According to Washington Examiner
Fears of a crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in a historic spike in gun purchase background checks, leading to long delays in approval, according to the FBI and gun industry experts. What’s more, there is a potential that offices in charge of conducting the background checks could shut down, effectively stopping sales. The FBI office in charge of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System said in a statement:
“As the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Section works through the impact of the COVID-19 operationally, we are working to maintain our services. We are aware that states may be considering options to protect the health and safety of their employees, which may include a reduction in office availability or even closure to some offices.”
The National Shooting Sports Foundation said that checks surged 300% on Monday, after already hitting historic highs all year. The group said that the daily “volume” of applications is double what it was last year.
“Monday, March 16, 2020, the NICS staff experienced over a 300% increase compared to this same time period in 2019. As we’ve seen in the past with other national events, our citizens often seek to exercise their Second Amendment rights during times of uncertainty,” said the NSSF.