There were 1.9 million checks on purchases run through the national instant check system in June, which was down about 11 percent compared to the 2.1 million checks in June 2016.

Overall, the first six months of 2017 were down 1.2 million, or 9 percent, compared to the first half of 2016.

The gun industry has acknowledged the drop-off, but said it’s to be expected after a record-setting 27.5 million checks last year.