687K NICS Checks On Black Friday Week

by
posted on December 7, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Top 10 Days

The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) processed 687,788 background checks during the week leading up to and including Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving accounted for 187,585 of the transactions, putting it in tenth place on the list of highest volume 24-hour periods since the system began operation in November of 1998.

“This figure of over 687,000 background checks is truly remarkable,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “This year has already been shaping up to be the second strongest year for firearm sales on record, second only to 2020’s record-breaking number of 21 million background checks for a firearm sale. We anticipate, based on annual data, that firearm sales will rise during the final month of the year coinciding with hunting seasons and holiday sales. This figure, though, underscores the appetite for lawful firearm ownership in America and the resilience of the firearm and ammunition industry to meet that demand.”

Despite the fact November’s volume isn’t yet available and December’s sales have only begun, the total number of NICS checks performed by the FBI through October already places 2021 soundly in second place for annual volume. The number of background checks performed by the FBI through the end of October stands at 33,060,676. The total is likely to fall short of last year’s record-shattering volume of 39,695,315, although this year’s Black Friday sales were slightly above 2020 (186,645).

NICS checks are also conducted for a variety of administrative uses—including concealed carry permit applications and renewals. It is, however, an accepted barometer of industry health despite the fact it’s not a precise gauge of total firearm sales. Clouding the picture further are those areas where holders of valid carry permits are not required to undergo the redundant background check and those where private transactions don’t require processing by the FBI system.

Latest

Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main
Stuart 45 Pistol Pre War Manuevers Web Main

Guns Of The U.S. Tankers In World War II

Since the end of World War II, debates have raged about the effectiveness of American armored fighting vehicles in that conflict. Despite all the Monday morning armored quarterbacking, American AFVs were war-winners, driven to victory by some the finest fighting men our nation has ever produced.

MidwayUSA Foundation Awards Over $14 Million In Cash Grants In 2025

In honor of National Shooting Sports Month—held annually in August—along with the growing popularity of the sport with new participants, MidwayUSA Foundation announced it has distributed more than $14.2 million in cash grants to support youth shooting sports in 2025.

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.