September's NFA numbers show the category is concentrated in a handful of states, and ATF's own FAQ caps your sellable market at your state line. Here is where dealers should spend their attention this quarter.
September’s firearm-sales indicator slipped 2.3%, but NFA checks more than doubled. With ATF now backing away from federal registration and approval requirements for covered items, the suppressor market could be entering a new phase.
ATF's October 9 open letter makes NFA approval and registration voluntary nationwide for suppressors, SBRs, SBSs and AOWs. The market math: September's demand data, what actually moved on the P&L, and where the category goes next quarter.
NICS stands for National Instant Criminal Background Check System, an FBI database that licensed gun dealers must use to determine whether or not a potential purchaser is legally barred from buying a gun. Obviously, if you know how many NICS checks happen in a month, you have a very rough idea ho...
August splits the market in two: adjusted firearms checks up 2.2 percent, NFA checks up 201.6 percent. Here is what the data says about FFL inventory, transfer revenue and the next 90 days.
The August NFA check surge proves demand for suppressors is real. The margin, though, is no longer in the paperwork fee or the can itself - it is in the bundle, the service, and an intake process that knows which customer is on which legal path.
August 2026 adjusted NICS checks rose 2.2% to 1,115,410 - the sixth straight month of growth - while NFA checks tripled after a court deregulated suppressors. Here is what the data means for FFL dealers heading into Q4.
Adjusted firearm-related NICS checks reached 1.115 million in August 2026, up 2.2% from last year, while NFA checks more than tripled.
Aero Precision, Ballistic Advantage, Stag Arms and VG6 return under new ownership; August NSSF-adjusted NICS checks edge up 2.2%; and NSSF, ATF and DOJ push straw-purchase education in Florida — this week's top stories for FFL dealers.
The NICS numbers come from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and they are a rough correlation to firearms sales in the U.S.; licensed dealers must check the NICS database before a sale, and when you add up all those queries, you have your NICS numbers for the month.