April 15, 2024--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) was introduced in 1998 and has become one means of tracking legal firearm sales in the U.S. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (Newton, Connecticut), the NICS showed that slightly less than 15.9 million firearms were sold in the U.S. last year, and that 2020 through 2023 represented the highest years for firearms sales in the U.S. since the system began. Coupled with this, U.S. exports of military equipment and supplies to foreign governments rose 16% in 2023. These figures provide the impetus needed for firearms and ammunition manufacturers to stay busy with growth projects in the U.S. Industrial Info is tracking more than $1.7 billion worth of U.S. projects involving firearms and ammunition manufacturing.