Looks like many Americans are voting with their wallets when it comes to personal security and self-defense. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) informs us:
The last time monthly background checks associated with the sale of a firearm at retail were below 1 million was July 2019, when 830, 579 background checks for firearm sales were recorded.
Since then, each month, the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) has recorded over 1 million background checks associated with the sale of at least one firearm at retail. July 2024’s total was 1,064,790 – a 4 percent increase over the 1,023,903 background checks recorded in July 2023.
There's more at the link.
That's sixty consecutive months of better than a million gun sales per month. The latter figure isn't precise, because background checks via the NICS system can also be carried out to clear applicants for concealed carry permits and other needs. There may also be sales that did not go through, or were prohibited for some reason. On the other hand, each NICS clearance is valid for more than one firearm at a time, so those who bought multiple firearms would have been under-counted. Also, private sales usually don't require NICS clearance, so they won't be reflected in the numbers. (That's very useful for confidentiality, if that concerns you; private sale = no background check = no paperwork = increased security against confiscation in future, unless the powers that be trace the transaction in some other way.)
The politicians who let our country get into the mess it's in are, of course, directly responsible for so many of us deciding that we need to provide for our own security and protection.
Peter
If people would get some basic training on use and safety it would be beneficial to society.
ReplyDeleteIn some states you also don't need a NCIS check to buy from a dealer if you have your concealed carry permit.
ReplyDeleteDon't know the behind the scene process, so correct me if I'm wrong, but when I pick up a gun from my local FFL that I bought online, the only background check I experience is presenting (and documenting) my CCW before I walk out the door. This makes me infer that there is another category of gun sales without a background check.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I fill out the registration form, of course!
ReplyDeletePersonally, the only background check I've ever had was for a CCW permit (which I've had for 20+ years). Should I ever decide to purchase a firearm, private party only. I value my privacy.
ReplyDeletePrivate always equals anonymity, unless the ATF goes after the original buyer who then says whom he/she sold the weapon to.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, many states now require background checks for private party sales.
ReplyDeleteand kammy says she is going to collect them all up with an exec. order.....hahahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I live in a state where even private party sales have to go through a NICS check. Fortunately I live near the state line and my neighboring state doesn't have that restriction. When I buy a firearm I just go over to the neighboring state with the individual I am buying from, buy them lunch and make the transfer there. EdC
ReplyDeleteYou just admitted to a crime.
DeleteTom762
You just admitted to a crime.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, maybe not.
Maybe it's a crime pre-Bruen.
As I understand it, long guns may be transferred interstate between private parties. It's an interesting twist if both parties are resident in another state. So that would make it not a Fed crime, and the act didn't happen in the slave state, it happened in a free state. And the state law might also fall to a Bruen argument.
Morally, no crime happened at all.
I'd be careful about that figure of one million NICS checks per month. My state has an administrative regulation requiring that all CCDW license holders have a background check monthly. I know this because I not only have a CCDW license, but I also work in the state Forensics Lab, and the section that administers the CCDW licenses is down the hall from our Fingerprint Unit.
ReplyDeleteStill, it's an encouraging sign.
Might I ask which you live in? I have never heard of a state requiring this!
DeleteSo possibly 60 million NEW guns in America. But likely half that. If only 10 million new guns - and they rarely wear out - America is even more well supplied with small arms.
ReplyDelete