FBI: October Was Sixth Consecutive Month of Record Background Checks

FBI figures on the number of background checks for retail gun purchases show that October was the sixth month of record-setting checks this year.

The number of background checks performed in October was 1,976,759, which is considerably higher than the previous October record of 1,687,599. The previous record was set in 2013.

According to the FBI, background checks in May came in at 1,580,980–the highest number for a May on record. In June the figure was 1,529,057–the highest June on record. And it went up from there. July was 1,600,832, August was 1,745,410, and September 1,795,102–the highest July, August, and September on record.

These numbers come just weeks after an October 20 Gallup poll showed that 56 percent of Americans believe concealed carry reduces crime. They also follow an October 21 ORC/CNN poll showing opposition to more gun control increased after the October 1 attack that took nine lives at Umpqua Community College.

That attack took place in a gun free zone, and citizens who lived near the school argued that denying students the right to keep and bear arms invites such attacks to begin with.

It must be noted that that record number of background checks for May through October does not fully indicate the number of guns sold. After all, background checks are performed on the purchaser, not the gun. Once a purchaser passes the check, he or she can buy as many guns they want. So if every purchaser bought two guns, then October’s 1,976,759 background checks mean 3,953,518 guns were sold at retail outlets. If every purchaser bought three, then the number of guns sold was 5,930,277.

There is no way of knowing how many were sold. But one thing is for sure–gun sales are soaring this year and the Democrats’ relentless push for more gun control is one of the driving forces behind those sales.

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly awrhawkins@breitbart.com.