sin City” combine to make Nevada one of the top states for violent crime rates.

Michele Fiore has lived in Nevada since 1993. She simply will not gamble when it comes to protection and self-defense. She carries open. She carries concealed. She carries here. She carries there. She carries everywhere. What she doesn’t carry is an apology for it.

“Here’s the deal, and I’ve talked to the D.A. about it,” admits Michele. “For example, I don’t like going on college campuses at night. If someone is going to try to rape me or try something else, I would rather have a gun with me. I have my Mom who is 65 and very sick. I have my daughters and grandchildren. I am like the engine in my family. I cannot risk my life because it will impact my family. So, I don’t care if the rules say I cannot carry a firearm. I don’t care if some dumb liberal with an anti-gun agenda says I can’t carry. It’s my right to carry, so I do.”

Since getting re-elected last year to a second term, Michele Fiore has been carrying Nevada Assembly Bill 167. She introduced AB 167, and has totally supported Valerie and Brian Wilson in their efforts to get the law passed so conceal carry permit holders can become foster parents.

“Our freedoms are at stake on this,” she says. “Basically I have had to be a real pain in the tuckus to everyone. The Democrats don’t get it. They have continued to whittle away at our Second Amendment rights. I hate it.”

This afternoon in a hearing before the Nevada Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Michele Fiore will proudly introduce the Wilsons for them to present Nevada AB 167. She expects the bill will get passed through the committee by Friday. It would then go to the Senate floor which is loaded with enough votes to approve.

Michele Fiore understands why women carry and should. She was forced once to show a gun on her hip to protect herself. It was enough to scare off a group of goons when nothing or no one else was around to save her. She has never had to fire her weapons at someone, but you can double down she is ready.

“As a mother, and now a grandmother, I can never imagine not being able to defend my family. But if you were to meet me, you’d see I am really nice and not that mean, horrible Dirty Harriet people think.”

Bad guys, if you go to Las Vegas, consider yourself forewarned. Don’t “Go ahead and make her day.”

#ArmedandFabulous

Ask Regis Giles. Size doesn’t matter to her. You see, in Florida there are plenty of males and wild animals bigger than her who fear her. It’s not for good reason, but good reasons, plural.

The 23-year old is a sure shot with a rifle and a handgun. Plus, she is the first female black belt in the famed Valente Brothers Jiu-Jitsu program in Miami. Basically, she’s an serious accident waiting to happen for any uninformed predator.

“I feel sorry for the person who tries anything on me,” says Regis Giles. “I’m prepared if it does happen. I’m willing and able to use lethal force with multiple options. I could fight one attacker hand to hand. Or, I could pull out my firearm to stop multiple attackers. Options are always necessary.”

Regis Giles has been featured in Variety and ELLE Magazines. She’s also appeared on ABC, CNN, and Fox News. The lovely young woman has a charismatic and outgoing personality similar to Regis Philbin. However, she is more heavily armed, and far more dangerous than him. Through her website, www.GirlsJustWannaHaveGuns.com, she is passionate in her hopes to inspire and help more women to be the same way.

“My goal is to turn women from prey to formidable defender,” says Regis genuinely. “I see too many headlines of women being victims. It’s infuriating. The whole idea of being passive on your own security astounds me. I want women across the nation to wake up. This is serious.”

“You may be good enough to shoot the eyes off a fly. But what good will it do if that gun is not around you? I think it’s also very important making your body a deadly weapon, too.” – Regis Giles

Naturally, she carries her martial arts skills with her everywhere. Yet, Regis also carries a handgun for protection. “I carry my gun because I need an insurance policy right on my side in a matter of seconds instead of 5 minutes away,” she explains. “Police want to be there to help and save you. But you are the first responder of an attack. You are the only one who can do something about your safety right away.”

Giles Family Hunting

Speaking of right away, that explains how 9-year old Regis took to guns. She says, “The moment I pulled the trigger I was hooked.” She credits and thanks her father, Doug Giles, a popular columnist and author on hunting. Regis quickly went from a .22 caliber rifle to a .30/30 Marlin.

Like all hunters, she remembers her first kill.

“We were hunting wild boar in Central Florida. I believe I was 12 yrs old,” she recalls. “It was intimidating. But when hunting, you don’t feel the recoil. You feel the adrenalin. We had set the dogs on it. But suddenly what became terrifying was the wild boar charging our vehicle like he was trying to kill it. I got the best of him though. We’ve long since eaten and digested him,” she laughs.

Since then, Regis Giles has enjoyed more big-game hunting success. This includes antelope, bear, black buck, buffalo, and whitetail deer. Next month, she’s heading to Africa with her dad for a hunting safari. “I like to do most of my target shooting at live targets,” she says.

Outspoken Second Amendment Supporter

“It disgusts me when I see what President Obama tries to do with the Second Amendment,” admits Regis. “But it also makes me want to thank him for the greatest saleman of firearms and ammunition. He’s a big reason why women are purchasing firearms because he is threatening to take away our gun rights. It’s what you’d expect from someone who doesn’t care about our Consititution and acts more like a dictator. It makes no sense. It’s outrageous.”

Regis Giles Gives Advice on Guns for Women

• “To be proficient, I was exposing myself a lot to firearms, not just seeing a gun and knowing how to handle it. Spend time going to the shooting range, squeezing the trigger, and fully understanding what is expected including how to handle the recoil. Learn how to calm yourself and breathe through your shooting.”

• “Realize the reason most women don’t own a gun is because they have never shot one before. Learn how to operate a firearm because it never hurts. If you ever need to use a gun you want to make darn sure you know how to load and fire that gun, that tool. The ability to do this removes that fear of a gun. Find the right training instructor to help you.”

• “With any shooting you must be consistent with your shooting routine because you can easily get rusty and go back on old habits you had to break. Consistency is important.”

• “Know how to protect your firearm, and take one away if someone might point one at you.”

• “If you as a woman cannot get comfortable carrying a gun, try a taser, or pepper spray. Knowing hand to hand combat is also crucial.”
• “Every year some 200,000 women use a firearm in self defense. None of it guarantees survival of the attack, but it certainly gives you a fighting chance.”

Regis adds, “I hope to see that 200,000 number increase because more women are carrying guns, or watch it decrease because violent offenders know our ladies are armed and dangerous.”

Armed and dangerous, (and fabulous)…just like you Regis Giles.