The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) completed 530,156 background checks related to firearms for the week leading up to and including Black Friday, a 13.6% decrease from 2024 figures.
The 2025 figure is down from 2024’s total of 613,380 for the same time period, according to NSSF, the firearms industry trade association.
“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,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF president and CEO.
NICS completed 165,183 background checks on Black Friday alone. The figure approximates firearm sales at retail on that day, although it also includes background checks for other purposes related to firearms, such as approvals for concealed carry permits, according to NSSF data.
Bartozzi said, “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.”
NSSF has worked with firearm retailers to spread out special sales offers to customers throughout the week leading up to Black Friday so as not to overwhelm FBI NICS on a single day, which can result in longer-than-normal wait times.
Annual background check data shows that firearm sales will typically rise during the final months of the year coinciding with hunting seasons and holiday sales.
Below are the figures for each day of unadjusted FBI NICS background checks:
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
