NSSF July 2020 NICS background checks
Courtesy NSSF
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From the NSSF:

The July 2020 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,848,307 is an increase of 122.5 percent compared to the July 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 830,579. For comparison, the unadjusted July 2020 FBI NICS figure 3,614,192 reflects an 80.3 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,004,277 in July 2019.

Please note: Twenty-five states currently have at least one qualified alternative permit, which under the Brady Act allows the permit-holder, 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 based on qualifying permits and NSSF does not adjust for these transfers.

The states of Alabama and Michigan had law changes that affected their Brady Law standing which removed qualifying alternate permits usage for firearm transactions. These changes went into effect July 22, 2019 for Alabamaand March 3, 2020 for Michigan. In July 2020, Alabama state’s NSSF-adjusted NICS was 230.1 percent higher than July 2019, which accounts for an additional 40,906 checks over this time last year. July 2020 NICS numbers for Michigan were up 403.8 percent over June 2019 and account for an additional 56,359 checks.

The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.

Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide an additional picture of current market conditions. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions for sales or transfers of new or used firearms.

The NSSF’s Mark Oliva tells TTAG that . . .

These are historic figures for firearm sales that have outpaced last year’s figures each month and have set monthly records since March. July’s background checks for the sale of a firearm were more than one million higher than the same period last year. This period of sustained firearm purchases clearly shows that Americans continue to take responsibility for their personal safety, especially during times of uncertainty.

The confluence of COVID-19 restrictions, civil unrest, calls to defund law enforcement and political figures and courts that are unwilling to hold criminals accountable for their actions are undeniable factors causing Americans to assess their own personal safety and choose to exercise their right of personal protection.

Additionally, talk by political figures in a presidential election cycle of instituting strict gun control, banning entire classes of firearms, and severely restricting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans are being seen.

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57 COMMENTS

  1. The title should read “1.8 million unconstitutional assumptions of guilt and issuances of permission by Federal Government to exercise a explicitly enumerated natural right performed in June.”

    • In other words, thank you master for letting me exercise my rights that you have no constitutional right to regulate or control.

    • No, the title should read, “Devious Dems discover dubious doorway to deplete deleterious death dealers by decimating dispensaries of drillers and dope food… AKA Back door gun control.. do I need to add [sarc]… However ANYTHING IS possible .. “There is nothing new, Horatio, under the Sun”.

  2. The demographic roll-out for all this remains relatively unclear. I’ve observed people close to me who are nominally liberal (but not particularly ideological) professionals who have recently become “gun-woke” new gun-owners. This is a very new experience for them and they’re typically uncomfortable talking about it—even as they ask were the best gun range is located. I think this may signal a pretty significant cultural change because embracing the idea that gun owning equates with self-preservation militates with the usual ant-gun dogma espoused by contemporary progressives. This may be a good field-test of “double-think” —the ability to uncritically hold two contradictory ideas—or it may signal the arrival of an entirely new cohort of People Of The Gun. It’s kinda hard to look at Antifa-BLM thuggery and not think about them coming to kick in your door so I’m placing my bet on the latter possibility.

    • Along those lines. How many of the businesses looted, damaged and burned were owned by Liberal Democrats. Who always believed the Police and their elected Officials. Would protect them from such destruction. Sure they understood they might get robbed. It happens but, Wanton Destruction. While those in charge ordered the Police to Stand Down and vocally supported the acts committed against their businesses. If this dose of Reality doesn’t wake them up to what’s happening in their cities. They truly deserve everything they have suffered. You can show a man the gallows… You can’t make him fear it. Time will Tell.

        • At least not enough of the ones with power and influence. Almost all national news stories and narratives in this country originate in a 40 square block area in midtown Manhattan. But those people live on the Upper East and West Sides, Westchester or Connecticut.

      • And now it looks like Antifa/BLM have turned to extorting money from small businesses. This kind of shakedown is absolutely and, also, it’s criminal activity carried out across state line = a serious felony. You have to wonder why the FBI and DOJ haven’t already penetrated Antifa/BLM. Their security can’t be that good. Or, if it is, that is a signal that there’s a lot more to “spontaneous grassroots protesting” than meets the eye. This is a major fail for local, state, and federal law enforcement. Extorting money from small business this way will not end well.

