More than 2.5 million gun background checks were performed in January, a record for the month,
according to FBI statistics.
The number was lower than the 3.3 million all-time record set in December, but the most for the month of January in any year since the checks began in late 1998.
The number also represented a monthly record for the ninth month in a row and the third month in a row with more than 2 million checks.
The FBI notes that the figures from month-to-month are not hard data on the number of guns sold since states differ in their laws. In some instances, one background check can cover the purchase of more than one gun, and some sheriff's require background checks to obtain a concealed carry permit even if a gun is not being purchased at the time.
Multiple reasons have been theorized for the rise in backgound checks, including fears that President Barack Obama plans executive actions to make it harder to obtain them.
Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton also has made statements supporting more restrictions on gun rights and Virginia lawmakers moved to end reciprocity agreements with other states on their gun permits.
Both actions could have contributed to a rise in gun sales,
The Washington Free Beacon notes.
"Add to this the fact that scores of sheriffs and police chiefs have encouraged citizens to arm themselves. Suddenly, gun ownership sounds like a very good idea to people concerned about personal safety," said Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb.
Background checks have spiked when Obama has tried to toughen gun laws. The first month the figure exceeded 2 million was November 2012, the month Obama was elected to a second term.
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