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Most Single-Day Background Checks In NICS History.

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- Data derived from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) shows that Black Friday (Nov. 25) had the most background checks for firearm purchases in a single day (129,166), with a 32 percent increase over the previous NICS high from Nov. 28, 2008.

Federal law requires FBI background checks on all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers.

In an interview with USA Today, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane attributed the record growth to a “burgeoning awakening of the American public that they do have a constitutional right to own guns.”

These statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through NICS. They do not represent the number of firearms sold. Based on varying state laws and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale.

“More citizens lawfully exercising their Second Amendment right to carry a firearm, coupled with a growing awareness since the Supreme Court’s decisions in Heller and McDonald that the Second Amendment protects an individual fundamental right to keep and bear arms, helps to explain the continuing rise in sales of firearms and firearm-related products throughout the Untied States,” said National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane.

“Clearly, Black Friday was a big day for both the firearms industry and our nation’s law-abiding gun owners.”

NICS Firearm Background Checks — Friday, November 25, 2011

Total NICS Checks—129,166 (highest day ever) 32.01 percent over Friday, November 28, 2008

Federal Checks—81,609 (highest day ever) 26.69 percent over Friday, November 28, 2008

POC State Checks—47,557 (4th highest day)

Other Records

NICS Contracted Call Centers—69,497 (highest day ever) 16.30 percent over Friday, November 28, 2008

NICS E-Check—11,953 (highest day ever) 119.76 percent over Friday, February 11, 2011

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

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Hunters & Shooters to Make Firearms Purchases in 2011

Southwick Associates

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. --(Ammoland.com)- While recessional concerns continue to plague many sectors of the economy, the future looks good for the companies that supply America’s hunters and shooters with the primary tools of their activities—rifles and shotguns.

In a survey conducted by HunterSurvey.com, more than 40 percent of sportsmen said they intend to purchase a new rifle in 2011, while nearly a quarter of them anticipate buying a shotgun.

“This is great news for firearms manufacturers. While we know many people who want a new firearm won’t actually get around to buying one, the level of interest among active hunters and shooters is shows there is still strength in the market,” said Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, which designs and conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com.

“Continued increases in NICS background checks and excise tax collections show the firearms sector is performing much better than the overall economy, and it looks like growth might continue in the near future.”

The news bodes well for our nation’s gun makers and dealers, many of them small businesses that provide jobs for tens of thousands of Americans. When asked by HunterSurvey.com what hunting and shooting products they planned on purchasing in 2011, 41.1 percent said their purchases would include a rifle and 23.9 percent will buy a shotgun.

Additional key items sportsmen intend to purchase throughout the remainder of the year include bows (14.9 percent) and muzzleloaders (9 percent). More than 55 percent expect to buy some type of optics including scopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and/or rangefinders.

Those who hunt, fish and target shoot are invited to participate in the surveys conducted on HunterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.com. Each month, participants who complete the survey are entered into a drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of their choice.

About AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com:
Launched in 2006, AnglerSurvey.com and HunterSurvey.com help the outdoor equipment industry, government fisheries and wildlife officials and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. The information above represents only a small sample of the vast amount of data collected from the complete survey results and available to government agencies, businesses, the media and other interested parties. Results are scientifically analyzed to reflect the attitudes and habits of anglers and hunters across the United States.

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