Americans Continue to Buy Guns in Record Numbers

Gun sales are up, way up. So far in 2020, there have been 32% more NICS gun background checks run than there were in the same time period in 2019. And April 2020 saw the fourth-highest number of monthly NICS checks in history, after March 2020 set an all-time monthly record for background checks conducted through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Check System (NICS). The FBI conducted 2,911,128 NICS background checks last month — a nearly 25% increase from the previous April.

More than 2.9 million NICs checks were run in April 2020. By the numbers, there were 984,872 checks related to the transfer of a handgun; 508,122 checks related to the transfer of a long gun; 68,746 checks related to “other” transfers; and 34,779 checks related to multiple transfers. There were also 311,568 permit checks and an additional 888,385 permit rechecks.

April continued the 2020 trend of record-setting months for the NICS office. January was (at the time) the sixth-busiest month ever. February saw even more checks than January, making it the third-busiest month ever (at the time). March 2020 reset the all-time record with more than 3.7 million checks.

NRA-ILA Comment on the Significant Rise in Gun Sales
This is not an emerging trend. December 2019 saw more than 2.9 million NICS checks and was the second-busiest December ever. Before that, each of these months in 2019 had set the record for that respective month: April, May, June, August, September, October, and November. Of course, April 2020 and May 2020 shattered those respective records.

There were more NICS checks run in 2019 than in any other year[.] The four busiest years for the NICS offices have been the last four years. So far this year, there have been 32% more NICS checks run than there were in the same time period in 2019.

To Protect Their Rights, Gun Owners Must Vote!
We respect the millions of Americans who have decided to become law-abiding gun owners in 2020, but their rights may be revoked if they do not vote this November. Protecting our rights will take every one of us. Every single American that applied for a permit and/or purchased a firearm this year must do everything they can to help us protect our rights. Volunteer. Spread the word. Get your family and friends registered to vote. Vote and make your friends and family vote, too.