In its June 15 issue, Forbes magazine has profiled one of the leading women of the firearms industry. The article traces both the history of American Derringer and Elizabeth's involvement with the company.

It is worthy to note that this article represents a rare occurrence - a positive article about a firearms company in a mainstream publication. The story covers the growth of American Derringer Corp. and the need for women to have the ability to defend themselves. In fact, the article relates a recent incident where Elizabeth had to call on her trusty derringer to defend herself from a physical assault.

What makes this all the more amazing is the fact that there is only one woman owned gun company in the US, and Forbes chose that company for this article. Throughout the history of the company, Elizabeth has had as her goal to produce a reliable and affordable firearm for self-defense purposes, while making sure that the product would be accepted by women. In particular, the article mentions the Lady Derringer line, which has been a consistent best-seller since its introduction in the late 1980's.

In response to the article, Saunders said, "I hope that this article starts a trend towards the recognition of the value and importance of the firearms industry in America." Saunders went on to note that "the article made it very clear about my commitment to the Second Amendment, as well as our commitment to bringing more women into the firearms market." It has always been one of Elizabeth's beliefs that women need to be able to defend themselves, and as levels of violence against women continue to skyrocket, this need becomes more important than ever.

Just last month, Elizabeth herself was physically accosted outside a local restaurant by a would-be assailant. Only the fact that Elizabeth had her gun with her saved her from what would have been a horrific episode. It is also important to note that she did not need to fire her gun, but only to draw it on the assailant to prevent the intended crime. "I know that in most cases, the presence of a lawfully carried firearm will prevent these incidents without the need to shoot the person. I also want to make it clear that what saved me was the fact that I was ready, willing and able to defend myself in that situation. I want to see more women able to do the same," commented Saunders when asked about the assault and her self-defense.

By way of this article, Elizabeth is once again leading the way for the industry in reaching out to those consumers who do not read the more traditional firearms publications. Over the course of time, it has regularly been Elizabeth who has garnered positive press for the industry in the mainstream media. And, in these times, that is an accomplishment in itself. "I was honored that a publication like Forbes would choose me to profile, and I hope that this helps to remove some of the stigma that our industry has gotten over the past few years of gun-bashing by the press and politicians," Saunders noted at the recent NRA Convention in Philadelphia. "It is about time we made the point that this industry employs literally tens of thousands of Americans, and generates billions of dollars in sales and, ultimately, is a major contributor to our economy. With all of the negative stories, there has not been one until now that makes this point. Forbes has made it, and I am confident that we will see more of this kind of news about us. In a sense, it is time for this industry to step forward and re-claim our position as a major and vital US industry."

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