NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, is reporting that the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) completed 613,380 background checks related to firearms for the week leading up to, and including, Black Friday this year. NSSF said the 2024 figure is down 9.8 percent from 2023’s total of 680,671 for the same time period.

FBI NICS completed 169,906 background checks on Black Friday alone.

NSSF noted that the figure approximates firearm sales at retail on that day, although it also includes background checks for other purposes related to firearms such as approvals for concealed carry permits. NSSF said it will later this week release its Adjusted NICS figures for November reflecting only those background checks related to the sale of a firearm at retail.

NSSF said it has worked with firearm retailers to spread out special sales offers to customers throughout the week leading up to Black Friday so as not to overwhelm FBI NICS on a single day, which can result in longer than normal wait times.

“The background checks reported by the FBI are in keeping with the trends NSSF has seen throughout the year. While the overall trends are still coming off the peaks experienced in recent years, firearm sales remain consistently strong, with over a million per month for more than five years running,” explained Joe Bartozzi, president and CEO, NSSF. “These figures tell us that there is a continued strong appetite for lawful firearm ownership by law-abiding Americans and that firearm manufacturers across the country continue to deliver the quality firearms our customers have come to expect.”

NSSF said that annual background check data shows that firearm sales will typically rise during the final months of the year coinciding with hunting seasons and holiday sales.

Unadjusted FBI NICS background checks by day:

  • Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024: 86,224
  • Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024: 49,535
  • Monday, Nov. 25, 2024: 89,662
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024: 98,093
  • Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024: 104,896
  • Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024: 15,074
  • Friday, Nov. 29, 2024: 169,906