the NICS checks have been setting records - June 2020 hit a high of 3.9 million alone.
the last total I saw for 2020 was approaching 30 million total
I am not sure how they decide how many are first time buyers - that's not a question I have seen, and checking the history to see if you have purchased before would not be possible as far as I know
also- the number of checks does not correlate to actual purchases - unless they give a column on denied checks - and some states require a NICS check to transfer privately - so for example - in NY - the letter of the law requires a check for an inherited or otherwise transferred long gun if the recipient is not a parent, spouse or sibling.
also several states currently have at least one qualified alternative permit, which under the Brady Act allows the permit-holder, who has undergone a background check to obtain the permit, to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer without a separate additional background check for that transfer. New York pistol permits were all that was needed at one point to purchase, you asked the issuing county to run a Brady check ( I think it was every 5 years) and then your carry permit allowed you to skip the call -
so again - NICS checks is not an accurate way to count sales
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