  3. Imagine the sales if your local gun shops were stocked with arms and ammunition even half way, the pickin’s are slim.

    • To fully stock the gun stores would require a time machine. But if we are doing some make believe, could we have states restricting lifted? In that scenario, Sig P365 in Cali alone would sky rocket if everyone had constitutional carry.

    • You stole my thunder.
      I can only imagine how my numbers would look if I actually had inventory to sell…
      🤠

  4. This is difficult for me to say, but…

    Kudos to the FBI for handling DOUBLE last year’s background checks!

    I wonder what gun sales actually are, since half the states allow a Carry Permit to waive the Background check. So, we can assume that in those states, those with Carry permits are not being counted here, but then, we can safely assume that they are not first time gun buyers, either. That coupled with the fact that there are almost NO guns available to purchase makes me wonder what it would be if there was supply out there.

    I went to what I believe was the first gun show in Dallas since the pandemic; the few ‘mainstream’ guns there were marked way up, and lots of oddball stuff was on display, e.g., the Thunderstruck (two finger trigger, 22 magnum that fires two shots at a time). Now’s the time to turn those oddball pieces in the back of the safe into cash!

      • Imagine if we had the arms called for in the Constitution,Pigs,Ma Duces and the like, name your favorite.

      • Yup, sure do, all gun “Needs” fulfilled.

        Also, got plenty of the stuff I simply wanted because it is FUN TO SHOOT IT!!!

        🙂

      • Hmmm. I’ve only got a couple dozen, and I don’t have a permit. Never have had a permit, and I’m in my mid ’70’s. Don’t see any need to ask permission now either.

        • I don’t think marsupials are covered under the constitution or bill of rights. If so I would have been in prison for murder long ago.

        • Correct,none of this, if the crown is pleased may I have permission to posses a arm.

      • Possibly true, but I am willing to bet they do not have all that they want. If I just wanted to target practice, hunt, shoot skeet, and every day carry, I would only NEED three guns. However, my collection illustrates that I like most people of the gun form my collection around wants not needs. That sir, is the beauty of the second amendment. We are all (commie states excluded) able to have the guns we want rather than need. This my friend illustrates the difference from need based ownership and our natural born right as an American to own all the guns we want/can afford. This is a core illustration of the US citizens’ freedom protected by the carefully worded and forward thinking second amendment.

  5. No Wonder there are no guns or AMMO ANYWHERE IN AMERICA!!!!!!

    Hope all the NEW Freedom loving gun owners don’t vote for the failed party of failed gun Control!

    • First thing, Biden will shut down all firearm related business. Black market will thrive. Remember, no Constitution, no Rights. No rule of law, just rule by The Socialist State. The Constitution will not stand under The United Socialist State Republic.

        • Does a “Totalitarian” Government mean anything to you? They don’t need to legislate, they will be the law, there will be no other. Nothing that was protected by The Constitution will survive. We will not be a Democratic Republic any longer. New government, new rules, theirs.

      • Not sure how he’s going to accomplish that…he’s just a senile old corruptocrat, not Albus Dumbledore. But he and the socialist carpetbaggers he’s dragging around sure would love to try, I do know that.

      • just rule by The Socialist State

        These guys are WAY past Socialism, They are going to make the OLD USSR and China look like day camps, these clowns will bring shame to North Korea leadership for being too tolerant…

        • USSR? Seriously?

          Now you are just bloviating, and what’s spewing is all horseshit.

          Biden’s just a mere liberal, nothing more. Win or lose he ain’t a magician, or a Stalin and will find that Congress has factions that will fight his every request.

          And that’s just his own party!

        • enuf: You are just another victim of TDS.. READ the Biden/Sanders/AOC/Warren/Kerry decree of agreements/manifesto.. You ALSO assume that the braindead empty suit that presents itself as Creepy Uncle Joe Biden will be running things, The Communist party has been slowly infiltrating the U.S. govt. since the 30’s and they have been very careful to disguise themselves, now we have AOC who is a card carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America (A Communist Organization) on the verge of removing Pelosi as Speaker and WILL if the liberals hold the House, Her ideology ALONE is one of the most radical to ever darken the doorway of the Capitol building, her ignorance of the Constitution, economics and life in general knows no bounds and AOC in concert with Chucky (if they take the Senate) and whatever consortium is actually running the Biden White House will set this country on an economic and social downfall that WILL rival the USSR of the 50’s/60’s and will see Americans dead in the streets or in re-education camps/gulags if they fail to comply or physically resist.. one of Biden’s TOP 3 candidates for his VP is Congresswoman Karen Bass, Bass has deep ties to the Venceremos Brigade (VB), a Cuban Communist front group founded in 1969 by Fidel Castro and the radical members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), and administered by the Cuban intelligence service, the General Directorate for Intelligence (DGI).. She has travelled to Cuba 16 times and as recently as 2016 she sang praises to Fidel Castro which she “walked back” Sunday as soon as someone pointed out that it might be “problematic with Cuban-Americans in South FL. No matter if she is not selected, this woman STILL chairs the Congressional Black Caucus…

