Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

A Year in American Gun Ownership

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

A Year in American Gun Ownership

This is the season of holiday festivities, family gatherings, and retrospectives. We dont operate on seasons, though. Gun owners didn’t wait for a holiday to air their grievances; they took every opportunity to let their legislators and the ATF know where they stood on infringement. Americans exercised their 2nd Amendment rights every day. This isnt hyperbole we leave that to the experts – but statements based on data and reality.

Nearly 36 million law-abiding Americans gifted themselves a NICS background check in the first 11 months of 2021. Were probably not going to break the record for most NICS checks in a year that we set last year (with 39,695,315 checks) but well likely get close. This year is already the second-busiest year ever for the NICS office…and has been for several months. Through the first 11 months of this year, there have been 7,007,556 permit checks and 15,881,092 checks related to firearm sales (exclusive of pawn shops, rentals, and private sales). In total, the NICS office ran an average of 74.39 checks per minute through November 30th. Thats assuming round-the-clock coverage.

ATF proposed a rule to make pistols with stabilizing braces subject to the taxation and registration requirements of the National Firearms Act and, in a separate action, to prohibit the practice of building ones own firearm – a practice that predates the American Revolution. As is required by law, both proposals were subject to comment periods. NRA posted thoughtful and conclusive comments in response to both proposals and encouraged our members and supporters to do the same.

A new analysis of all the comments posted determined that comments opposed to the frame and receiver rule outnumbered supportive comments by nearly two-to-one (1.961 to 1). The ratio for the pistol brace rule was even more drastic; comments opposing the rule outnumbered supportive comments by 5.76-to-1. Hundreds of thousands of comments were submitted on each rule, and a clear majority opposed each rule. The analysis provided to AmmoLand includes some stunning visualizations that compare long, steady growth of comments opposing the rules to the comparatively unsuccessful effort by anti-gun groups.

Sentiment analysis like this depends on the definitions and classifications used but it seems unlikely that the margins between supportive and oppositional comments in each case are the result of manipulation. The difference between the two sides is massive, even with evidence of late pushes by professional gun control organizations. The comments on these rules as written should lend themselves well to classification, as the two possible positions or sides are in absolute conflict.

This reflects the decline in support for gun control measured in public polling. An October Gallup survey found that 52% of Americans wanted laws covering the sale of firearms to be more strict, down five percentage points from the same point the previous year. Gallup continues to find less than 0.5% of adults say guns and gun control are the most important problem facing the country today.

Perhaps most importantly, the Supreme Court heard arguments last month in a case that will have deep ramifications for the 2nd Amendment and American gun owners.  We wont know the Courts decision for some time, but we are hopeful. The efforts of NRA members, supporters, and staff give us reason to be hopeful as we turn the calendar to 2022.

Remember, we started this year with the inauguration of what promised to be the most anti-gun Presidential administration in history. NRA members have stood firm against President Bidens efforts, and weve had significant victories at the state level across the country.

The future is bright for law-abiding gun owners – and not just because it does not include professional anti-gun paycheck-collector David Chipman as the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

IN THIS ARTICLE
ATF gun control NICS
TRENDING NOW
U.S. Senate Adds Pro-Gun Tax Relief Language Back into Reconciliation Bill

News  

Saturday, June 28, 2025

U.S. Senate Adds Pro-Gun Tax Relief Language Back into Reconciliation Bill

Overnight, the U.S. Senate added pro-gun tax relief language back into the Reconciliation bill after the Senate Parliamentarian struck out an earlier provision.  While this new provision is not as expansive as the language we advocated for which ...

U.S. Senate Forced to Remove Pro-Gun Language from Reconciliation Bill

News  

Friday, June 27, 2025

U.S. Senate Forced to Remove Pro-Gun Language from Reconciliation Bill

Today, the U.S. Senate was forced to remove the pro-gun language that had been previously included in the Reconciliation Bill currently making its way through the chamber. We explained in a previous article that this language would, ...

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).

U.S. Court of Appeals Backtracks on Adverse Suppressor Ruling

News  

Monday, June 23, 2025

U.S. Court of Appeals Backtracks on Adverse Suppressor Ruling

In a single sentence, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit added to the high-profile and consequential national conversation on firearm suppressors.

Armed Churchgoers Prevent Mass Attack as State Lawmakers Plot More Gun Control

News  

Monday, June 30, 2025

Armed Churchgoers Prevent Mass Attack as State Lawmakers Plot More Gun Control

Just over an hour away from the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan – even as lawmakers worked feverishly to pass various gun control measures, including expansion of “gun free” zones – a chilling reminder unfolded of the ...

Urge the U.S. Senate to Pass the One Big Beautiful Bill – Contact Your U.S. Senators Today!

News  

Monday, June 30, 2025

Urge the U.S. Senate to Pass the One Big Beautiful Bill – Contact Your U.S. Senators Today!

The U.S. Senate has cleared a number of procedural hurdles and is preparing to vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill. This vote will likely come within the next day. The One Big Beautiful Bill includes ...

Canada’s Big Ugly Gun Grab: An Update

News  

Monday, June 30, 2025

Canada’s Big Ugly Gun Grab: An Update

Canada’s Liberal government is pressing on with its harebrained gun ban and confiscation program for “assault style weapons,” but, true to form and precedents, it has been far from smooth sailing.

North Carolina: Update on Gun Bills Moving through the General Assembly

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

North Carolina: Update on Gun Bills Moving through the General Assembly

Recently, House Bill 193 (H193) was reported favorably out of both the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Rules Committee, with amendments.

News  

Second Amendment  

Friday, June 27, 2025

Joint Statement from Pro-Gun Groups on the Senate Reconciliation Bill

On behalf of millions of NRA members and gun owners, we stand united in calling on Congress to uphold Americans' Second Amendment rights and zero out the NFA's excise tax on suppressors and short-barreled firearms.

Argentina President Milei Continues to Make Improvements to Country’s Gun Laws

News  

Monday, June 30, 2025

Argentina President Milei Continues to Make Improvements to Country’s Gun Laws

We’ve reported before about Argentina President Javier Milei expanding access to firearms for law-abiding Argentinians.

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.