NICS for June of 2024, Sixth Highest year for Gun Sales and NICS Checks

National Instant background Check System (NICS) numbers show firearm sales for June of 2024 were down five percent from 2023. They are still over 1 million for the month. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, this is the 59th month of over one million sales a month. If July sales are over a million, it will be five complete years of over a million firearm sales a month. May, June, and July are traditionally the lowest months for firearms sales during the year, although the pattern is not absolute. Specific events can increase firearms sales. This correspondent predicts the assassination attempt, which came so close to ending former president, and likely future president, Donald Trump’s life, is such an event.

There may well likely be a bump up in firearm sales for July of 2024. To facilitate the bump, firearm prices are at historical lows, when corrected with constant dollars. AmmoLand recently published a special on Plumbcrazy complete lower receivers for the popular AR15 type firearms, at only $65.99 each. Add a Bear Creek Arsenal complete upper, chambered for .223, on sale for only $215.60, and you have an fully capable AR15 style rifle, sans sights or magazines, for under $300, including shipping, but not transfer fees or sales tax. A capable rifle for nearly all uses from hunting to home defense or militia duty, all for about a weeks pay at minimum wage. Perfectly serviceable personal defensive pistols are showing similar deals. Several 9mm models are available under $300. Solid .22 rifles can be had for $100 on sale, with .22 revolvers at about the same, and .22 semi-auto pistols at $200 – $300, on sale.

With low entry prices, and the political insecurity shown by the nearly successful political assassination attempt on presidential candidate Donald Trump, new entrants to the firearms market are expected. Calls for more restrictions on firearms sales and use are likely to push up sales.

Pistols continue to be the majority of fireams sales, with long guns (rifles and shotguns) about 57% the numbers of handguns sold. Multiple sales and sales of receivers which can be made into either handguns or long guns round out the sales numbers. Of the total sales, handguns are about 57%,  long guns are about  33%, multiple sales are estimated at 5%, and other at slightly less with about 4.5% of the total firearm sales. The half percent difference from 100% is due to rounding.

The slide in firearms sales has occurred from the historical records set in the presidential election year of 2020. As seen in the NSSF chart, while sales have fallen since 2020, they remain at highs previously only seen in the record breaking year of President Trump’s election in 2016. There is probably some reluctance to purchase because of market saturation and because of limited disposable income created by the Biden administration induced monetary inflation.

If presidential candidate Donald Trump survives and is elected in 2024, it will take some time for stability to be re-established. The current ruling class sees their power as threatened. The far-Left/Woke forces will see their chance at a complete destruction of Western civilization at risk of failure.

In the event of a second Donald Trump presidency, this correspond expects riots in major centers of Democratic party power. Those riots may be far greater than were observed in 2020, when the left went all out with BLM legitimization of anti-white and anti-police rioting.

©2024 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch