|
|
March 26th, 2013
 The Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) is planning to spend more than $20 million to strengthen the firearm background check system by improving states’ abilities to share information with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Attorney General Eric Holder stated: “The Department of Justice intends to take immediate and effective action to work with states to fill gaps in information currently available to the NICS system.”
OJP’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) are providing three grants to support state efforts to improve flow of the information needed by NICS. The grants would be used to improve access to and reporting of: 1) mental health information; 2) felony convictions; 3) misdemeanor domestic violence convictions; and 4) domestic violence restraining orders. The project also hopes to get immediate access to active felony and misdemeanor warrants. The grants will support enhancements to electronic submissions of fingerprints to state and federal systems as well as linking of arrest and disposition. Funding will be provided under National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP), and a new initiative called, Improving the Completeness of Firearm Background Checks through Enhanced State Data Sharing. CLICK HERE for more info on the new Background Check Data Sharing Programs.
November 28th, 2012
 On November 23, 2012 (Black Friday), Americans purchased more guns than on any other day in history. Gun sales (based on NICS background check data) set a new single-day record. This year, the FBI logged 154,873 Black Friday background checks, up 20% from the 129,166 back-ground checks done on Black Friday 2011. And, since a NICS check may authorize purchase of multiple guns, the 154,873 number may “under-count” the actual number of firearms purchased on Black Friday this year.
Recent election outcomes may have influenced the spike in gun sales. People are concerned that more restrictive gun control laws may be enacted during President Obama’s second term. Writing in Ammoland.com, AWR Hawkins declared: “The bottom line: Americans want their guns. And it appears they’re getting them before Obama has the chance to do anything about it.” Hawkins adds: “As in 2011, women were increasingly among those buying guns on Black Friday. And first time buyers, whether male or female, were also well represented.”
November 23rd, 2012
NSSF story By Bill Brassard
Post-election reports indicate a rising demand for firearms nationwide. If 2012 follows past trends (based on federal background check data), gun sales on the day after Thanksgiving — Black Friday — will hit record levels.
Over the past four years (November 2008 through the December 2011), four of the top 10 most active days for background checks were Black Fridays. (See Chart.) The single-day record for most background checks was set on November 26, 2011, when more than 129,000 were made by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The second highest Black Friday total was on November 28, 2008, only weeks after President Barack Obama was elected to his first term. That total of 97,848 was a record number of background checks at that time.
Given the president’s reelection and also his call in the third debate for renewed restrictions on semi-automatic firearms, will a new record be set this Black Friday, November 23?
A background check is mandatory prior to the purchase of any firearm at retail. Background-check statistics are indicators of sales activity, though it’s important to note that for a variety of reasons a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a background check and a firearm purchase.
July 11th, 2012
 FFL-holders take note. The ATF has revised Form 4473 for over-the-counter transactions. As of July 9, 2012, for all transactions requiring a 4473, use of the NEW REVISED FORM is MANDATORY. You need to start using the new form right now. ATF mailed new Form 4473 packets to FFL-holders. If you have not received the new Form 4473, CLICK HERE to Download New Revised Form 4473.
- If you are an FFL and have not received a supply from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), contact your local ATF office immediately. To obtain the forms, call the ATF Forms Distribution Center, 301-583-4696, or order online at www.atf.gov.
- UPDATE: If you have not received a packet of the revised ATF Form 4473, April 2012 Edition. To ensure that you are utilizing the correct version of the form, you may print the revised ATF Form 4473 at http://www.atf.gov/forms/download/atf-f-4473-1.pdf. Please be sure to copy all six pages of the form and staple them together if you elect to use a printed or photocopied version of the form.
- The impetus for the revisions resulted from two opinions issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) relating to aliens’ ability to receive and possess firearms. In response to DOJ’s concerns, questions ll.l and 12, and corresponding instructions, have been modified. See "Open Letter to All Federal Firearms Licensees" for a more detailed explanation and a copy of the revised form, along with "notices, instructions and definitions."
- An "Important Notice to All Federal Firearms Licensees" has been issued by ATF to further explain changes appearing in the new Form 4473.
