Holiday Firearm Sales Off To Slow Start, Down From 2024 Numbers

The National Shooting Sport Foundation (NSSF) estimates the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) completed 530,156 background checks related to firearms for the week leading up to and including Black Friday—one of the busiest shopping days of the year. That figure is down from 2024’s total of 613,380 for the same period. The numbers reflect a 13.6 percent decrease from the 2024 figure.

FBI’s NICS system processed 165,183 names—including those who underwent background checks for other purposes related to firearms, such as approvals for concealed carry permits—on Black Friday alone. The figure pales in comparison to the top 10 days in NICS volume on record (seen below). The biggest, of course, were set during the COVID pandemic. Black Friday week was also far from breaking into top-10 contention in seven-day records.

FBI NICS background checks each day for Black Friday week were:

• Saturday, Nov. 22: 73,326
• Sunday, Nov. 23: 34,380
• Monday, Nov. 24: 80,078
• Tuesday, Nov. 25: 81,475
• Wednesday, Nov. 26: 86,402
• Thursday, Nov. 27: 9,312
• Friday, Nov. 28: 165,183
• Saturday, Nov. 29: 169,906

“The background checks reported by the FBI are in keeping with the trends NSSF has seen throughout the year. While the overall trends are still coming off the peaks experienced in recent years, firearm sales remain consistently strong,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “These figures tell us that there is a continued strong appetite for lawful firearm ownership by law-abiding Americans and that firearm manufacturers across the country continue to deliver the quality firearms our customers have come to expect.”

Not every retailer experienced the decline, however. Range USA, a firearm retailer with 50 locations in 14 states, announced this week it had the largest Black Friday in company history. Its sales grew more than 6 percent compared to last year.

“This record-breaking Black Friday is a testament to the trust our customers place in Range USA and our team’s dedication to exceptional service,” said Tom Willingham, founder and CEO of Range USA. “We’re grateful to the millions of customers who choose us as their destination for firearms, training, and range experiences.”

November’s Total
NSSF estimates 1,408,230 NICS checks in November were completed during the purchase of a gun. The figure is a decrease of 7.0 percent compared to the November 2024 NSSF-adjusted NICS total of 1,514,773. 

NSSF’s estimate of gun sales in October was only slightly down compared to the same reporting period in 2024—1,299,312 vs. 1,302,857, respectively. It is, however, important to keep in mind that 28 states currently have at least one qualified alternative permit, which under the Brady Act allows the permit-holder, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer. The number of NICS checks in these states does not include these legal transfers and NSSF does not adjust for these transfers.

The organization’s monthly estimate is, however, considered a relative barometer of industry health.