          DSA in their own words: https://www.npr.org/2018/07/26/630960719/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-democratic-socialists-of-america

          Karen Bass & VB: https://hotair.com/archives/ed-morrissey/2020/07/31/cbc-chair-veepstakes-contender-sure-hung-cuba-radical

        • Biden might be just a liberal, but he doesn’t know where he is most of the time. He will be pushed aside as soon as he is sworn in by the radical leftist, who are the real power in his party these days.

  6. If only 10% actually know how to use a firearm and are willing too, that’s still a lot of firepower to bring to bear on The United Socialist State Republic’s troops. And they will send troops eventually.

  7. How many of these new gun owners realize it’s a temporary acquisition if The Screaming D’s get any traction last election?

    How’s the messaging going? “Well, I’ll sell it to you, but I feel like I have to tell you, you may not get to keep it. Your “right” to keep this can go away at any time…”

  8. What I find retarded is the jacking up of prices for oddball/old cartridges.
    I was watching one in particular and it seems like people were buying out internet dealers and then plopping it on Gunjoker. Hope they suck on it.

  9. Probably the ones most unwilling to give up their purchase of gunm or skillet is a woman. Just try and take away a woman’s favorite skillet and see what happens. All of a sudden she is ten foot tall , bullet proof and Godzilla be damned

  10. I’m happy to say I contributed to that number. Bought an AR lower. Just finished building another one. (Probably for sale).

  11. Well the Ruger PC Carbine was at the end of the year, the Remington R51 a little ways into this year and my last big ammo buy I guess a couple of months ago. But I did just receive ten 33 round Glock mags for the Ruger, so there’s that.

    The good thing in these numbers is that even if the buyers are newbies and even if they do not remain as gun owners, the desire to own a gun will still be very recent come next January 20th. So if it’s Biden, he’s going to run into added Truth About Guns among his Party Members. Some of who will suddenly realize that they just spent a bunch of money on things the Biden Plan wants to ban.

    Every President has a big legislative agenda, which runs into the Brick Wall of Congress, where it is scooped up from the pavement, run thru a sausage grinder of endless bickering factions and deal makers looking to get what they want, not what he wants.

    This broad-based buying spree is adding to that chaos that a Biden Agenda will have to get thru.

    So there’s that.

    • “”Every President has a big legislative agenda, which runs into the Brick Wall of Congress, where it is scooped up from the pavement, run thru a sausage grinder of endless bickering factions and deal makers looking to get what they want, not what he wants.””

      enuf…By your own words You are a politically inept mealy mouth history illiterate democRat Party lint licking twit who assumes gun rights will be magically “safe” during a biden gun grabbing presidency. When you thunk-up the above “brick wall garbage” you never factored mandates along the lines of obamacare did you? How “safe” was Freedom when obamacare/obidencare was shoved down the throat of America by a democRat Controlled Congress and signed by a marxist democRat POTUS? If Americans did not comply with obamacare the threat of a going to jail penalty was put on the table by democRats. So much for that “brick wall” your foolish spoiled brat behind is betting on. Your “brick wall bs” did not and does not justify your sneaky gutless slandering and libeling President Donald John Trump.

      Your ignorant assumption that there is some kind of “brick wall defense” for you to be a democRat Party azz wiper does not fly should there be a POTUS like biden who will sign into law anything a democRat Party congress desires.

      You are a self-serving worthless bag of manure who once again boasts about purchasing all the ammo you want. You’ve been told more than once that your ammo purchase, etc. is directly off the backs of everyone who got Donald John Trump elected POTUS and sent the democRat hilliary rotten clintoon packing.

      President Donald John Trump is a POTUS who will not sign any democRat congressional excrement that you haphazardly and lovingly wallow around in. Now gfy.

      TRUMP/PENCE 2020.

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