After Oregonians narrowly passed a ballot measure meant to implement tighter gun control protocols, a new study shows the demand to buy guns surged by 157 percent.
“It’s not particularly surprising that people go out and buy more guns when they have compelling reason to believe it’s going to become harder to in the future,” said Katie Bollman, Oregon State University College of Liberal Arts assistant professor. “But the magnitude of the increase is pretty remarkable, as is the underlying dynamic driving it.”
In 2022, by a mere 1.3 percentage points, voters passed Measure 114, which required anyone wanting to buy a firearm to get a permit from local law enforcement. The process required a photo ID, fingerprints, safety training, a criminal background check and a fee payment. The measure also made it a class A misdemeanor for manufacturing, importing, purchasing, selling, possessing, using or transferring magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
All that triggered action - big action.
Citing multiple legal challenges, Oregon lawmakers passed legislation delaying the measure's implementation until Jan. 1, 2028. That is, if supporters win their case in court.
In the runup to the 2022 election, demand to buy firearms rose by 14 percent. After Election Day, it surged more than 10-fold to 157 percent. Researchers estimate that by 18 months after the election, 63,000 more background checks had taken place compared to how many would have been conducted without the gun control effort.
“There are more guns in Oregon after passing permit-to-purchase than we expected to have if it had not passed,” said Bollman.
Post-election action also seems to send a message to those seeking to quash Second Amendment rights.
"This evidence underscores the paradoxical effect of gun-control policies, offering a cautionary lesson to policymakers," according to the study.
About Hunt 2 Conserve
Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.
