Gun Sales Cool Slightly in July 2025

The heat may have slowed down some sales, but America’s appetite for firearms is still holding strong — especially in states like Texas, Florida, and California.

According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the adjusted NICS background check figure for July 2025 came in at 978,731 — an 8.1% drop from July 2024. That dip isn’t unusual during the summer slump.

The FBI’s unadjusted number was even higher, clocking in at 1,936,621 background checks nationwide last month. That’s a 4.2% drop from last July — but remember, those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Some states don’t require additional NICS checks for gun buyers who already hold a valid carry permit — and 28 states now have at least one of those qualified permits on the books. That means a whole lot of lawful purchases never show up in these totals. The NSSF adjusts for that to give a clearer picture of retail activity.

Leading the charge once again were the usual suspects:

• Top 5 states for adjusted NICS checks: Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
• Top 5 for handgun checks: Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Tennessee.
• Top 5 for long guns: Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Virginia.

So what does this all mean?

NSSF Managing Director of Public Affairs Mark Oliva put it in perspective:

“July’s figures of 978,731 background checks for the sale of a firearm at retail beings an end to the streak of over 1 million background checks each month that ran for nearly six years. Summer months routinely show lower background check figures than other times of the year and we’ve watched as the background check figures came down from astronomical highs several years ago. There are factors that contribute to this, including relief of concern that politics would deny some from being able to exercise Second Amendment rights to purchase a firearm of one’s choice and economic uncertainty.”

As always, it’s important to remember that NICS checks don’t equal one-to-one gun sales. Some buyers purchase multiple guns in a single transaction, others are using permits that bypass NICS entirely, and some checks don’t lead to a purchase at all.

Still, the trend is clear: millions of Americans are staying armed, informed, and ready.

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