Calls for new gun control measures in the wake of high profile shootings such as Charleston and Roanoke actually may be pushing gun sales higher across America, USA Today reports.

Newly released August records show that the FBI posted 1.7 million background checks required of gun purchasers at federally licensed dealers, the highest number recorded in any August since gun checks began in 1998. The numbers follow new monthly highs for June (1.5 million) and July (1.6 million), a period which spans a series of deadly gun attacks — from Charleston to Roanoke — and proposals for additional firearm legislation.

While the FBI does not track actual gun sales, as multiple firearms can be included in a transaction by a single buyer, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System's numbers are an indicator of a market upswing in the face of growing anxiety about access to guns.

Larry Keane, general counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said the spike in sales follows a pattern: a shooting happens and before anyone knows the full facts, politicians are calling for more gun bans or stricter gun control.

"For people concerned about their Second Amendment rights, the concern never goes away," Keane told USA Today.