by The National Shooting Sports Foundation has released its adjusted NICS data for the month of April. The trend of increases over the same month in the previous year remains unbroken at a record 35 months.
The April 2013 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check
System (NICS) figure of 1,185,231 is an increase of 27.2 percent over
the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 931,660 in April 2012. For comparison,
the unadjusted April 2013 NICS figure of 1,702,455 reflects a 20.2
percent increase from the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,416,074 in April
2012.
While the NICS checks are indicative of trends in firearm sales, they are not a perfect correlation as the NICS System is also used by states such as Kentucky and Iowa for their concealed carry background checks on both new applicants and current holders.
I know from speaking with several manufacturers in Houston at the NRA Annual Meeting that firearms are headed out the door as soon as they are made. I didn’t hear any manufacturer say they were building up inventory.
