Estimated gun sales during the month of April eclipsed the record-breaking level hit in 2016.
Federally licensed gun dealers processed just over 2 million applications through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System last month, completing an estimated 1,051,322 gun sales overall — 4,400 more than April 2016, the busiest in NICS’s 19-year history.
Background checks declined 5 percent over last year, though adjusted totals — calculated by removing applications processed for concealed carry permits — came in at just 391 checks above last year.
Dealers ran background checks on more than 623,000 handguns and 376,000 long guns throughout the month, according to federal data.
Despite its strong showing, April ended the industry’s three-month upswing with a 21 percent dip in estimated sales compared to March. Adjusted background checks fell by similar percentage points, according to federal data.
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