nics how many checks
State Firearm Background Checks: NICS Data. Federal firearm background checks are conducted using the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to ensure transactions do not violate federal or state laws. Total federal firearm background checks climbed to a record high 23.1 million in 2015, up 10 percent from 2014. While background check statistics are commonly used to approximate firearm purchases, they do not represent actual numbers of guns sold.