Idahos effort to designate an official state firearm has sparked a spirited debate among local gun experts, who argue that the weapons on the ballot do not fully reflect the states own rich firearms heritage.
Republican Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 932 on April 2, establishing an advisory referendum that asks Idahoans to choose from six iconic firearms for the symbolic honor, according to the Daily Caller. While the list includes some of the most recognizable guns in American history, several local firearms professionals contend that the selection committee overlooked weapons with a more direct connection to Idahos past.
Its been a laughing joke of whats been chosen, said George Milton, owner of Gem State Firearms, in comments to the Coeur dAlene Press. Thats the question we ask each other here: How did they come up with some of the guns? How did they come up with those specific guns when none of them tie back to Idaho?
The six candidates on the ballot are the M1911 pistol, the Colt Single Action Army revolver (the famed Peacemaker), the Winchester 1894 rifle, the Winchester 1873 rifle, the M1 Garand and the Remington 700. Each of these firearms is celebrated nationally, but critics argue that symbolic state recognition should highlight Idahos own contributions to Americas gun culture rather than simply echoing a generic Old West narrative.
Milton has urged lawmakers and voters to consider firearms chambered in cartridges developed through the work of Elmer Keith, a rancher, hunter, firearms writer and handgun experimenter who spent much of his life in Idaho. Keith is widely credited with influencing the development of the .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum cartridges, staples of popular revolvers that embody the kind of innovation and self-reliance conservatives often associate with the American West.
Other experts, however, see merit in honoring the classic frontier-era guns already on the list, whose use helped tame the wilderness and secure communities. All those single-action and lever-action guns had a huge influence that shaped Idahos history, Brian Thomson, general manager of East County Guns in Coeur dAlene, told the local paper.
The Colt revolver and the Winchester 1873, both on the ballot, are linked to legendary lawman Wyatt Earp, who briefly served as a deputy sheriff in Kootenai County and helped defuse an armed standoff there in 1884. For Thomson, that legacy underscores a broader principle that resonates strongly with many Idaho conservatives: I think guns are a part of our American heritage, tradition and theyre essential in the protection of our families, he said, framing the referendum not merely as a symbolic vote, but as a statement about the enduring role of firearms in American life.
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