Innumerate media types will look at the NSSF’s graph of adjusted background check data and thrill to the fact that May, 2022’s total was down significantly from the 2020 spike and the 2021 total.

But if you look at the May, 2022 bar on the graph in relation to The Time Before years, you’ll see that last month’s adjusted NICS total was about 20% higher than it’s been in any previous May. Let that sink in for a minute. Americans are still buying guns a relatively blistering pace and with the current push in Washington to take advantage of the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings, that isn’t likely to change any time soon.

May Was the 34th Consecutive Month With 1 Million or More Guns Sold