December has typically been the most popular month for American gun purchases since the Federal Bureau of Investigation started keeping records in 1998. December 2015 followed that trend—3,314,594 background checks recorded by the fbi smashed the next highest month of the year by over 1 million. It also broke the overall monthly record of December 2012 by over 600,000 sales.

More than 23 million checks were processed during 2015. It was an all-time record, with each month from May to December breaking their respective records.

The fbi’s firearm background checks are regarded as the most reliable gauge of actual gun sales, as most purchases are made through federally licensed firearms dealers.

Just as the feared government reaction to the Sandy Hook shooting in December 2012 spiked gun sales for the following months, this December’s San Bernardino terrorist attack, which left 14 dead, probably contributed to the massive increase. Many commentators continue to argue that increased political discussion and talk of executive action to limit gun sales are leading American citizens to buy even more guns.

Consequently, the share prices of gun manufacturers are soaring. Smith & Wesson, for example, is up more than 100 percent this year, and it recently revised its quarterly profit estimates from $155 million to $180 million.

President Barack Obama has said that he will make gun restrictions one of his primary objectives during his last year in office.

Despite those calls for stricter gun control, America’s gun violence isn’t due to a lack of gun control, but a lack of character control. To understand, read “How to Prevent Another Sandy Hook Massacre.”