- "Questions and Answers — Revised ATF4473 (April 2012 Edition), prepared and published by ATF, poses relevant questions regarding the changes in Form 4473 and provides helpful answers.
June 8th, 2012
Based on data from the National Instant-Check System (NICS), gun sales continue to rise. Halfway through this election year, the number of guns sold continues to climb, and the trend is expected to continue throughout 2012. The May 2012 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 840,412 represents an increase of 20.6% over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 696,947 in May 2011*. For comparison, the unadjusted May 2012 NICS figure of 1,305,392 reflects a 7% increase from the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,219,872 in May 2011. This marks the 24th straight month that NSSF-adjusted NICS figures have increased compared to the same period the previous year.
With President Obama’s campaign looking strong at this time, Americans are stocking up on guns and ammo in anticipation of new gun-control legislation that could be enacted during the next 4-year Presidential term. In addition, there is the possibility that the next President could nominate one or more Supreme Court Justices to replace aging members of the High Court. That creates uncertainty about future rulings on Second Amendment issues.
*Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide a more accurate picture of current market conditions. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions of firearms sales and transfers on new and used handguns and long guns.
January 5th, 2012
Americans of all walks of life are purchasing more pistols, rifles, and shotguns than ever before. Based on NSSF-adjusted FBI background check (NICS) records, American purchased 10,791,275 firearms in 2011. That’s an all-time record, and a 14% increase over 2010. Gun sales hit a new high in 2011 after a decade of steady increases (see chart). In 2002, ten years ago, slightly less than 7,000,000 firearms were sold. The 2011 sales figure represents a 54.1% increase over 2002 sales. And the NICS figures are conservative, because they do not report multiple gun sales made with a single background check.
Gun Ownership Becomes More Universal
The increase in gun sales over the last ten years reflects growth in the ranks of gun owners. A significant percentage of recent sales have been made to first-time gun owners. And more women are arming themselves. Gun ownership is becoming more universal, not limited to the traditional groups of male hunters and sportsmen. A recent Gallup Poll found that: “47 percent of American adults currently report that they have a gun in their home or on their property”.
 First-time buyers and women are driving the spike in gun sales. USA Today reports: “Some gun industry analysts attributed the unusual surge to a convergence of factors, including an increasing number of first-time buyers seeking firearms for protection and women who are being drawn to sport shooting and hunting.” Confirming that view, Bloomberg.com states that more women, liberals, and Democrats are buying guns. Multiple factors are at work according to CNBC.com: “Uncertainty in a presidential election year. Warriors returning from the battlefields. The comeback of the hunter. These are just some of the reasons… why firearms makers are ringing in 2012 like gangbusters.”
Gallup Gun Ownership Poll Summary
“A clear societal change took place regarding gun ownership in the early 1990s, when the percentage of Americans saying there was a gun in their home or on their property dropped from the low to mid-50s into the low to mid-40s and remained at that level for the next 15 years. Whether this reflected a true decline in gun ownership or a cultural shift in Americans’ willingness to say they had guns is unclear. However, the new data suggest that attitudes may again be changing. At 47%, reported gun ownership is the highest it has been in nearly two decades — a finding that may be related to Americans’ dampened support for gun-control laws. However, to ensure that this year’s increase reflects a meaningful rebound in reported gun ownership, it will be important to see whether the uptick continues in future polling.”
The NSSF adjusts NICS data by subtracting out NICS purpose-code permit checks used by several states such as Kentucky, Iowa and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions of firearms sales and transfers on new and used handguns and long guns. For more NICS info visit the NICS website.
Photo by KapapCombative.com.
December 2nd, 2011
Smart phones and flat-screen TVs weren’t the only things flying off retailers’ shelves during the recent “Black Friday” sales fest. Americans bought firearms in record numbers on Black Friday 2011. The FBI recorded 129,166 firearm background requests on November 25, 2011, an all-time, single-day high. That’s 32% higher than any day on record, exceeding the previous one-day high of 97,848 background checks on Black Friday of 2008. (Note: The actual number of firearms purchased, in all likelihood, exceeds the number of background checks, because one buyer can purchase multiple guns with a single background check.)
