NICS Numbers for January 2024 Hold Steady at New Normal

AmmoLand ^ | February 12, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The January 2024 National Instant Background Check System (NICS) shows the number of guns sold for the month is very close to the average for the last ten years. From 2015 through 2024, the number of guns sold in January varied from .98 million in 2018 to 2.02 million in 2021. The average was 1.21 million. The 2024 number is 1.15 million. This is a 5.8% decrease from gun sales in January of 2023.  Background check numbers varied more than gun sales, from 1.77 million in 2015 to 4.32 million in 2021.

The number of background checks does not correlate well with gun sales because the NICS system is used for many things other than gun sales. The number of checks done for carry permits and carry permit rechecks often exceeds the number for handgun and long gun sales. Because of this, a detailed analysis of the FBI NICS numbers is necessary to determine a close approximation of gun sales. 24 states have permits that require a background check to obtain, such as a carry permit, and the permit can be used to purchase firearms without another NICS check. One NICS check can be used for multiple firearm purchases. Illinois and Kentucky have, at times, used the NICS system to check all of their carry permits every month, vastly inflating the number of NICS checks.

In the last ten complete years of NICS checks, 2014 – 2023, 145 million firearms have been added to the private stock in the USA.

NICS Numbers for January 2024 Hold Steady at New Normal

The 145 million number was calculated using the ATF numbers for the first eight years and estimates based on the NICS background checks for

[marktwain]

Over a million a month for more than 50 months. 145 million firearms added to the private stock in the last ten years.

[marktwain]

Lines are for 2023. Bars are for 2024.

[kawhill]

Hmm, I wonder why patriots are arming up.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

NOW WE NEED AMMO! LOTS OF AMMO! ALL SHAPES AND SIZES!