Another Year-Over-Year Slide In NICS Numbers For May

by Zac K

Published: June 7th, 2024

another year over year slide in nics numbers for may, May s NICS numbers slid from their 2023 totals for the same month but they were still high according to the NSSF FBI

May’s NICS numbers slid from their 2023 totals for the same month, but they were still high, according to the NSSF. [FBI]

NICS numbers for May 2024, were down year-over-year compared to May 2023, which shows the trend of decreasing background inquiries continues—but so does the trend of numbers exceeding the one-million-per-month mark. The shooting industry still has a lot of momentum going forward, even if the COVID boom is trailing off.

Sales figures @ TFB

NICS stands for National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This federal database inquiry system is used in many firearms sales as well as for other firearms-related transactions, such as applications for a concealed carry licence.

Several states allow other certification or licensing to stand instead of NICS. [FBI]

The number of NICS inquiries in a month is not a direct correlation to how many firearms are sold; it’s only a rough guess, since multiple firearms can be sold per single query, or none. Twenty-eight US states have laws permitting other licenses to substitute for a NICS query. Add it all up, and the numbers are a big guesstimate of the firearms industry’s health.

However, a guesstimate is better than having no idea at all, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation has a magic formula they apply to the numbers compiled by the FBI. Using their formula, the NSSF says they can give a rough estimate as to how many firearms sales actually happened.

another year over year slide in nics numbers for may, FBI

[FBI]

Here’s the NSSF’s official PR on the May numbers:

The May 2024 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,089,117 is a decrease of 7.2 percent compared to the May 2023 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,174,142.
For comparison, the unadjusted May 2024 FBI NICS figure of 2,000,505 reflects a 14.6 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 2,343,850 in May 2023.
May 2024 marks the 58th month in a row that has exceeded 1 million adjusted background checks in a single month.

Considering these sales took place in the middle of our slow-rolling North American economic crisis, it seems the demand for guns, ammo and licensing is not going away anytime soon.

#NICS #NationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheckSystem

Zac K

Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.

More by Zac K

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2 of 5 comments

Uncle Yar on Jun 11, 2024

1, there's just not enough disposable income to justify another iterative firearm purchase. There's just not that much "new" in the firearms department right now. Flow through suppressors, meanwhile... That's something.
2, the days of hoarding lowers and frames are over thanks to additive manufacturing and cheap preprogrammed CNC machines. Come and take deez. The right to private manufacture is now within reach of the average person.
3, legislative deadlock pretty much ensures most firearms legislation is all rhetoric and no action.

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Dingo Johnston on Jun 12, 2024

I'll be honest i don't get how folks can afford to buy a whole lot of new guns much less feed them reliably
would much rather buy like a snowboard or something that'll last a season instead of 1000 5.56

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Another Year-Over-Year Slide In NICS Numbers For May

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