Spoon Buying FRENZY In Oregon!

[jyl]

Oregon Measure 114 passed on Nov 8th, so starting Dec 8th a gun buyer’s permit will be needed to buy a gun, and magazines over 10 rounds may not be purchased/sold in the state. The whole system to apply for and be issued the permit needs to be set up, which will take months, so basically from Dec 8th to who-knows-when-but-probably-mid-2023, people won’t be able to buy guns here. We’ve talked about that before.

Predictably, people have started frantically buying guns and high-cap magazines to beat the Dec 8th date. NICS checks are up 400%!

In normal times, it can take weeks for the Oregon State Police to complete the standard background check for a gun purchase. I’m not totally sure why, but it’s been that way for a long while. Technically, after three business days the buyer has the right to take possession even if the background check is not finished. However, most gun shop FFLs will not release a gun to the purchaser without a completed and passed background check.

I am hearing that the background check process is way, way more backed up now. Basically, many of the people who waited until now to rush to the gun store are going to be SOL until sometime in 2023, absent some remarkably rapid litigation (not gonna happen that fast) or an administrative ruling that “purchase” means when you pay for the gun rather than when the background check is complete (also not gonna happen) and those who waited until now to buy hi-cap mags are seeing empty shelves and will be turning to online stores.

Since I recently bought the only gun I was particularly interested in getting in the near future, and loaded up on hi-cap mags, I was feeling pretty smug.

Was.

At the pistol range this afternoon I saw a For Sale posted on the bulletin board. Smith & Wesson Model 15-4 “Combat Masterpiece” with 4 inch barrel, $550. I thought of all the threads here, lauding the virtues of the classic revolver. A little research showed that this is a traditional .38 Special revolver, that looks like something a policeman might have carried back in a more innocent time, and probably a quality piece. For me, it will be strictly a target gun. We no longer live in that innocent time.

I called the seller who turned out to live close by. He came down to the range, we had a nice talk - partly about the gun (oooo, shiny), partly about his multiple myleoma treatments (going very well) - I took the shells from my carry S&W snubnose, test fired his gun, and we made a handshake deal. The gun is in very good condition, polish and blue and original wood grips are as nice as I’d want a “shooter” to be, it operates as it should, seems accurate - as much as I can say given I only had five rounds to fire.

So now I am one of the frenzied lemmings trying to get a background check completed before Dec 8th. Normally with my CHL I don’t wait at all, my background checks take five minutes, and I’m hoping that still holds.

If anyone thinks there’s a reason not to buy a Combat Masterpiece, or that $550 is way too much, please talk me out of this. Actually, you can’t, because I shook hands and the deal is a deal. I’m not going to back out on an old man with cancer.

With any luck, I’ll post a picture in a few days.

That reminds me - I still have some magazines to order . . .

By the way, I still don’t have an AR. I decided not to buy one before Dec 8th. Why? Well, my theory is that later in 2023, after the gun buyer permit system is up and running, AR prices will be lower than they were last month (and certainly lower than they are today). Because you’ll have to buy that AR without magazines, or with 10 round California magazines, and that seems a lot less appealing. So I figure I’ll get one cheaper then. If we go all “Red Dawn” in the meantime (or other apocalyptic fantasy scenario), I’ll just have to make do with my FAL.

[Shifter]

If you want an AR, just buy an 80% lower. No background check necessary. You can then buy all the bits to build the rifle or pistol as you desire. If you choose to get the lower serialized later, you can.

The ramp up of the ghost gun is all this measure is going to result in.

Then you have to decide what you want to shoot. .300, 223, 556, 9mm etc.. You may need to buy multiple lowers because you need them all! Just like pokemon.

Go ahead and order the mags now, you can get them inexpensively online. I just picked up an inexpensive barrel, and it came with ten mags.

[jyl]

What are some reputable 80% lower manufacturers or sellers?

I’m overrun with AR mags . . . been doing the preparatory buying!

[red 928]

I think I'll open a gun store in Idaho.

[id10t]

Originally Posted by jyl

I’ll just have to make do with my FAL.

Never needed/wanted an AR as long as I had my FAL.... then 762x51 became too costly to shoot on a regular basis for me...

Did recently find 2 near-new milsurp 20 round mags (metric) and a C1A1 mag pouch (with the good pull tabs, etc) in my pile-o-stuff. Also have a 5 round DSA mag that was flawless for the 50 or so rounds I put through it (thought I may have had a chance at deer hunting, FAL was only rifle I had...)

Shoot me a PM if you want to work a deal out on the mags.

[flatbutt]

jyl...now you'll see what it's like to live in jersey.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by jyl

If anyone thinks there’s a reason not to buy a Combat Masterpiece, or that $550 is way too much, please talk me out of this. Actually, you can’t, because I shook hands and the deal is a deal. I’m not going to back out on an old man with cancer.

