The FBI completed 1.85 million gun background checks on an NSSF-adjusted basis in June, a hike of 122.5 percent compared to the June 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 830,579. The rate builds on gains of 135.7 percent in June, 75.2 percent in May, 69.1 percent in April and 41 percent in March.
The surge in firearms background checks is being attributed to concerns over the impact of a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and more recently anxieties over the ongoing protests for racial justice. As the 2020 presidential election approaches, demand for guns has surged amid concerns over the arrival of tighter regulations.
For comparison, the unadjusted July 2020 FBI NICS figure 3,614,192 reflects an 80.3 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,004,277 in July 2019. The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases.
