The nation’s gun-buying binge remained robust last month amid the Biden administration’s latest plans to cut sales and intimidate customers.
The FBI said it conducted 2,336,390 checks through its National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the industry trade group, said that included an estimated 1,343,478 specifically for gun sales.
February was the 55th consecutive month that gun sales approved by the FBI exceeded 1 million. NSSF said the number was likely higher since the FBI count does not include all other legal pathways to obtaining a firearm.
The record-breaking sales were in part a reaction to President Joe Biden’s efforts to tighten gun control, NSSF spokesman Mark Oliva said.
“February’s adjusted background checks reflect the steady appetite Americans have for exercising their Second Amendment rights,” Oliva said in a statement shared with Secrets on Tuesday morning.
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He added:
“This is noteworthy given the increasing attacks on lawful gun ownership by the Biden administration as White House officials pursue rules that would make nearly every private firearm seller be required to obtain a federal firearms license and the ‘whole-of-government’ approach by White House officials to suppress lawful gun ownership instead of holding criminals accounting for their crimes. The Treasury Department admitted to Congress that they spied on Americans’ lawful and private firearm sales, and the ATF violated federal law to smear firearm retailers in a ‘name-and-shame’ effort when they released protected firearm trace data. Americans reject these heavy-handed approaches to government intrusion on their rights and instead choose their Second Amendment rights by the millions each and every month.”