Actually you are not obligated at this point. Any contract over $500 is required to be in writing. Stated another way, oral contacts over $500 are not enforceable if not in writing.

But buy it anyway

[Mike Andrew]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

jyl...now you'll see what it's like to live in jersey.

Or Illinois. I have friends who have waited 6 months or longer for a FOID (Firearm Owner ID - necessary to buy guns or ammo) renewal just so they could do the range portion of their CC course. Now waiting for their CC cards for almost 6 months after paying and filing applications. Amazingly, their checks were cashed almost immediately. One of the explanations for the CC delays is the background check which was already done for the FOID process. Seems pretty simple, with electronic data, to check FOID date, pull up any court records since then and make a decision.

All BS, in a liberal state, to discourage ownership. And this after court losses on the issues. I suspect more suits will be filed by the NRA or other groups. Good!

As an aside - I wanted to look at A Gamo in a store a while ago and had to flop my FOID card just to look at it, let alone buy it. Probably worried that I might put my eye out.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by matthewb0051

Actually you are not obligated at this point. Any contract over $500 is required to be in writing. Stated another way, oral contacts over $500 are not enforceable if not in writing.

This might be true, but....

I know jyl; he knows a lot about a lot of things, and one of those things is integrity. He made a deal with a man, they shook on it as men.

Done deal.

[Rick Lee]

If the brick and mortar gun stores are overrun with customers and low on inventory, buy on Gunbroker and have it shipped to a home-based FFL. GB has thousands of FFLs in their database too, so you don't have to do much to find one.

My local guy keeps my info in his 4473 software. When I buy guns from him or have them shipped to him, he either meets me at a gas station or sends the gun with his wife to work, which is a much shorter drive for me than to his house. I sign in one place on one page, hand her $15 for the transfer fee and am done. No NICS check here for CCW holders either.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

jyl...now you'll see what it's like to live in jersey.

At least John can still pump his own gas

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by kc911

at least john can still pump his own gas :d

:d

[Shifter]

Originally Posted by jyl

What are some reputable 80% lower manufacturers or sellers?

I couldn't tell you, I am sure there are others out there with a bunch more experience than I have, that could tell you the difference.

I can say, don't buy powder coated units, it changes tolerances, and you have to spend a bunch of time cleaning the powder coating off.

But then, I am running .22 conversions in my rifles, so my info is suspect at best.

Originally Posted by KC911

At least John can still pump his own gas

HA! Not in Portland!

[jyl]

Originally Posted by KC911

At least John can still pump his own gas

Actually, gas is pumped by attendants here. I don't mind - I get to stay warm in the car and it gives some nice people a job.

[GH85Carrera]

I thought the supreme court just recently said permits for gun ownership were unconstitutional. We don't need a permit to enjoy any other constitutional right. Why just the 2nd amendment? I suspect the new law will be struck down soon.

What do I care, I live in a state that understands the bill of rights.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I thought the supreme court just recently said permits for gun ownership were unconstitutional. We don't need a permit to enjoy any other constitutional right. Why just the 2nd amendment? I suspect the new law will be struck down soon.

What do I care, I live in a state that understands the bill of rights.

Maybe states like mine are the camel's nose?

[jyl]

I'm kind of excited about getting to try wadcutters.

He made a deal with a man, they shook on it as men.

Yes, that's really it.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I thought the supreme court just recently said permits for gun ownership were unconstitutional. We don't need a permit to enjoy any other constitutional right. Why just the 2nd amendment? I suspect the new law will be struck down soon.

What do I care, I live in a state that understands the bill of rights.

They did. It's unconstitutional to tax a constitutional right. But the attitude of the Oregon politicians is: "Of course it's unconstitutional. We know that. But we also know you don't have the resources to take it through to the supreme court. Even if you do, it could take decades to do so."
(edit) Of course, they won't actually say this, but there it is.

The sheriff of Linn County has stated that she will not enforce this. I don't know if other Sheriffs have weighed in, but I think more will.

[jyl]

I actually don't have a problem with the general idea of requiring gun purchasers to have some basic firearms training and pass a background check for criminal records etc. I think the requirement should have been phased in after the process was set up, and other aspects of the implementation were also not well thought out.

The hi-cap magazine restriction is not something I support. I'm also irritated that existing CHL holders were not automatically permitted. Finally, it is unclear how or if Measure 114 affects C&R licenseholders. Some say that Oregon SB941 (1995) eliminated the ability of C&R licenseholders to receive C&R guns directly, but plenty of other sources (gun rights lawyers etc) say otherwise.

[jyl]

Update - there is currently a queue of 3,500 background checks for CHL holders, the checks are taking 10 days, so I'm asking the seller to meet me at the gun shop/FFL tomorrow, and I "should" be able to beat the Dec 8th deadline.

There is a queue of 16,000 background checks for non-CHL holders, I think most or all of them are SOL . . .