April 2021 the 16th Consecutive Month of Record Firearm Background Checks

April 2021 proved to be the 16th consecutive month of record National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks for firearm sales and transfers.

FBI figures show that 3,514,070 checks were performed in April, which is more than any other April in history.

The previous record for the month of April, set in April 2020, was 2,911,128 checks.

Breitbart News noted March 2021 was the 15th consecutive month of record-breaking NICS checks, continuing a record-breaking streak that began in January 2020.

NICS checks are not a precise measurement for the number of gun sales taking place, as the checks are conducted on the would-be purchaser, rather than the gun itself. Moreover, an individual can buy more than one gun at retail once he or she has passed the background check. (That latter point means the number of NICS checks could be lower than the number of guns sold.)

Some states also regularly perform background checks on concealed carry permit holders, as a way of maintaining oversight on freshly emerging criminal behavior.

Nevertheless, elevated, record-breaking checks point to a continuing surge in gun sales.

Approximately 39.7 million NICS checks were performed in 2020 and Small Arms Analytics & Forecasting estimates nearly 23 million firearms were sold.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.