Politics

Uncertainty around gun laws drives Rogue Valley residents to stock up

By Justin Higginbottom (Jefferson Public Radio)
April 16, 2025 1:10 a.m.

The potential for new Oregon firearm restrictions is driving residents to gun stores.

The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld Measure 114 under the state constitution last month. In 2022, voters approved the gun control law, which bans the sale of magazines able to hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition and requires a permit to purchase a gun.

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A rack of guns at Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso, Wash., April 16, 2024. Uncertainty around gun laws drives Rogue Valley residents to stock up.

A rack of guns at Gator’s Custom Guns in Kelso, Wash., April 16, 2024. Uncertainty around gun laws drives Rogue Valley residents to stock up.

Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB

The rollout of Measure 114, though, is still on hold as the Oregon Supreme Court decides whether to hear a challenge.

Matt Sutterfield, manager of Black Flag Armory in Medford, said he’s seen an increase in demand following the recent court ruling, as Rogue Valley residents look to pick up guns before any restrictions are in place.

“Most of the past month has been just a madhouse of customers in the store, waiting in line for for help and service,” Sutterfield said.

He said high-capacity magazines are especially flying off the shelves. And customers aren’t only inquiring about products, said Sutterfield, but about the law.

“We have not only customers calling on the phone, but emailing us, coming in the store,” he said. “I’ve even had local police officers coming in to ask us about updates because it’s so unclear.”

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Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler said when and if Measure 114 goes into effect, his office can have the required permitting process up and running fairly quickly. But he said it’s hard to anticipate the extra workload of that system.

“We do anticipate that it could be significant, and it could really require reallocation of a lot of sheriff’s office resources to do this permitting process,” Sickler said. “Which means, in essence, a less safe community.”

Measure 114 isn’t the only gun-related law Oregonians are following. There are currently three proposed bills in the state legislature that would further regulate firearms.

Senate Bill 243 would extend the waiting period for purchasing a gun to 72 hours and ban devices like bump stocks, which increase the rate of fire.

House Bill 3075 would change details around the execution of Measure 114, like increasing permit fees. But Jess Marks with Alliance for a Safe Oregon said the bill would not affect whether or not the measure is implemented.

“The goal of that bill is to try to make the process smoother and easier,” said Marks.

Meanwhile, House Bill 3076 would create a state licensing program for gun sellers and require inventory tracking.

Supporters of Measure 114 say the law would help prevent gun deaths. Opponents say the restrictions violate the Second Amendment and don’t address the state’s mental health crisis. Suicide is the leading cause of firearm fatalities in Oregon.

Justin Higginbottom is a reporter with Jefferson Public Radio newsroom. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

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