NICS background checks, adjusted by the NSSF, were down 41.3 percent in June to 1.28 million from 2.18 million a year ago.
For comparison, the unadjusted June 2021 FBI NICS figure of 3.04 million reflects a 22.2 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 3,909,502 in June 2020.
The adjusted NICS data were compiled by subtracting NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by several states including Connecticut, Illinois and Utah for CCW permit application checks and checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.
Background checks are starting to anniversary run-up in firearms sales in the year-ago period attributed to the upcoming presidential election and civic disorder.
Adjusted FBI background checks were down 17.0 percent in May although it represented the second strongest for the month on record, surpassed only by May 2020. NICS adjusted background checks increased 0.9 percent in April, fell 14 percent in March, increased 7.2 percent in February, and jumped 75.2 percent in January.
The second quarter 2021 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 4.3 million reflects a decrease of 21.2 percent as compared to the second quarter 2020 figure of 5.4 million. Historically, this is the highest second quarter on record.
