Measure 114’s Passage Spurred Oregonians to Purchase Thousands of Guns, New Study Finds
Researchers found background checks rose 157% after Measure 114 passed, and they estimate the law drove 78,000 additional checks over 18 months.
- A new study in the Journal of Public Economics reveals Oregon's Measure 114 triggered a 157% surge in firearm-related background checks immediately following its 2022 passage, despite the restrictions never taking effect.
- Proponents intended Measure 114 to reduce firearm availability, but the measure induced 78,000 additional background checks—sufficient for 1.9% of Oregon residents to purchase a gun—as buyers anticipated future restrictions.
- Oregon State University economist Katie Bollman noted, "It's not particularly surprising that people go out and buy more guns" when expecting future difficulty, with 63,000 excess background checks persisting eighteen months later.
- Legal challenges have stalled the measure for nearly four years, and lawmakers voted to delay implementation until January 1, 2028, pending a ruling from the Oregon Supreme Court on its constitutionality.
- The Sportsmen's Alliance characterizes the legislative delay as "kicking the can," while researchers warn it will take over a year to normalize gun demand if the law eventually takes effect.
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Oregon Measure 114 Triggered 157% Gun-Demand Surge
The attempt to restrict gun sales in Oregon via Measure 114 appears to have sparked a massive buying frenzy, according to a new study. iStock-927277240 Who didn’t see this coming? A new study published in the Journal of Public Economics strongly suggests gun sales in Oregon following the narrow passage of Measure 114 in 2022—the extremely restrictive, and arguably unconstitutional, gun control ballot initiative, which is still before the Oregon …
Surge In Oregon Gun Purchases Followed Passage Of Measure 114, Study Shows - Tampa Free Press
A new study published in the Journal of Public Economics indicates that the passage of Oregon’s Ballot Measure 114 led to a substantial increase in firearm purchases across the state. According to the study’s findings, background checks—a standard indicator of firearm demand—rose by 14 percent in the days leading up to the November 2022 election. […] Surge In Oregon Gun Purchases Followed Passage Of Measure 114, Study Shows
Measure 114's passage spurred Oregonians to purchase thousands of guns, new study finds
Tick Licker Firearms is a gun shop in Salem, Oregon’s capital city. A new study shines light on an increase in gun purchases related to the passage of gun control measures in the state. (Photo by Connor Radnovich/Oregon Capital Chronicle)Oregon voters’ narrow passage of some of the nation’s strictest gun control restrictions in 2022 prompted thousands of new gun purchases in the state despite the restrictions never going into effect, according t…
Columbia Gorge News
Measure 114’s passage spurred Oregonians to purchase thousands of guns, new study finds
Oregon voters’ narrow passage of some of the nation’s strictest gun control restrictions in 2022 prompted thousands of new gun purchases in the state despite the restrictions never going into effect, according to a recent study.
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