By: José Niño

According to National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figures published by the FBI at the end of July, the United States has experienced four years of over one million gun sales per month. Despite the constant media handwringing against the Second Amendment, gun culture is still alive and well in the US.

Over the last decade, the US has experienced growing civil unrest and, in some cities, surging crime, key factors that have prompted many Americans to start buying firearms at record levels. Additionally, the credibility of institutions tasked with maintaining public safety such as the police has been called into question as they proved feckless in stopping rioters in large portions of the US throughout the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020. Broadly speaking, there has been a broader anti-police sentiment that has brewed across the American population which has increasingly made police officers hesitant to go after real criminals.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Public Affairs Manager Director Mark Oliva offered his take on the July 2023 numbers, noting:

“This is a remarkable milestone of four continuous years of over 1 million background checks for the sale of a firearm. That’s no small achievement and is indicative of the strong and sustained appetite for law-abiding Americans to take ownership of their Second Amendment rights. It also shows the resilience of the firearm and ammunition industry to meet this continued demand for high-quality firearms that today’s gun owner expects.”

Oliva continued:

“This milestone was achieved in the midst of the continuous attacks by the Biden administration which has demonstrated nothing but contempt for the Second Amendment and has twisted the levers of government to impede the ability of law-abiding citizens to legally possess firearms of their choosing. Americans are sending a clear signal each and every month. The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is not up for negotiation.”

Per FBI data, there were 2,015,789 background checks conducted in July 2023. According to the NSSF’s figures, 1,023,903 of the aforementioned checks were done for firearms purchases and/or transfers.

In sum, Americans aren’t giving up their guns anytime soon. As politics grow more polarized and the country’s social fabric continues deteriorating, people will naturally gravitate to the most proven means of defending themselves, their property, and their loved ones — the right to bear arms. This is one harsh reality that keeps the anti-gunners awake at night. And for good reason.

José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.  Subscribe to his Substack newsletter here.