Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Sometimes the opposite of what you wanted happens. You know, like trying to diet and accidentally eating half a pizza.
According to a newly published study, that’s pretty much what happened after Oregon voters narrowly approved Measure 114.
Instead of reducing firearm ownership, the controversial gun control measure sent Oregonians rushing to gun stores in record numbers.
The study, published in the Journal of Public Economics, found that firearm background checks jumped 14 percent in the days leading up to the November 2022 election. After Measure 114 passed, background checks exploded by 157 percent.
That’s exactly the kind of outcome gun rights advocates predicted.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) says the numbers show the law had the opposite effect of what supporters intended.
This was as predictable as winter rain in Portland,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.
Measure 114 squeaked by with just a 1.3 percent margin, fewer than 25,000 votes out of more than 1.9 million ballots cast. The law created a permit-to-purchase system and other restrictions that supporters argued would reduce gun violence.
There’s just one catch. Nearly four years later, the law still hasn’t taken effect.
Measure 114 remains tied up in both state and federal court challenges, and Oregon lawmakers have delayed implementation until January 1, 2028, assuming it survives those lawsuits.
SEE ALSO: HK G3 Clone Review: PTR-91 Brings the Cold War Back
In the meantime, plenty of Oregonians apparently decided they weren’t waiting around.
“Backers of Measure 114 have been humiliated,” Gottlieb said. “Their intention was to make gun ownership so burdensome that the number of firearms in the state would decrease. Instead, Beaver State citizens sent the gun control crowd a message that their narrow win at the polls… has turned into a serious policy and philosophical defeat.”
Gottlieb argued that the permit requirement motivated many residents to purchase firearms before additional restrictions could take effect.
“Their narrow victory awakened Oregonians, who flocked to gun shops and sporting goods stores,” he said.
The study supports that conclusion, documenting a sharp spike in firearm purchases immediately after the election.
CCRKBA also noted that virtually every major national gun rights organization filed lawsuits challenging Measure 114, leaving its future uncertain.
Meanwhile, Oregon’s firearm population has only grown.
“Would-be Utopians in the Willamette Valley who barely passed the measure vastly underestimated the determination of rights-minded citizens,” Gottlieb said. “Their nutty dream of a gun-free Oregon has turned into their personal nightmare because now there are more guns in the state.”
We’ll have to wait to see if Measure 114 ultimately survives constitutional review.
But in the meantime, we know that if the goal was to convince fewer Oregonians to buy guns… mission not exactly accomplished.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***
Available on GunsAmerica Now
is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
Experience:
– Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper – Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.
– Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS & AZ) – Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.
– 2A Journalist – Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.
– Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.
– Field-Tested Gear Reviewer – Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.
The enviro-do gooders also suffered a humiliating defeat with Prop. IP28 not qualifying for the November election. If that monstrosity had passed, the argument that guns are only good for hunting would have gone out the window and would have made gun bans even more attractive for that bunch.
Although I disagree vehemently with the law, I am not sure it’s intent was fewer guns in law abiding citizens’ hands, but fewer guns in criminal hands.
If by now the gun controllers don’t realize these laws never work, it is because they want fewer guns in good people hands. If all the gun control they keep harping on had worked, we would have seen a reduction in gun deaths because of it. There wasn’t, if anything there were increases. The only thing that has worked is more guns in good people’s hands and tougher criminal prosecutions.
Agree
Except that in the back of their tiny little minds they must have known that criminals wouldn’t be applying for permits to purchase…so I’d say that was EXACTLY the intent.
“The law created a permit-to-purchase system.”
Unless I’m wrong, the courts have already ruled that Constitutional Rights are NOT subject to Government decision making!
I was disappointed when the law passed here in Oregon, the real disappointment was the reason people had voted for measure 114, it was the mandatory background check portion that the news had kept pushing. 99% of the people I talked to that voted for 114 had no idea that we had already passed a law requiring background checks even for private sales in Oregon, most expressed regret and said they would not have voted for it if that law was already in place. Either way, the law is, was, and always will be unconstitutional and will never take effect.
Oregonian here, and likely more progressive than many other commenters here. This article is 100% true. The gun stores stayed busy for a LONG time after M114 passed. Slower now, but it was like the Klondike gold rush here for awhile. Fingers crossed on the final outcome…
If I were a liberal, I would definitely have stock somewhere in the firearms industry. I have never known a group of individuals that have sold more guns than liberals. To date, Obama stands as number one and the funny thing is, he had somewhat of a moderate stance on gun control. One of the good things was closing the gun show loophole and his first term allowed even more loose rules like carrying in national parks. But man did that guy sell a lot of guns lol.
Congratulations Oregon!
good luck trying to collect all those guns down the road……