The trade group National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) points to the steadily rising number of federal background checks over the last decade as a sign of health for the $4 billion firearms and ammunition industry that has a $28 billion annual impact on the U.S. economy. Since 2002, the annual number of federal instant background checks done by the FBI for intended purchasers of new and used firearms has risen 54% from approximately seven million to just shy of 11 million in 2011. December 2011 marked the 19th consecutive month of background check increases compared to the same year-ago period.

Another ... Log in to view full article.