Recognizing 10 Years Of NICS NSSF and its National Association of Firearms Retailers (NAFR) division recognized the 10-year anniversary of the FBI National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) on Sunday. The NICS system went into effect on Nov. 30, 1998, with the support of the firearms industry and is designed to screen out those persons who are prohibited by law from purchasing firearms. In its 10-year existence, NICS has fielded more than 92.9 million inquiries. The immediate determination rate -- the percentage of transactions that receive a "proceed with or deny the purchase response" without delay -- is greater than 91 percent. Full Story