You Could Be Jailed Under New Oregon Gun Law Now In Effect

Oregon gun owners, take note: according to William Kirk of Washington Gun Law, a new statute took effect on September 26, 2025 that can make you a criminal today for items you may already own. The law is Senate Bill 243, enacted last session and now codified as part of Oregon’s firearms code. It creates new crimes around so-called “rapid fire activators” and also resets when the state’s voter-approved licensing regime kicks in. If you’ve ever tinkered with triggers or kept a bump stock from years past in a parts bin “just in case,” this is the time to pay attention.

What William Kirk Warned Oregon Gun Owners

In his explainer video, Kirk emphasizes two big changes SB 243 brings: (1) it bans rapid fire devices and makes mere possession a crime, and (2) it sets March 15, 2026 as the start date for the state’s pre-purchase licensing requirements from Ballot Measure 114. He ticks through the kinds of hardware the statute targets – binary triggers, bump stocks, burst triggers, forced-reset triggers, “hellfire” triggers, trigger cranks, “switches” or auto sears, and other “rapid fire activators.” His bottom line is blunt: if you possess any of these today, Oregon law now says you’re committing a crime.

SB 243 In Black And White

The bill text – titled the Community Safety Firearms Act – creates two new crimes:

• Unlawful Transport, Manufacture, or Transfer of a Rapid Fire Activator, a Class B felony; and
• Unlawful Possession of a Rapid Fire Activator, a Class A misdemeanor.

The law also adjusts where a person with a concealed handgun license (CHL) can lawfully carry in certain public buildings and changes the operative date for several provisions of Measure 114. The effective date for the Act was the 91st day after sine die, which the bill’s history pegs at September 26, 2025 – exactly the date Kirk flagged.

Mere Possession Is Now A Crime

Here’s the piece many will find most surprising: possession – not sale, not use, not installation – possession of a “rapid fire activator” is now a Class A misdemeanor under SB 243. The bill’s summary spells out the exposure: up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine, or both. That means if you have a forced-reset trigger or a bump stock in a drawer, you’re at risk even if it’s not on a firearm. My view: this is the kind of “gotcha” a lot of otherwise compliant owners miss because they assume the law only cares about installed parts. In Oregon now, simply having it is enough.

Selling, Shipping, Or Bringing One In Is Felony Territory

The second new crime is even stiffer. If you knowingly transport any rapid fire activator into Oregon, or manufacture, sell, offer to sell, or transfer one, you’re committing a Class B felony – exposing you to up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. That covers more than storefront sales. Mailing one to a friend, crossing the border with one in your truck after a class, or 3D-printing parts and “gifting” them can all be charged. Kirk makes the point succinctly: the conduct here is now felonious.

What Counts As A “Rapid Fire Activator”?

This is where the bill goes broad. SB 243 defines a “rapid fire activator” as any device – removable, manual, or power-driven – constructed so that, when installed on a firearm, either (1) it increases the rate at which the trigger is activated beyond what the firearm can do without the device, or (2) it increases the rate of fire beyond what a person can achieve without the device. It then explicitly lists: **bump stocks, forced-reset triggers (FRTs), trigger cranks, “hellfire” triggers, binary triggers, burst trigger systems, “switches” or auto sears, and any copy or similar device.

My take: that “copy or similar” and the “any device…increases the rate” language makes this definition intentionally expansive. It clearly captures the well-known gadgets. Where owners may stumble is in assuming some off-brand, semi-novel widget escapes coverage. If it speeds up trigger activation or rate of fire beyond baseline, the statute likely covers it.

Narrow Carve-Outs And Who They Cover

SB 243 includes very limited exceptions. Peace officers or other law-enforcement employees can possess rapid fire activators only with agency authorization. There’s also an exception for a person with a federally registered machine gun where the activator is necessary for that gun’s proper function. That’s it. For everyone else – civilian hobbyists, competitors, collectors – the law applies. If you were hoping for a grandfather clause or a move-to-compliance window, SB 243 doesn’t offer one.

New Limits On Carry In Public Buildings

The bill also amends ORS 166.370 and 166.377, giving cities, counties, and certain special districts the power to adopt policies that limit the affirmative defense normally available to CHL holders. In short, a local governing body can post and publish that its buildings used for official meetings are off-limits to that defense. 

In prosecutions involving the Capitol, large commercial airports, buildings governed by these new policies, or certain school grounds, a CHL becomes only a partial defense – resulting in a Class A misdemeanor conviction instead of a Class C felony. That is a meaningful shift for otherwise scrupulous licensees who step into the wrong posted building with the wrong assumptions. Read signs, check local policies, and don’t rely on the old statewide pattern.

Measure 114’s Licensing Clock Starts Ticking

SB 243 also answers the “when” of Oregon’s pre-purchase licensing and large-capacity magazine provisions: March 15, 2026. As Kirk noted, that will require a full state infrastructure – applications, training, background processing – actually functioning by that date. Whether the machinery is ready is anyone’s guess, but the law now pins the date. Practically, if you intend to buy firearms in Oregon after 3/15/26, you should track how the licensing program rolls out – and expect magazine rules to apply the same day.

Practical Risks You Need To Consider Today

Let’s talk real-world risk. If you own or store any of the listed devices, mere possession is enough for a charge. That includes a part in a workbench drawer, a boxed accessory you never installed, or a “project” you shelved. Consider constructive possession arguments if the part is in your residence or vehicle. Shipping one out of state can be a felony because you’re “transferring” it. Bringing one back into Oregon after a trip is a felony because you’ve “transported…into this state.” If you think an old bump stock you forgot about is harmless ballast, SB 243 says otherwise.

What Enforcement Could Look Like

No one can predict enforcement patterns, but you don’t need a SWAT raid to get caught. A traffic stop with a range bag in the trunk; a suspicious package inspected during a shipping dispute; a domestic call that leads to a cursory search; even a social-media post about an FRT build could start the ball rolling. And to be crystal clear, an auto sear / “switch” has always been a legal landmine under federal law – SB 243 simply adds a state-level path to prosecute possession or transfer even if other counts don’t stick. None of this is theoretical anymore; the statute is in force.

What To Do Now, According To Kirk – And Common Sense

Kirk ends where he usually does: being a lawful and responsible gun owner starts with knowing the law. Practically, that means:

• Audit your gear. If you own anything on the SB 243 list – or anything that plainly speeds up trigger activation or rate of fire – do not possess it in Oregon.
• Don’t import or transfer these items into the state. That’s felony territory.
• Mind local carry rules. If your city or county posts buildings used for official meetings, plan accordingly; your CHL won’t save you from a misdemeanor conviction there.
• Watch the Measure 114 timeline. If you’ll be buying after March 15, 2026, track the licensing rollout and training requirements.
• When in doubt, consult counsel. The definition of “rapid fire activator” is broad by design; get individualized legal advice before you assume your widget is safe.

You do not have to like this law to respect its consequences. Right now, risk lives in the parts bin, not just on the firearm.

Education Is Your Best Insurance

SB 243 is already changing everyday risk calculus for Oregon gun owners. William Kirk sounded the alarm so folks wouldn’t stumble into criminal liability by accident. The bill text confirms his warning: possession is a crime, transfer is a felony, local carry rules can now tighten around posted public buildings, and the licensing clock is running for March 15, 2026. None of this is abstract. If you’re in Oregon, the safest move is to get educated, get compliant, and stay alert – because the wrong part in the wrong place can now put you behind bars.

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