(GunReports.com) — The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday that it had conducted a record number of instant background checks on those wishing to buy firearms in December.
The FBI performed just under 2.8 million checks in the month, more than a million higher than in December of 2011. For the full year, there were 19.6 million, almost 20% more than in 2011 and an all-time record.
While the number of checks is a good indicator of Americans’ appetite for gun ownership, it is not precise, because “based on varying state laws and purchase scenarios, a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a firearm background check and a firearm sale,” the FBI noted.
In December, 2,783,765 total background checks were carried out to purchase firearms, surpassing the previous record from November 2012 when 2,006,919 checks were performed.
For the year, 19,592,303 background checks carried out for firearm purchases–a 19% rise from 2011.
