Page 1 of 14
Meet woman shotgun maker, Marty Fajen. After 27 years at stock-builder Reinhart Fajen, she knows what it takes to fit a shotgun to women. That’s why she started Tristar Sporting Arms in 1994. Her mission? Make shotguns specifically designed for the female anatomy.When she started Tristar, Marty researched Fajen’s records, culling the measurements collected for women clients. She came up with the size of the typical women shooter, and more importantly their unique differences from men. Women have longer necks, different chests, smaller hands and other distinctions that clearly indicated a need for a women’s shotgun.
So Marty created a shotgun with a shortened stock and length of pull so women could reach the trigger easier. The stock took on a Monte Carlo configuration to accommodate women’s longer necks. She also made the stock toe out, providing a better fit for the female shape. Marty then added a palm swell for smaller hands. In the end, you could argue that her Valmet 512 SC of fall 2004 was the first shotgun designed by a woman for women.
