Letter Re: Clarification on Oregon Gun Laws

Hi Jim,
Just read your review of Oregon for retreat potential. Good write up. But your reference to the face to face transfer for firearms is slightly inaccurate. AFIK only those transactions between private parties at a gun show must be papered. Those done in other ways (i.e. newspaper ad, garage sales, private sales between friends, etc.) can still be done without paperwork. I’m an NRA instructor and active range safety officer and try to keep up on the laws and haven’t heard of that getting through yet.
Though some in the state house would like to make things more like California than we already are. There’s also a state preemption pertaining to guns that prohibits cities, counties or other local government bodies from making any laws pertaining to the possession or use of firearms. Oregon is also a “shall issue” state in regards to concealed carry permits.
Keep up the good work, your powder dry and eyes toward heaven.
Blessings to you and the Memsahib. – Jeff in Oregon

JWR Replies:
Thanks for the clarification. I will make the requisite correction to my post. Sadly, since gun shows are the best place to find a decent selection of used guns, and since many metropolitan newspapers now refuse to run gun ads in their classified sections, I consider this change in the Oregon law a significant hit against firearms freedom. The state is definitely suffering from creep Californication. Alas, simply moving to eastern Oregon is not the solution, when everyone is subject to the same petty tyrannies that they issue forth from Salem.