How Many Is 3 Million? December NICS Checks, To Start

by
posted on January 5, 2016
gsagi2015_fs.jpg (1)

More than 3 million NICS checks conducted in December helped elevate 2015 to an all-new gun sales record. Those numbers are lofty, so to put things in perspective for your watercooler conversations today, here are some other things that amount to roughly 3 million. 

City: Chicago’s population

State: Number of people in Utah

Country: Population in Kuwait

Celebrations: Attendees at November’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City

Victims: Polish Christians killed during the Holocaust

Serving: Members of the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II

Banking: Estimated annual earnings of Ronda Rousey

Working: Workers worldwide who telecommute at least part time

Educating: Public school teachers in the United States

NICS Checks: 3,314,594 law-abiding citizens underwent a NICS background check in December, elevating 2015’s annual total to record-shattering 23,141,970—roughly the number of jobs created by women-owned companies in the U.S. 

Latest

40 S&W 1A
40 S&W 1A

The Short, Happy Life Of The .40 Smith & Wesson

Despite the wide acceptance of the .40 Smith & Wesson defensive handgun cartridge in its early years, the round has since faded from armories around the U.S. and replaced by an older, smaller-caliber cartridge.

Zastava's ZPAP M72 RPK Is Now Shipping

Zastava USA announced it would be expanding its lineup to include an M72 "RPK" model. Now, in 2025, that model has finally arrived and is shipping to dealers.

Preview: Mesa Tactical Truckee Forend

A 12-ga. shotgun can be a devastatingly potent defensive platform, but even the tactical models often aren’t configured terribly well for installing accessories.

Gun Of The Week: Benelli Lupo HPR

Welcome to another American Rifleman Gun Of The Week, and on this episode, we’re taking a closer look at Benelli’s Lupo HPR, or High Precision Rifle.

The Armed Citizen® Feb. 21, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Glock 49 Gen5 MOS: The Glock 9 mm Perfected?

Available as a TALO distributor exclusive, the Glock 49 Gen5 blends the the longer G17 slide with the comfortably compact frame of the G19, and it also includes Glock's MOS optics-mounting system.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.