September Gun Sales Indicator Dips 2.3% as NFA Checks Surge 129%

AmmoLand ^ | October 12, 2026 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The number of firearm sales, as reflected in the National Shooting Sport Foundation (NSSF) adjusted numbers for the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) for September of 2026, has dropped by 2.3% compared to September of 2025. The raw number of all checks in the NICS for September dropped by .8%.

As stated by NSSF:

The September 2026 NSSF-adjusted National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) figure of 1,152,077 is a decrease of 2.3 percent compared to the September 2025 NSSF-adjusted NICS figure of 1,179,424. For comparison, the unadjusted September 2026 FBI NICS figure of 1,843,700 reflects a 0.8 percent decrease from the unadjusted FBI NICS figure of 1,858,763 in September 2025.

The drop breaks the trend of the last eight months, where the numbers for 2026 have been higher than the number of sales for 2025. Only two months in 2026 have had lower sales than in 2025. Those months are January and December.

One of the potential reasons for NICS checks being higher are the large increases in NICS checks for National Firearms Act (NFA) items in 2026. However, in September both the adjusted numbers for firearm sales and the raw NICS checks decreased. The increase of the NFA items is about 4.6% of the total NICS checks for September of 2026.

From NSSF:

---

TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: banglist; nics; sales; september

[marktwain]

Gun sales took a dip in September. Seven of the last nine months have had stronger gun sales than in 2025. September was a little lower than September of 2025.

[P8riot]

Was picking up some ammo and a few bother things at my LGS one day last week, and they had about 30 people standing in line for suppressors. I asked one of the workers and he told me that since the DOJ said that they wouldn’t push back against the injunction cans have been flying off the shelves. Kinda makes me wish that I had waited to get the few I have.

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

Thanks for posting these reports.

[BipolarBob]

Same here. I was in the gun store and cans are flying off the shelf. Especially the budget ones.

[Paal Gulli]

"...Especially the budget ones."

Price isn't necessarily an indicator of quality, particularly for Joe Sixpack. Some Mall Ninjas will pay $1200 for a Surefire SOCOM556 because "they heard" that's what Tier One Operators use but for their use there's negligible practical difference between that and one that costs half that.

[LouAvul]

I belong to numerous gun forums and sales are down all over. Even private party sales. The economy is sluggish and everybody’s staying pat with whatever they already own.

[P8riot]

Price isn't necessarily an indicator of quality

Agree. One of the best multi caliber cans out there is the Yankee Hill R9, and can be had for around $500. Its major drawback is that you can't fully disassemble it for cleaning. Other than that it can handle everything from 17 HMR to .308, but works best with 9mm.