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FBI Gun Confiscation Orders from Failed Background Checks Reach New High

A new FBI report reveals record highs in the amount of gun confiscation orders in 2020 and 2021 due to failed background checks, which led to the issuing of more orders than ever seen before in the history of the federal government’s firearm background check system.

Fox News reports that there were a total of 6,361 firearm retrieval orders issued to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in 2020 as a result of an individual failing a background check, with justifications including criminal history, disqualifying military service records, and mental health.

There were another 5,203 referrals in 2021, thus contributing to the highest two-year total since 1998, when the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICBCS) first began publishing such data.

In 2020, the month of June in particular saw a spike in gun retrieval referrals, with 1,406 in that month alone. In 2021, the highest month was March, with a total of 931 referrals.

Targeted individuals are allowed to appeal for a challenge to the denial, and ask for information regarding why their transactions or requests were denied. As a result of these challenges, only about 1.45 percent of background checks processed in 2020 were given a final status of “deny,” with 1.26 percent of background checks receiving the same status in 2021.

The report comes as many states pass laws allowing residents to carry concealed weapons without a permit, in the aftermath of a landmark Supreme Court case last June. In New York State Rifle and Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, the Supreme Court overturned an over 100-year-old law dictating that New York residents had to present “proper cause” in applying for a concealed-carry permit; as a result of the court’s decision, residents of the state could more easily apply for and receive a permit.

Subsequently, multiple states with Republican legislatures and governors have passed laws officially allowing their residents to carry concealed weapons without permits, with the most recent proposal being introduced in the Nebraska legislature. At least 25 other states already have laws allowing concealed carry without permits.

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About Eric Lendrum

Eric Lendrum graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was the Secretary of the College Republicans and the founding chairman of the school’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter. He has interned for Young America’s Foundation, the Heritage Foundation, and the White House, and has worked for numerous campaigns including the 2018 re-election of Congressman Devin Nunes (CA-22). He is currently a co-host of The Right Take podcast.

Photo: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images