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FBI gun background checks on track to break record
The bureau processed 19,827,376 requests sent to the National Instant Criminal Background Check Systems, or NICS, through Monday.
That's a 6% increase from the same period last year. It's also 4% more than the same period in 2013, which is the record year for background checks.
Mass shootings, like the Thursday attack in San Bernardino, often cause a rush in sales.
Background checks are an approximation, but not a direct indicator, of gun sales. Anyone buying a gun from a federally licensed dealer must submit personal information to the FBI. The buyer must state whether he or she has been convicted of a felony, uses illegal drugs, or has faced prosecution for domestic violence.
Most purchases are conducted by federally licensed dealers and most buyers pass background checks. This is why background checks are considered to be the closest nationwide measure of gun sales.
Past mass shootings have tended to drive gun sales, partly because buyers want to protect themselves, and partly because they're concerned that the shooting may prompt more restrictive gun control measures.
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