In March 2024, over 1.4 million National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks were performed for gun sales, marking a continuous trend of exceeding one million checks for 56 consecutive months.
The FBI registered a total of 2,626,068 checks for the month, with a significant portion related to concealed carry permit applications and renewals. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) refined these figures to specifically highlight 1,442,061 checks related to gun purchases. This ongoing pattern shows the consistent high demand for firearms in the U.S.
It’s important to note that the count of NICS checks doesn’t directly equate to the number of guns sold since a single approved check can lead to multiple firearms being bought. Additionally, nearly half of the states permit concealed carry license holders to buy guns without a NICS check, indicating actual firearm sales could be higher.
This adjustment and the special provisions for concealed carry permit holders illustrate a more complex picture of gun sales than raw NICS data might suggest.
