This year has seen a landmark number of firearm purchases across the United States, with more than 2 million transactions per month since January. In fact, 2019 is the first year in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) history where checks have surpassed the 2 million mark for every month from January through June.

According to FBI data, unadjusted figures for last month reached 2,291,066 background checks conducted. This is a 19.8 percent increase from the unadjusted NICS figures for the same month last year, which saw 1,912,838 background checks. The figure for the month of June earned it the spot as the third highest in the past 20 years.

Majority of the checks were conducted by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) prior to approving the purchase of a firearm by a prospective buyer. The FBI has repeatedly noted that the figures it reports are not representative of the actual number of firearms sold. The actual number could be more or less of the reported figure as each buyer could purchase more than one firearm after passing a background check. The figures also do not account for private firearms sales.

The number of checks using the FBI’s NICS system has generally increased since it was established in 1998. This is mostly due to the increasing population in the country, but certain factors have also contributed to the continued increase. The number of firearm checks and purchases typically spike after certain political and unnaturally violent events.

The recent rollout of new anti-gun laws in both California and Washington partly resulted in the massive increase of purchases last month. According to the California Department of Justice, gun purchases in the state jumped by almost 26 percent last month to 76,684. Meanwhile, gun purchases in Washington jumped by a massive 118 percent last month when compared to the same month in 2018.