New data shows firearm sales in the United States have set a new record for January amid fears of violence and political tensions in the country. Gun merchants sold more than 2 million firearms in January. That’s an 80 percent year-over-year spike as an estimated 1.2 million firearms were sold in the US in January 2020, according to the National Shooting Sports Federation. The January Capitol attack and the inauguration of Democratic President Joe Biden who campaigned on gun control measures helped the firearms industry set a gun sales record last month, according to the data. The FBI said it conducted a record 4.3 million background checks in January, with the bureau saying, if the pace continues, it will complete more than 50 million gun-related background checks by the end of the year, breaking the current record set in 2020.