Methodology
NICS check volume (public)
These statistics represent the number of firearm background checks initiated through the FBI NICS. They do not represent the number of firearms sold; a one-to-one correlation cannot be made between a check and a sale. Permit checks and state-specific practices can inflate totals (e.g. recurring permit rechecks). Betsy does not run background checks, process 4473 forms, or determine buyer eligibility. Source: FBI public NICS PDFs, structured by the Data Liberation Project.
Macro backdrop
NICS check volume (public)
FBI counts of background checks initiated — not firearms sold, and not a live NICS system.
Loading public NICS stats…
*Activity = handgun + long gun + multiple checks (excludes permits). Not sales. Betsy does not run background checks or process 4473. Methodology.
What we store
Monthly rows by US state (and DC): handgun, long gun, other, multiple, permit, and related FBI columns from the Data Liberation Project CSV. We compute an activity metric as handgun + long gun + multiple for product surfaces.
Where it appears
- Betsy Live — NICS button (monthly backdrop next to live demand)
- Brand Intelligence API —
/api/enterprise/v1/nics - Enterprise Co-Pilot MCP — tool
get_nics_check_volume - GSA Pro Chat with Betsy — same tool, dealer-scoped session
Compliance boundary
Betsy does not run NICS checks, complete ATF Form 4473, or maintain electronic bound books. This dataset is public aggregate statistics only.