Americans continue to go heavy on the side of Freedom, with data suggesting over-the-counter gun sales passing the 1 million mark for the 37th month in a row.
Last month was the third-highest August on record in terms of federal background checks for gun transfers since the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System was established over 20 years ago.
The unadjusted figures of 2,450,616 checks conducted through NICS last month, while a 9.1 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,697,234 in August 2021, is still higher than those seen before the COVID-BLM era buying spike.
When the numbers for last month were adjusted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to remove gun permit checks and rechecks, the adjusted figure stands at 1,286,816, which is a shallower drop of about 3 percent compared to the August 2022 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,328,518. As with the unadjusted figures, this is the third highest on record. Further, last month's figures were slightly ahead of July’s, which came in at 1,233,115.
Going past the NICS data, the true number of guns sold nationwide is even higher.
This is because federal background check numbers don't include private gun sales in most states or cases where a carry permit is used as an alternative to the background check requirements of the 1994 Brady Law, which allows the transfer of a firearm over the counter by a federal firearms license holder without first performing a NICS check.
Still, industry analysts say the NICS figure, marking 37 months straight exceeding 1 million, shows where Americans' hearts are on the issue of gun control versus the right to keep and bear arms.
"August’s figures show there is a clear and steady desire by the American public for lawful firearm ownership," Mark Oliva, public affairs officer with the NSSF, told Guns.com via email. "Consistently throughout the year, background check figures for firearm sales at retail have put 2022 on pace to be the third strongest year, behind only the outsized years witnessed in 2020 and 2021."
Last month saw increased demands, promises, and steps from Washington to California of a continued push towards more gun regulation of legally-owned firearms. This includes several high-profile instances of President Biden repeating his pledge towards a federal ban on "assault weapons," which translates to a prohibition on the sale of most common semi-auto rifles.
"They are voting with their wallets," said Oliva. "Politicians would be wise to heed the will of Americans lawfully exercising their Constitutional rights and instead focus their efforts on locking up criminals that misuse firearms."
Banner image: SIG Sauer P365X Macro with a Romeo Elite micro red dot and Foxtrot 2 light. In the 17+1 mag are Speer Short Barrel 124-grain +P Gold Dot JHPs. Total weight is just 1.99 pounds on our postal scale, as shown. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
