FBI Conducted over 38.8 Million Gun Background Checks in 2021

The FBI conducted over 38.8 million National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks during 2021.

FBI figures show the exact number of 2021 NICS checks to be 38,876,673.

KGW8 reported that nearly 39.7 million NICS checks were conducted in 2020, shattering the previous record of 27.5 million, set in 2016.

This means the more 38.8 million NICS checks conducted in 2021 represent the second-most for any year ever.

The figure of 38.8 million+ is not a clear measurement of the number of guns sold in 2021, and this is because NICS checks are conducted on the buyers not the guns. Moreover would-be buyer, after passing a background check, may purchase multiple guns while in the gun store.

Also, some states require concealed carry permit holders to regularly undergo a background check to be sure the permit holders have not obtained a criminal record. This means some of the background checks are not even related to gun sales.

Consider 2020, when there were nearly 39.7 million NICS checks conducted. Small Arms Analytics indicated that nearly 23 million guns were sold that year,

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 and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.