Firearms Industry Flies Into D.C.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry -- will host its annual congressional "fly-in" for executives from industry companies tomorrow and Thursday. The executives will meet with key congressional leaders on issues important to the industry.

As part of the fly-in, NSSF is running ads in D.C. area publications reminding legislators of the firearm industry's economic impact on the nation's economy and the pivotal role excise taxes collected from the industry play in funding wildlife conservation throughout the United States.

In the sluggish economy of the last two years, the firearms industry has been a bright spot.  The most recent National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) numbers on background checks indicate that the industry continues to out perform other segments of the economy.  The March 2011 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 990,840 is an increase of 15 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 861,408 in March 2010.  While not a direct correlation to firearms sales, the NSSF-adjusted NICS data provide a more accurate picture of current market conditions.

The 2011 March numbers also represent an increase over the number of checks completed in March 2009 - a banner year for gun sales.  Could this be due to the renewed talk from the Obama administration of putting gun control back on the table?