by The NSSF-adjusted NICS figures for July were released yesterday and the beat goes on. July 2012 marks the 26th straight month in which the NICs figures have increased over the same period in the previous year.
The July 2012 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 853,355 is an increase of 25.5 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 680,258 in July 2011. For comparison, the unadjusted July 2012 NICS figure of 1,289,585 reflects an 12.4 percent increase from the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,147,355 in July 2011.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation adjusts the raw numbers to take out the uses of the NICS for CCW permit checks. States such as Kentucky, Iowa, and Michigan use the NICS system for the background check before they issue their concealed carry permits.
NSSF is always careful to note that there is not a perfect correlation between NICS figures and firearms sales. However, they do provide a useful indication of the direction of the market. In this case, as it has been for the past 26 months, the direction is up.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation adjusts the raw numbers to take out the uses of the NICS for CCW permit checks. States such as Kentucky, Iowa, and Michigan use the NICS system for the background check before they issue their concealed carry permits.
How many states are permitted by Federal law to treat possession of a valid resident CCW permit as equivalent to an NICS call*? I know that Arizona falls in that category. For every state in this category, there would be some decrease in the ratio of NICS checks per firearms sale, which should also be addressed in the NSSF adjusted numbers (as much as possible).
*I assume that those states that run an NICS check as part of the process of issuing a CCW permit are thus allowed to use possession of a valid resident CCW permit as proof that the permit holder has passed an NICS check recently enough to be trusted to bypass the phone call.
Bottom line is that gun sales CONTINUE to rise, and Obummer continues to be salesman of the year for the gun manufacturers!
@aurictech: I'm not sure how many states are permitted to use a valid CCW permit as the equivalent of a call to NICS. I do know that it is a substitute in North Carolina for both the NICS check and the pistol purchase permit issued by the local sheriff.
Kentucky uses the ncis on ccwp holders every 30 days. A valid ccwp negates the need for background check for weapons purchase from FFL.