SALEM, Ore. — Today, surrounded by Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed into law the state’s new ban on rapid fire devices, a major victory in the fight to keep machine-gun-like firepower off Oregon’s streets. SB 243 will prohibit the sale and possession of dangerous rapid fire devices and machine gun conversion devices. This law will take devices like bump stocks and Glock switches, which are small illegal attachments that can turn a standard handgun into a machine gun, out of Oregon communities.
The new law also empowers local governments to prohibit firearms in certain municipal buildings, helping protect civic spaces where Oregonians should feel safe participating in public life.
“Today, Oregon took a critical step to keep machine-gun-style weapons out of our communities,” said Alexa Hasman, volunteer with the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action and member of the Everytown Survivor Network. “Machine gun conversion devices like Glock switches have no place in our state — or anywhere. By signing this bill, Governor Kotek has helped close a dangerous loophole and made Oregon safer for families like mine. I’m grateful that lawmakers listened to survivors and community members who have been calling for action.”
“When gun violence is the leading cause of death for our generation in Oregon, seeing real action from our leaders matters,” said Mario Welliver, lead with the Lake Oswego High School Students Demand Action chapter. “Banning rapid fire devices is common sense.. This law will help protect young people, our schools, and our communities.”
Rapid fire devices function by dramatically increasing a firearm’s rate of fire, making mass casualty events more lethal in seconds. Historically, fully automatic machine guns have been prohibited under federal and state law for decades; devices like Glock switches and other conversion tools are designed specifically to circumvent those laws.
With the governor’s signature, Oregon joins the growing number of states cracking down on these weapons of war and giving local governments the authority they need to keep guns out of vulnerable municipal spaces.
In an average year, 625 people are killed and 719 more are wounded by guns in Oregon, and gun violence costs the state $8.1 billion annually. This law represents a meaningful and urgent step toward reducing that harm. More information about gun violence in Oregon is available here.
