Over 1.2 Million April Background Checks

Despite a slight dip in numbers, Americans are still buying firearms by the millions—and they’re doing it with confidence that their rights will be protected.

According to new data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), April 2025 saw 1,174,294 NSSF-adjusted NICS background checks, a 3.4% decrease from April 2024. The unadjusted FBI numbers show a similar trend, with 2,194,006 checks in April 2025, down 2.1% from the year prior.

“This isn’t a sign of slowing interest,” said Mark Oliva, NSSF’s Managing Director of Public Affairs. “Firearm ownership continues to be a priority for law-abiding citizens. The proof of that is over 1.2 million times in April, Americans freely approached the counter at their local firearm retailer to take lawful ownership of a firearm. These gun buyers did so with a commitment by the Trump administration that their Second Amendment rights would be protected and they wouldn’t be ostracized by their government for exercising rights protected by the U.S. Constitution.”

Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and Colorado led the nation in total adjusted background checks.

For handgun checks, the top five states were:

• Texas
• Florida
• Pennsylvania
• California
• Colorado

For long gun checks, the leaderboard remained similar, with Texas still dominating.

NSSF notes that these numbers don’t include all legal gun sales. In 24 states, individuals with valid concealed carry permits—already background-checked—can purchase firearms without an additional NICS check. The adjusted numbers also remove permit-related checks to better focus on transactions likely tied to retail sales.

So while NICS checks aren’t a direct sales metric, they provide a strong pulse of the firearms market—and that pulse is steady.

Millions of Americans continue to exercise their rights, regardless of slight monthly variations. With support from the White House and strong 2A advocacy, the message is clear: Gun ownership isn’t going anywhere.

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