On-going social unrest, uncertainties of the outcome of the up-coming November 3rd election and a general unease regarding personal and family safety all are being credited with the continued record-setting pace of firearms sales.
Mark Oliva, Director of Public Affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, says that August’s adjusted figures of nearly 1.7 million federally conducted background checks associated with the sale of a firearm “are in line with the months-long trend we’ve witnessed since March, when figures topped an all-time one-month record of 2.3 million.”
“Each month since April, adjusted NICS figures averaged between 1.6 and 1.8 million. August’s figures are a record-high for the month over all previous years,” said Oliva.
Oliva said as well that the Foundation – the lobbying and research arm of the nation’s firearms industry - estimates that “nearly five million of these firearm purchases were made by people who never previously owned a firearm.”
Likewise, the Foundation says that for the period January through July a record 12.1 million background checks were conducted, which is up 71.7 percent from the 7.1 million NSSF-adjusted NICS January through July 2019.
The figures come from the federal government’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or “NICS” system. It is a component of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
And while one cannot assume that each background check results in a firearms sale, it is a good metric for gauging such activity.
Such checks are required only between interstate sale of firearms. In a number of states – Ohio included – persons who possess a concealed carry permit are exempt from undergoing a NICS check though they still must fill out the required federal firearms declaration form.
- Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment