Americans sure are buying guns right now. June 2020 just recorded the highest number of background checks called into the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) of any June in the history of the database.
This is a 135% increase from June 2019, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s (NSSF) adjusted NICS figures (basically, the NSSF takes the FBI’s figures and subtracts some checks that are likely unrelated to gun sales). For comparison, the unadjusted June 2020 FBI NICS figure of 3,909,502 background checks shows a 70.6% increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,291,066 in June 2019.
This surge in gun sales has generated headlines since April, but it hasn’t yet muted, for example, Joe Biden’s public push for gun bans, for criminalizing basic things Americans have always done with their guns, and more. It’s strange that these anti-freedom politicians won’t pay attention to where their constituents are on Second Amendment rights today. The thing is, “these figures aren’t push polls. They are representative of Americans from all walks of life who are taking action and taking responsibility for their rights and their safety,” says Mark Oliva, director of public affairs for the NSSF.
This has been going on for months. The second quarter 2020 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 5,451,599 reflects an increase of 92.8% over the 2,827,606 figure for first quarter 2019.
Yet, even this isn’t new, as gun sales have mostly been rising since 2000. There is a great Second Amendment awakening happening in America, and this is only the latest chapter in the story.
Also, these NICS numbers don’t even count all sales from gun dealers. Twenty-five states, according to the NSSF, currently have at least one qualified alternative permit that allows someone, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer. The number of NICS checks in these states does not include these legal transfers.
