CSGV Spin on Gun Sales

Citing the number of media stories about the increase in gun sales, Josh Horwitz with the Coalitiion to Stop Gun Violence has put out an email that promotes "The Truth About Gun Sales."

In reality, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (the gun industry's trade association) refues to provide the media and public with sales data, which is unheard of.  Instead, they offer reporters data on background checks.  But the FBI has mide it patently clear that these checks "do not represent the number of firearms sold."

That's right, and NSSF makes it clear the number they report is for background checks, not firearms sold. This from the most recent Bullet Points.

According to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), December 2011 set a new record for the most background checks in a single month (emphasis added). The December 2011 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,410,937 is an increase of 24.5 percent over the NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,133,371 in December 2010. For comparison, the unadjusted December 2011 NICS figure of 1,854,400 reflects a 22.6 percent increase from the unadjusted NICS figure of 1,512,265 in December 2010. This marks the nineteenth straight month that NSSF-adjusted NICS figures have increased when compared to the same period the previous year.

It is very likely that one background check could be for the purchase of more than one firearm (i.e. a father buying a shotgun or rifle for each of two sons as Christmas presents - two firearms sold under one background check). So, CSGV, the number of firearms sold is likely higher that the number of background checks, which should make Josh even more unhappy. 

Update.  The Richmond Times Dispatch makes the same point for us here.