Voters in Idaho on Tuesday will answer a legislatively referred advisory question on the general election ballot that asks them to choose between six historic American guns, with the aim of selecting an official state firearm.
“Which of the following guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho? Please choose only one answer,” the question reads. Options include the Winchester Model 1894 (.30-30), the Winchester Model 1873 “Gun that Won the West” (.44-40), the 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver “Peacemaker” (.45 Colt), the M1 Garand rifle (.30-06), the Colt M1911 .45 automatic Colt pistol (.45 ACP), and the Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle (.30-06).
The question originated in House Bill 932, introduced on March 18, 2026, by House Majority Leader Jason Monks, a Republican from Meridian. The measure passed the House 68-0 and the Senate 32-0 before Governor Brad Little signed it on April 2.
Legislative findings in the bill link the proposal to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the historical role of firearms in the United States and Idaho. The bill text states that the results “will guide the Legislature as to which gun shall be designated the state gun of Idaho.”
The accompanying statement of purpose clarifies that the measure is non-binding and that the Legislature would need to enact separate legislation in a future session to make any designation official. The Legislative Council retained authority under the bill to expand the list of options, though no additional firearms were added before ballots were finalized.
Ten other states already designate an official state firearm.
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Idaho voters go the polls to select their choice for the official state gun. pic.twitter.com/pCr3yv8jHG
— Politics & Poll Tracker(@PollTracker2024) November 3, 2026
In practical terms, a voter’s selection will produce a ranked preference that lawmakers may consult when considering a future bill. The outcome does not amend statutes or create an official symbol on its own, while lawmakers remain free to adopt the leading choice, select a different firearm, or take no further action.
The six options were chosen for historical associations with American and Western history rather than contemporary market popularity.
The Winchester Model 1894, designed by John Browning and introduced in 1894, became the first lever-action rifle engineered for smokeless-powder cartridges. Chambered primarily in .30-30, it has been produced in numbers exceeding seven million and has long been associated with deer hunting.
The Winchester Model 1873, introduced the same year as its namesake cartridge, is widely linked to the settlement of the American West and was marketed for decades under the slogan “the gun that won the West.” The Colt Single Action Army, adopted by the U.S. Army in 1873 in .45 Colt and later nicknamed the Peacemaker, served as a standard military and civilian revolver through the late nineteenth century.
Additional options include the M1 Garand, a gas-operated semi-automatic rifle in .30-06 that was the standard infantry arm of World War II and the Korean War. The Colt M1911, which was adopted in 1911 as a semi-automatic .45 ACP pistol, remained the standard U.S. military sidearm for more than seventy years.
Also included is the Remington Model 700, a 1962 weapon that has long been associated with military sniper operations and civilian hunting. No public polling has identified a clear favorite among the six options.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
