October continued the pace for 2016 to be a record-breaking year for gun sales in the U.S., as the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a whopping 2.33 million gun background checks through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Although a background check doesn’t necessarily indicate that a firearm is sold, the checks are representative of a trend in gun purchases. So a record month for firearm background checks suggests that October was also a record month for gun sales.
The 2.33 million background checks this October compare with just 970,030 firearm background checks in October a decade ago. And it’s not just October. NICS background checks have been up every month this year compared with last year, and have reached record highs in each month over the past decade.
Gun manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co. is attributing “stronger-than-normal industry demand” for guns to the upcoming election, according to a Business Insider report. The gunmaker reported its earnings are up 66 percent compared with the third quarter of 2015.
Smith & Wesson and outdoor retailer Cabela’s have also reported a surge in gun and ammunition sales in recent months, Fox News reports.
Fear over gun restrictions has spurred a surge in gun sales in America many times in the past. Gun and ammo sales typically fall after those fears subside, like they did in early 2014.
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