Law-abiding Americans showed zero signs in July of losing their passion for the right to keep and bear arms.
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) data, adjusted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to narrow the raw numbers to firearm purchases, showed 1,061,883 checks for acquiring weapons last month.
That mark is an 8.5% increase over July 2025. And one state predictably led the charge to arm themselves ahead of their pending permit-to-purchase scheme for popular sporting rifles.
Colorado residents voted with their wallets and purses in July
Mark Oliva, NSSF Managing Director of Public Affairs, shared the news that Colorado citizens followed the same path as their Virginia counterparts ahead of another gun ban.
“There were 82,103 background checks completed in Colorado for firearm sales in July,” Oliva reported. “A year ago, that figure was 22,507. That is a blaring signal horn that Americans will choose freedom over the tethers of unconstitutional burdens on their Second Amendment rights.”
In fact, the pattern of outlier state governments suppressing gun rights is a surefire way to send sales through the roof before the deadline.
Soaring growth of acquiring NFA-regulated items continues
Then there’s the explosion of activity with suppressors, which no longer command a $200 tax for acquiring these accessories.
The NSSF logged 130,013 National Firearms Act (NFA) checks last month, representing a staggering 108.8% leap over the same period in 2025. Clearly, there is a strong appetite in the sporting community for devices that protect hearing from loud reports.
There have also been recent positive efforts within the ATF to dramatically streamline the process of lawfully acquiring weapons. A system that many times forced people to wait months for government permission is now completed in mere days.
What this adds up to is a robust appetite for Second Amendment-related items. It further demonstrates the public will over the anti-gun rights agendas of misguided leaders.
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