Moving Back to Oregon

[Commander Merkin]

Hi NWFA

I'm getting ready to accept a job offer that will bring me back to the Oregon coast and I couldn't be happier. My family and I miss the Pac Northwest and we are ready to return.

In the six years I've been away from Oregon I have gained an interest in firearms and shooting sports. I have also added a CCW to my every day carry, with the HCP process, in TN. Tennessee's handgun carry permit has one of the best reciprocity agreements in the U.S. It seems all of the "free states" honor the TN carry permit, save one: Oregon.

Which brings me to my first question:
What can I expect when applying for my Oregon CHL? What are the wait times and is there anything I can do before the move to expedite the process?

I realize questions like this get asked frequently and I have started searching for answers through other sources...but as long as I'm saying hello to a new (to me) community, I might as well ask here. I have hundreds of other questions relating to firearms in the Northwest but I'd just as soon learn the answers by participating in other's conversation.

Thanks for any and all replies
-Freddie

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[Certaindeaf]

Your question is essentially a mirror of this one, posted yesterday, save county.
There are different counties in Oregon.
http://www.northwestfirearms.com/new-member-introductions/150490-4-questions-moving-oregon-china-month.html

 

[Commander Merkin]

Your question is essentially a mirror of this one, posted yesterday, save county.
There are different counties in Oregon.
http://www.northwestfirearms.com/new-member-introductions/150490-4-questions-moving-oregon-china-month.html

Yeah, I saw that post. I'm hoping my introduction is less of a train wreck...

 

[Certaindeaf]

I hear you. My prior post was essentially code for "what county are you talking about?".. as there are different counties along the coast.

 

[rocky3]

You will need to take t he NRA course by qualified instructor. Than the wait for Sheriff to finger print you, and do FBI check. Depends on which county you choose.
Yup, Oregon is backward in reciprocity. $50,00 bucks for 4 years of CHL is abominable.

 

[Commander Merkin]

I hear you. My prior post was essentially code for "what county are you talking about?".. as there are different counties along the coast.

I'll be moving to Coos County. I've done a cursory search of the area for classes, fingerprinting and permitting but not found anything solid...except for the permitting location.

On the topic of that other thread, how is the climate for firearm enthusiasts who live outside of the city centers? As much as I am looking forward to all of the things I love about the left coast, Tennessee is as close to a shooter's paradise as you're likely to find in 2013.

 

[Grunwald]

Just curious. What is it about Oregon that you like over Tennessee?

 

[Commander Merkin]

Just curious. What is it about Oregon that you like over Tennessee?

I have an endless supply of answers for this question but I'll try and stick to the top of my list...

1) Diversity.
I'm not talking about some hippie "let's all live together in peace and harmony" diversity. I'm talking about geography, food and activities. I enjoy spending time near the ocean, mountains, forests, desert and the occasional city. I enjoy eating a large variety of foods and drinking a wide variety of beverages. I enjoy spending time on proper mountains.

Oregon delivers on all fronts. Tennessee, while a nice place to live, lacks on most of these points...especially the food part. Especially on the mountain part.

2) The people.
I have made some lasting relationships in TN but after three years I have come to the conclusion that I will always be an outsider. I've not felt the same about any other place I've lived.

What I will miss about TN is the low cost of living. With some of the lowest taxes in the country and no state income tax, it's very easy to get by. Tennessee runs with a surplus, year after year, as well. Kinda nice.

Edit:
I just found out that Oregon has Cabela's! This may seem silly to some but I've never been to one and Tennessee doesn't have one. I'm hoping it's not the crushing disappointment that Gander Mountain was.

 

[Mark W.]

Don't get too excited about Cabelas While they are a great place to window shop they tend to be expensive. The closest to you in Coo's County would be in Springfield. Its not one of their large stores but still has a decent gun library as they call it.

You can call the Sheriff in Coo's county to fid out how far out their fingerprint appointments are. You can call or email the local gun shops in various towns to find out who offers classes and when. You could have it set up so that the class takes place right after you move to the area and then as soon as possible after that have the finger print appointment. You will need to get an Oregon drivers license right away to take care of the ID part.
If you also have long time friends still here in Oregon most counties want a couple of letters of reference you could get those ahead of time.

The Coo's Co Sheriffs web site should have a list of requirements and what hoops to jump through.

Make sure you find out how they want to be paid. (you do that at the fingerprinting)

Some but not all sheriffs wait the full 45 days allowed by law to issue the permit after the appointment.

Coo's county is outside the Blue zone (Willamette Valley Medford/Ashland) so for the most part firearms ownership is cool.

 

[Commander Merkin]

Don't get too excited about Cabelas While they are a great place to window shop they tend to be expensive. The closest to you in Coo's County would be in Springfield. Its not one of their large stores but still has a decent gun library as they call it.

I hear ya on the expensive part. That was my thought on Gander Mountain. I understand there is a slight premium for certain items since last December but $600 for a gen 3 Glock is not ok.

You can call the Sheriff in Coo's county to fid out how far out their fingerprint appointments are...

...Coo's county is outside the Blue zone (Willamette Valley Medford/Ashland) so for the most part firearms ownership is cool.

Thank you very much for this response. I will take your advise on all counts. Talking my friends (all liberals) into a letter of recommendation might be interesting.

 

[simon99]

Welcome back to Oregon.
As others have mentioned, I would contact the Sheriff for Coos and see , not only how far out they are for fingerprinting, etc. but if they will allow you to make an appointment in advance. For example I live in Deschutes County, I was able to make my appt. in advance as they were 3 months out. So, what I'm saying is, had I waited ....after taking my class, I would have had to wait 3 months to meet with the Sheriffs dept. and get fingerprinted. The great thing about our Sheriffs dept. though was that once I was printed, they issued my CCW in like 4 days....pretty sweet.