The number of background checks conducted by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) in January was down 40.9 percent from the unadjusted number conducted in January 2021, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
NSSF routinely publishes an “adjusted” number reflecting the organization’s estimate about the NICS checks that actually resulted in a firearms transaction. Their adjusted number for January is 1,190,856, reflecting a 42 percent decrease from the same month last year.
The FBI does monthly updates on NICS checks, and the raw data for last month shows 2,591,588 checks. NSSF says the unadjusted checks for January 2021 were 4,288,240. However, the FBI chart now found online says there were 4,317,804 NICS checks initiated in January 2021.
According to an NSSF news release, 25 states “now 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 based on qualifying permits and NSSF does not adjust for these transfers,” the organization said.
NSSF said the adjusted NICS data “were derived by subtracting out NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks used by states for CCW permit application checks as well as checks on active CCW permit databases. NSSF started subtracting permit rechecks in February 2016.”
NSSF offers a caveat: “Though not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide an additional picture of current market conditions. In addition to other purposes, NICS is used to check transactions for sales or transfers of new or used firearms.”
