April Was Another Banner Month For NICS Checks

April 2020 had the highest number of NSSF-adjusted NICS checks on record for the month of April in the past 21 years.

The April 2020 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System(NICS) figure of 1,678,223 is an increase of 69.1 percent compared to the April 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 992,642. For comparison, the unadjusted April 2020 FBI NICS figure 2,878,176 reflects a 24.9 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,305,136 in April 2019.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation adjusts the raw NICS data to remove those checks done for permits such as FOID cards from Illinois and for CCWs in many states. While it isn’t a one-to-one ratio of firearm sales, it is indicative of trends in sales by made through dealers and in those states requiring universal background checks. What it doesn’t show are most private sales as well as sales made to those who hold a carry permit that substitutes for a NICS check such as in North Carolina.