Passage of Oregon gun control measure spurred thousands more firearm sales, new study shows

In November 2022, Oregon voters narrowly passed a gun control measure that bans high-capacity gun magazines and requires safety training, completed background checks and permits for firearm purchases. Measure 114 awaits a decision by the Oregon Supreme Court and if it’s upheld, the soonest it could take effect is January 2028.

The prospect of gun control restrictions nonetheless fueled a sharp demand in gun purchases in Oregon leading up to and following the Measure 114 referendum. That’s according to a new study by researchers from Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and the National Bureau of Economic Research. 

Using background checks as a proxy for firearm purchases, the researchers found that background checks spiked nearly 160% in the two months after the passage of Measure 114. The researchers said the measure led to 63,000 more background checks in Oregon between October 2022 and March 2024 than would have otherwise been expected during this time. 

Katie Bollman, an assistant professor in economics at OSU, joins us for more details.

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