NFA Guidance Is Live: The Q4 Market Math for FFL Dealers

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.

By Mark Edwards •

September NICS Numbers Show The Industry Is Still Alive And Well

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...

By Zac K •

Suppressor Boom: Where FFL Margin Actually Comes From

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.

By Gary Stone •

Two Federal Moves Just Widened the Handgun Market

In four days, DOJ stopped enforcing the under-21 handgun sales ban and the Fifth Circuit struck the interstate handgun purchase ban. Here is what the wider buyer pool does to FFL revenue and how to model it for Q4.

By Mark Edwards •

Gun Sales Up Six Straight Months: What FFL Dealers Do Now

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.

By Mark Edwards •

July's NICS Numbers Show We're Back In Business

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.

By Zac K •

Virginia Jumps to Second in Rifle Sales as AR-15 Ban Looms

Virginians did not wait to find out whether Governor Abigail Spanberger would sign a ban on the sale of popular semi-automatic rifles before heading to their local gun stores. Newly released industry data shows Virginia ranked fourth among all states for overall firearm sales-related background c...

By Josh C •