Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

NICS Record: Outbreak Shows the Importance of the 2nd Amendment

Monday, April 6, 2020

NICS Record: Outbreak Shows the Importance of the 2nd Amendment

Don’t think that gun shops are essential? There are as many as 3,740,688 Americans who would disagree with you. That’s how many background checks the FBI NICS Office ran last month.

That’s the most ever, surpassing the previous record by 426,094, and is a million more checks than the previous record for the month of March. Tellingly, it is the third consecutive record-setting month and the third consecutive month with an increase.

The week of March 16th to 22nd set the record for most background checks in a week with 1,197,788 – surpassing the previous record by 244,175.

Friday, March 20th, is now the single-day record for background checks with 210,308 checks. Of the Top 10 Highest Days for NICS, five were in March 2020.

Anti-gun activists, power-hungry politicians, and radically out-of-touch editorial boards frame this as some sort of panic driven by propaganda. This isn’t fearmongering; this is reality.

Inmates are being released from jails and prisons as COVID-19 spreads. In New York, more than 1,400 police officers tested positive for the virus. Officers in California, in Michigan, and in other states have tested positive or have been quarantined due to possible exposure. There are fears that certain goods may not be restocked at local stores, that the supply chain can’t keep up with demand.  The virus is taxing resources, and the American people see this.

People are sewing masks to give doctors, nurses, and first responders some amount of protection when the most protective masks are in short supply. Neighbors are picking up groceries for especially vulnerable members of their communities who can’t get groceries themselves. Teachers are adapting on the fly to continue their students’ education despite stay-at-home and social distancing measures. 

And Americans are buying firearms to make sure that they have a means to protect themselves and their loved ones in a worst-case-scenario. What the gun-control crowd refuses to accept is that these are legal firearms purchases. The people standing in line outside gun shops are not orderly criminals waiting to fill out the necessary paperwork and undergo a background check; they’re law-abiding Americans exercising their Constitutional rights. 

The number of NICS background checks is not a perfect proxy for gun sales. The FBI does provide a useful breakdown of the NICS check by type. Last month, there were 1,392,677 checks related to the sale of a handgun. Another 758,073 checks were related to long guns, like ARs, rifles, and shotguns; 79,129 checks fell into the “other” category, and there were 57,328 checks related to the purchase of multiple firearms.

In all of this, the outlier is the anti-gun crowd. Some in their midst see this as an opportunity to advance further restrictions and/or to condition Americans to the idea that the 2nd Amendment is a second-class right.

The NRA is working to ensure that no American loses access to their rights. Lawsuits have been filed in California and New York to ensure that gun shops have the ability to remain open if they choose.

We won’t let our responsibility to the Constitution and to the American people wane in these uncertain times. We’re tracking actions state and local governments may take and are providing that information on a dedicated webpage.

The NRA makes the importance of the 2nd Amendment absolutely clear. The evidence is in the millions of Americans who choose to purchase a firearm to protect themselves.

That isn’t fearmongering. That’s reality.

TRENDING NOW
Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Baltimore Gets Serious on Crime Control, and the Results Speak for Themselves

As the mid-year mark of 2025 hits, a promising report on crime trends has come out of the City of Baltimore. Surprising news at first glance until you dig deeper into the policy direction the ...

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

U.K. Moves to Legally De-suppress Suppressors

On July 4th, President Donald Trump signed into law his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which included a provision that eliminated the tax stamp fee of $200, but did not deregulate suppressors under the National Firearms ...

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

President Trump Supports Hunting and Resource Protection with Executive Actions

Just as the United States was preparing to celebrate 249 beautiful years, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order on July 3rd establishing the “Make America Beautiful Again" Commission supporting hunters, outdoorsmen, and outdoor recreationists by prioritizing the ...

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

Legacy Media Finally Acknowledges Politization of Public Health

It appears the editors of The Atlantic are finally willing to entertain an idea that has long been obvious to gun rights supporters.

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

News  

Monday, July 14, 2025

House Annual Appropriations Process Update

As the House Appropriations Committee is putting together legislation to fund the government, NRA-ILA has worked closely with policy makers to ensure several long-standing priorities for gun owners were included in the underlying bills.

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

News  

Second Amendment  

Thursday, May 22, 2025

U.S. House Passes Reconciliation Bill, Removing Suppressors from the National Firearms Act

Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included Section 2 of the Hearing Protection Act, completely removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA).

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

Thursday, July 10, 2025

DOJ Declines to Seek Supreme Court Review of Decision Striking Down Federal Laws Prohibiting FFLs From Selling Handguns to 18-to-20-Year-Olds

In Reese v. ATF, the Fifth Circuit held that 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(b)(1) and (c)(1)—which together forbid Federal Firearms Licensees from selling handguns to 18-to-20-year-olds—violate the Second Amendment.

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Monday, July 7, 2025

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the Florida Budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, which includes a Second Amendment sales tax holiday from September 8 through December 31, 2025. The NRA is thankful for Governor DeSantis’ strong ...

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

Thursday, July 10, 2025

NRA-ILA July 2025 Litigation Update

In the second quarter of 2025, the National Rifle Association filed two cert petitions in the U.S. Supreme Court and five amicus briefs, while continuing to litigate dozens of ongoing lawsuits across the country.

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Maine: Lawmakers Call for Anti-2A Progressive Professor to Be Fired

In case you missed the media firestorm last week, a progressive professor at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor, Maine, has come under fire for her emails belittling a student for her religious beliefs and views ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.