The FBI completed 1.6 million gun background checks on an NSSF-adjusted basis in May, a hike of 75.2 percent compared to the May 2019 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 910,910.
The checks build on year-over-year gains of 69.1 percent in April, 41 percent in March, 36 percent in February, and 19 percent in January.
The surge in firearms background checks is being attributed to concerns over the impact of a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. As the 2020 presidential election approaches, demand for guns has surged amid concerns over the arrival of tighter regulations.
For comparison, the unadjusted May 2020 FBI NICS figure 3.07 million reflects a 32.1 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2.3 million in May 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.
NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.
Photo courtesy AP
