States Where The Most People Bought Guns Last Month

Special Report

May 5, 2023 1:30 pm

Rene with his AR-15 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Mitch Barrie

40. Nevada
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2023: 4.1
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2023: 13,025 — 15th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check: Handguns
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2022: 3.6 — 10th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2022: 11,423 — 12th fewest
> Change in background checks, Apr 2021- April 2022: +1,602 (+14.0% — 8th largest increase)
> 2022 Population: 3,177,772 — 19th smallest

Columbus Gun Show billboard (CC0 1.0) by bagli

39. Ohio
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2023: 4.3
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2023: 50,760 — 10th most
> Most common type of firearm check: Handguns
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2022: 4.7 — 14th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2022: 54,895 — 10th most
> Change in background checks, Apr 2021- April 2022: -4,135 (-7.5% — 13th largest decrease)
> 2022 Population: 11,756,058 — 7th largest

ALSO READ: The Fastest Firing Machine Guns in the World

Source: scguard / Flickr

38. South Carolina
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2023: 4.4
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2023: 23,221 — 24th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check: Handguns
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2022: 6.0 — 23rd fewest
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2022: 31,705 — 22nd most
> Change in background checks, Apr 2021- April 2022: -8,484 (-26.8% — 2nd largest decrease)
> 2022 Population: 5,282,634 — 23rd largest

Source: Patrick Smith / Getty Images News via Getty Images

37. Delaware
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2023: 4.5
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2023: 4,556 — 4th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check: Handguns
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2022: 4.7 — 15th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2022: 4,791 — 4th fewest
> Change in background checks, Apr 2021- April 2022: -235 (-4.9% — 16th smallest decrease)
> 2022 Population: 1,018,396 — 6th smallest

Source: Anadolu Agency / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

36. Maryland
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2023: 4.5
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2023: 27,849 — 22nd most
> Most common type of firearm check: Handguns
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Apr 2022: 3.1 — 7th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Apr 2022: 18,984 — 22nd fewest
> Change in background checks, Apr 2021- April 2022: +8,865 (+46.7% — 3rd largest increase)
> 2022 Population: 6,164,660 — 19th largest

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