April 2016 firearms sales jump 14.4% over prior year

As we predicted at the beginning of the year, sales of firearms continue to rise in the wake of the December 2 terrorist attack in San Bernadino, CA and President Obama's ongoing attempts to intimidate peaceable gun owners through executive actions.

The April 2016 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,130,238 is an increase of 14.4 percent compared to the April 2015 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 987,698. For comparison, the unadjusted April 2016 FBI NICS figure of 2,135,909 reflects a 25.8 percent increase from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 1,697,737 in April 2015.

The adjusted NICS data were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks used by several states such as Connecticut, Illinois, and Utah for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases.

Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide a more accurate picture of current market conditions. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions of firearms sales and transfers on new and used handguns and long guns.

There is little doubt that April's sales numbers and concealed handgun license applications will continue on the rapid pace that have become common in the Obama years, and especially given the chances that yet another anti-gun candidate will win the presidency later this year.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.