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September 2024 NICS Numbers Show Steady Sales

September 2024 marked the 62nd month in a row of more than 1 million firearm purchases, according to industry sources.

September was the 62nd month in a row in which more than 1 million firearm purchases resulted in the FBI conducting a National Instant Criminal Background Check (NICS) to authorize the sale, according to an estimate from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). If the results of a study published by the typically hoplophobic American Journal of Preventive Medicine (AJPM) in July are any indication, many of those new owners don’t fit the outdated steretotype of an average enthusiast.

“In 2023, an estimated one third of all Americans owned 1 or more firearms, with notable variation across demographic groups,” it reports. “Historically, rates of gun ownership have been highest among males and people who identify as White, nonurban residents, or politically conservative. However, ownership has been gradually diversifying. From 2019 to 2021, approximately half of all new gun owners were female (compared with 36% in 2015); in addition, 20% were Black (compared with 8% in 20153), and 20% were Hispanic.”