The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) just released firearms data for the month of November. As expected, the month delivered more NSSF-adjusted NICS record-breaking numbers for November 2020.
2020 November NSSF-Adjusted NICS Numbers Destroy 2019
The data comes from NSSF-adjusted numbers from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System. This November registered 1,949,141, a 45.2-percent increase over November 2019. The unadjusted FBI number of 3,602,926 reflects a 41.5-percent increase over last year.
The November numbers push year-to-date totals to 19.1 million adjusted. It completely blows away the annual record of 15.7 million, established in 2016. The NSSF estimates nearly 7.7. million people purchased a firearm for the first time in 2020.
The NSSF adjusted numbers derive by subtracting NICS purpose code permit checks and permit rechecks. While it doesn’t necessarily directly correlate to firearm sales, it paints a clear picture in the increased demand.
Sales initially spiked during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March. Then civil unrest following police shootings and violent protest fueled even more demand. Finally, the presidential election spiked numbers to all-time highs. For even more information, please visit nssf.org.
Holiday Weekend Numbers
| 2019 | 2020 | |
| Thanksgiving Thursday | 58,478 | 47,706 |
| Black Friday | 202,465 | 186,645 |
| Saturday | 98,814 | 117,508 |
| Sunday | 44,924 | 65,606 |
| 4 Day Total | 400,681 | 417,465 |
| Cyber Monday | 74,926 | 123,797 |
