States where gun sales have increased the most since 2011
Stacker consulted data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to examine which states have seen the most significant increase in firearm-related background checks between 2011 and 2021:
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According to the number of firearm-related background checks performed by the FBI, Black Friday in 2022 was the third-highest day for gun sales ever, surpassing the amounts sold on the same dates in 2020 and 2021. (Note: The data does not directly represent a one-to-one correlation between a firearm background check and sale, as it does not include private gun purchases or instances where a carry permit is as an alternative to the background check.)
In some states, gun control laws are in judicial limbo. In Oregon, voters passed Measure 114 in the November elections. The proposal aimed to end the so-called "Charleston loophole," which allowed buyers to obtain a firearm from a dealer before the background check was complete. It also added the requirement to pass a training course before purchasing a weapon.
In Washington D.C., where firearm-related background checks have skyrocketed in the last decade, permits are not required to buy rifles, shotguns, or handguns. However, background checks are mandatory for all private sales, and gun buyers must register every firearm they acquire.
Illinois, which has one of the most stringent gun regulations in America, leads the nation in background checks, which suggests the state's laws are functioning as designed.
With each state in the country addressing the issue of gun ownership and registration in different ways, Stacker consulted data from the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to examine which states have seen the most significant increase in firearm-related background checks between 2011 and 2021. The figures taken into consideration are criminal record requests initiated by an officially licensed Federal Firearms Licensee or criminal justice/law enforcement agency before issuing a purchase or transfer permit.
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