The NICS 2021 reports are slightly different from the 2020 reports but they remain strong. 2021 was not far behind, however, given that 2020 was a record year for NICS background check, it is no surprise. The NSSF-adjusted NICS background check results for December, Q4, 2021 and 2021 are very close.
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Background Checks by NICS for 2021 Signal Pro Gun Values
The NSSF recently released its adjusted figures for December 2021 NICS background check results. They total 1,792,797. This is a decrease in only 6.0 percent compared to December 2020’s 1,906,916. The adjusted figures exclude NICS purpose code permit check checks and permit rechecks used to CCW application checks.
(Photo by NSSF). According to NSSF, “For comparison,” the December 2021 FBI NICS figure 3,080 295 reflects a 21.1 per cent decrease in comparison to the December 2020 unadjusted FBI NICS number of 3,904,879.”
The fourth quarter reporting was also strong with 4,763,439 NICS request. This is a 15.3 percent decrease from Q4 2020 which saw 5,625,610 requests. Fourth-quarter 2021 is still on track to be the most successful fourth-quarter report in recent history.
(Photo by NSSF). The big news for 2021 comes from the annual report. This report saw requests eclipsed only by record-breaking 2020 reports. In particular, 18,515,188 requests were filed in 2021 (chart at the top of the story). Comparatively, 2020 saw 21,083,643 requests.
Mark Oliva, Director of Public Affairs at NSSF, stated that “The fact that more than 18.5 million Americans decided [to] lawfully buy a firearm in 2021 shows the American value of the Second Amendment right [to] keep and bear arms.”
“2021 was the second highest year for background checks for gun purchases, behind 2020’s record of more than 21 million background checks. Americans have taken stock and are now aware of their rights and safety concerns. This was also true for the firearm industry, which has faced many challenges and opened up new possibilities.
Numbers Don’t Equal Sales
Despite being high, the numbers do not necessarily reflect the sales throughout the year.
According to NSSF, “Please Note: Twenty-five States currently have at minimum one qualified alternative permit. This permits permit-holders, who have undergone a background screening to obtain the permit to purchase a firearm from a licensed seller without a separate background check for that transaction.” These legal transfers based upon qualifying permits are not included in the NICS checks. NSSF does no adjust for them.
The statistics do not include firearm sales or dollars, but only background checks that were initiated through NICS. There are too many situations to distinguish between a background check or a sale.
NICS requests do not directly correlate with firearm sales but they provide additional information about current market conditions.
Personal Defense World published the article Background Checks by NICS for 2021 Show Sustained Support for Pro-Guns