No one really knows why gun sales went through the roof this shopping season. Many large vendors, such as Cabela’s, offered deep discounts. Also hit cable television shows such as Top Shot and Sons of Guns have popularized shooting, emphasizing the “cool factor” of gun ownership. These TV series stirred interest in firearms among many Americans who, just a few years ago, had limited awareness of hunting and the shooting sports.
 Women and First-Time Buyers Drive Sales
Statistics suggest that newcomers to shooting (and first-time buyers) are driving the increase in sales. USA Today reports: “Some gun industry analysts attributed the unusual surge to a convergence of factors, including an increasing number of first-time buyers seeking firearms for protection and women who are being drawn to sport shooting and hunting.”
According to the NSSF’s Larry Keane, “I think there also is a burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns.” Keene noted that 25% of sales are going to first-time buyers, many of whom are women. This is a good thing for the shooting sports. As more females acquire firearms for both personal defense and for recreational use, we can expect the ranks of female competitive shooters to grow.
May 13th, 2011
We don’t quite know why, but Americans appear to be using their tax refunds to build up their gun collections — April gun sales reached an all-time high. Maybe it’s a concern with looming inflation — a strategy to “buy now” before prices go up. For whatever reason, gun sales are up substantially this April compared to the same period in 2010 (and previous years).
NICS Background Checks in April Are 15.2% Higher Than Last Year
The NSSF announced that gun purchases were up 15.2% in April 2011 compared to April 2010. This is based on the NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 843,484 compared to the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 731,955 in April 2010. This marks the eleventh straight month-over-month increase in NSSF-adjusted NICS figures.
Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provides a more accurate picture of current market conditions. The adjusted NICS data was derived by NSSF by subtracting out all NICS purpose code permit checks used by several states such as Kentucky, Iowa and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases.
January 13th, 2010
 Make no mistake about it, despite the tough economic times, gun sales are still going strong. In 2009, Americans purchased over 14,000,000 firearms, based on NICS Background Check statistics from the FBI. The FBI logged 14,033,824 NICS checks in 2009, a 10% rise from the 12,709,023 checks in 2008.
The raw number of NICS checks may actually under-count the total number of guns sold last year. This is because when a buyer purchases multiple firearms at the same time, a single NICS check can apply to multiple sales.
Shooting Sports Are Big Business
Let’s compare gun sales with other sporting items. According to the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), Americans spend more on guns than on ski equipment or tennis equipment. Moreover the $5.5 billion shooters and hunters spend each year on guns, ammo, and equipment dwarfs the $3 billion golfers spend on equipment. Given the BILLIONS of dollars that shooters spend, why are shooting sports largely ignored (or trivialized) by the mainstream media? The answer appears to be political/philosophical bias. The general news media simply refuses to acknowledge that sporting use of firearms is a widespread, popular activity in our culture.
The Important Truth Revealed by Gun Sales Statistics
Ironically, while the mainstream news media attempts to marginalize the shooting sports as a “niche” activity by “unprogressive” elements in society, Americans are buying more guns and ammo than ever. What is the message behind verified gun sales statistics? First, gun ownership is hardly a niche activity. Secondly, gun ownership is so widespread that gun owners need not be apologetic about exercising their Second Amendment rights. While the “talking heads” on news networks may mock “gun-totting rednecks”, the reality is that all segments of society own and use firearms for sport, hunting, and self-defense. Be proud to be a gun owner, along with tens of millions of other law-abiding Americans.
November 3rd, 2009
 The FBI’s National Instant Background Check System (NICS) hours of operation for federal firearms licensees (FFLs) will remain the same as their current hours of operation during this year’s NICS busy season. NICS Call Centers will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern. The only deviation to this schedule will be Nov. 27, the Friday following Thanksgiving, when the hours of operation will be 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Eastern. These extended operational hours will be available only to those FFLs who use the FBI Call Centers. NICS is managed through the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
The NICS Section will cease operation at midnight on Christmas Eve and remain closed on Christmas Day. The NICS will resume normal operations on Dec. 26 at 8 a.m. Eastern. NICS is managed through the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
|
