The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) processed 530,156 background checks related to firearms during the week leading up to and including Black Friday in 2025, according to NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association. This represents a decrease of 13.6% compared to the same period in 2024, when there were 613,380 checks.
On Black Friday alone, NICS completed 165,183 background checks. While this number gives an estimate of retail firearm sales for that day, it also includes checks for other purposes such as concealed carry permit approvals. NSSF stated that later in the week it will release adjusted figures for November that only reflect background checks tied directly to retail firearm sales.
To help manage demand and avoid overwhelming the FBI’s system on a single day—which can lead to longer wait times—NSSF has worked with retailers to distribute special sales offers throughout the week rather than concentrating them on Black Friday.
Joe Bartozzi, president and CEO of NSSF, said: “The background checks reported by the FBI are in keeping with the trends NSSF has seen throughout the year. While the overall trends are still coming off the peaks experienced in recent years, firearm sales remain consistently strong. These figures tell us that there is a continued strong appetite for lawful firearm ownership by law-abiding Americans and that firearm manufacturers across the country continue to deliver the quality firearms our customers have come to expect.”
Firearm sales typically increase during late fall and early winter months due to hunting seasons and holiday promotions.
Daily unadjusted FBI NICS background check totals for the week were as follows: Saturday, Nov. 22 – 73,326; Sunday, Nov. 23 – 34,380; Monday, Nov. 24 – 80,078; Tuesday, Nov. 25 – 81,475; Wednesday, Nov. 26 – 86,402; Thursday, Nov. 27 – 9,312; Friday, Nov. 28 –165,183; Saturday, Nov. 29 –169,906.
Republished with permission from NSSF.
