{"id":227803,"date":"2026-01-06T09:31:48","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=227803"},"modified":"2026-01-06T09:34:55","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:34:55","slug":"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\/","title":{"rendered":"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-estimated-reading-time yoast-reading-time__wrapper\"><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__icon\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-icon=\"clock\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" style=\"display:inline-block;vertical-align:-0.1em\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M12 8v4l3 3m6-3a9 9 0 11-18 0 9 9 0 0118 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__spacer\" style=\"display:inline-block;width:1em\"><\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__descriptive-text\">Estimated reading time: <\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__reading-time\">3<\/span><span class=\"yoast-reading-time__time-unit\"> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The firearm market cooled slightly in December 2025, but demand for lawful gun ownership remains historically strong, according to newly released National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure for December 2025 came in at 1,587,049, a 3.4 percent decrease compared to December 2024\u2019s adjusted total of 1,642,270.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For comparison, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported an unadjusted December 2025 NICS figure of 2,220,852, reflecting a 16.1 percent decline from the unadjusted 2,647,933 checks recorded in December 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NSSF_Dec_2025.jpg\" alt=\"A graph showing the NSSF-adjusted NICS checks for December 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-227804\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NSSF_Dec_2025.jpg 900w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NSSF_Dec_2025-400x267.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NSSF_Dec_2025-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/NSSF_Dec_2025-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">NSSF-adjusted NICS data for December 2025 show a modest decline year-over-year, underscoring sustained demand for firearms nationwide despite political pressure.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><h2>Table of contents<\/h2><ul><li><a href=\"#h-top-states-for-background-checks\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-level=\"2\">Top States for Background Checks<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-q4-and-annual-totals-show-modest-declines\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-level=\"2\">Q4 and Annual Totals Show Modest Declines<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-the-numbers-really-mean\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-level=\"2\">What the Numbers Really Mean<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-bottom-line\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-level=\"2\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-top-states-for-background-checks\">Top States for Background Checks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the year-over-year dip, several states <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/surge-in-firearm-background-checks-continues-in-november-2023-records-third-highest-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"2399\">continued to dominate firearm background check<\/a> activity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top 5 States \u2013 NSSF-Adjusted NICS Checks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Texas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Florida<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>California<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pennsylvania<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ohio<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Top 5 States \u2013 FBI Handgun Checks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Texas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Florida<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>California<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pennsylvania<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Virginia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A<\/strong>nd <strong>Top 5 States \u2013 FBI Long Gun Checks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Texas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pennsylvania<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Florida<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ohio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Virginia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-q4-and-annual-totals-show-modest-declines\">Q4 and Annual Totals Show Modest Declines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking beyond December alone, the broader trend shows a modest easing from record highs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Q4 2025 NSSF-adjusted NICS:<\/strong> 4,294,591\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Down <strong>3.7 percent<\/strong> from Q4 2024 (4,459,900)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Full-Year 2025 NSSF-adjusted NICS:<\/strong> 14,612,314\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Down <strong>4.1 percent<\/strong> from 2024 (15,239,011)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>NSSF notes that adjusted figures remove permit checks and rechecks in states that allow qualified concealed carry permit holders to bypass a separate NICS check at the point of sale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, 28 states have at least one such qualifying permit, meaning actual firearm transfers in those states may exceed reported NICS activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-the-numbers-really-mean\">What the Numbers Really Mean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While NICS checks are not a direct measure of firearm sales, they remain one of the most reliable indicators of consumer demand in the firearms market. A single check can involve multiple firearms, and some legal transfers occur without a NICS check due to state permitting systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, the scale of activity remains significant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe fact that nearly 1.6 million background checks were conducted in December for the retail sale of a <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/1000-yards-500-rifle-rugers-american-predator\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"2397\">firearm<\/a> demonstrates that Second Amendment rights are critically important to Americans,\u201d said Mark Oliva, NSSF Managing Director of Public Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"h-see-also-thirty-regulators-one-ceo-inside-the-rise-of-silencer-central\"><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/brandon-maddox-silencer-central-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\">Thirty Regulators, One CEO: Inside the Rise of Silencer Central<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere were over 14.6 <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/bloomberg-donates-1-million-washington-state-background-check-effort\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"2401\">million background checks<\/a> for the sale of firearms through the entire year. This is an undeniable fact that <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/states-weak-gun-laws-higher-gun-ownership-lead-nation-gun-deaths-says-anti-gun-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"2400\">lawful gun ownership<\/a> is a valued and treasured right exercised by tens of millions of Americans daily,\u201d Oliva added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He also pushed back on political narratives <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/feds-targeted-lawful-gun-owners-in-sweeping-domestic-terror-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"2398\">targeting lawful gun owners<\/a>, noting that ownership continues to grow even as crime rates fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese Americans are, quite literally, investing in their personal safety and freedom,\u201d Oliva said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bottom-line\">Bottom Line<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>December\u2019s numbers show a market normalizing from historic highs, not collapsing. Millions of Americans continue to lawfully exercise their 2A rights, even as political pressure and regulatory scrutiny increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data suggest one clear takeaway: demand for firearms remains durable, national, and deeply rooted in personal security, not fleeting trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"december-2025-firearm-background-checks-dip\" title=\"NSSF: December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For comparison, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported an unadjusted December 2025 NICS figure of 2,220,852, reflecting a 16.1 percent decline from the unadjusted 2,647,933 checks recorded in December 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":227804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4024],"tags":[132,607,311,122],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-227803","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-buzz","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-nssf","11":"tag-r2kba"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>December 2025 Firearm Background Checks Dip<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"December 2025 firearm background checks fell slightly, but NSSF data show millions continue investing in gun ownership and personal security.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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Experience: \u2013 Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper \u2013 Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.\u2013 Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS &amp; AZ) \u2013 Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.\u2013 2A Journalist \u2013 Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.\u2013 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) \u2013 Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.\u2013 Field-Tested Gear Reviewer \u2013 Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hunt365.gunsamerica.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/gunsamerica_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/GunsAmerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/GunsAmerica\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/larry-z\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. 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