Idaho Voters Pick From Six Candidates for State Gun

On November 3, Idaho voters were asked to choose a firearm to represent the state, with six rifles and pistols on the ballot. The measure is nonbinding, so the vote alone cannot make a gun Idaho’s official state firearm.

The choices include the Winchester Model 1894, Winchester Model 1873, Colt Single Action Army revolver, M1 Garand, Colt M1911 pistol and Remington Model 700. As of Tuesday morning, betting market projections showed the Winchester Model 1873 in the lead.

House Majority Leader Jason Monks, the bill’s sponsor, said he hoped the question would encourage more people to vote. The measure connects the proposed designation to the country’s 250th anniversary and cites firearms’ roles in Idaho history, including the Lewis and Clark expedition, gold rushes and settlement of the West.

The Idaho House approved the bill 68-0 in March, and Gov. Brad Little signed it on April 2. If voters show a clear preference, lawmakers could consider a bill to formally name a state gun during the 2027 legislative session.

Eleven other states have official firearms, including Utah and Arizona, which adopted theirs in 2011. The Idaho choices have drawn criticism from gun-rights advocates for excluding the AR-15, while a state newspaper opinion editor questioned the expense of adding a nonbinding question to ballots. A firearms museum curator also noted that none of the six candidates has a developmental connection to Idaho.

Idaho’s State Gun Vote Raises Questions About Public Priorities

Idaho voters faced a ballot question about which of six guns should represent the state, even though the result cannot make any firearm official without another legislative step. The question puts a symbolic choice before voters while requiring additional ballot pages, a cost questioned by an Idaho newspaper opinion editor.

The options range from historic revolvers to hunting rifles: the Winchester Model 1894 and 1873, the Colt Single Action Army, the M1 Garand, the Colt M1911 and the Remington Model 700. None, a firearms museum curator noted, has a developmental tie to Idaho.

The bill’s sponsor, House Majority Leader Jason Monks, said he hoped the vote would bring more people to the polls. The legislation frames the designation as a tribute to firearms’ role in the nation’s and Idaho’s histories, including western settlement and the state’s gold rushes.

The House passed the bill 68-0 in March, and Gov. Brad Little signed it on April 2. A clear favorite could be considered for formal designation by lawmakers in 2027. The nonbinding vote therefore offers no immediate change in law, while leaving the state’s legislative process to decide whether the label becomes official.

Idaho Voters Weigh a State Gun Honoring Firearms’ History

Idaho voters were given a chance to select a state gun from six candidates, putting firearms and their place in the state’s history before the public. House Majority Leader Jason Monks said he hoped the ballot question would encourage turnout, and the bill cites firearms’ roles in the Lewis and Clark expedition, Idaho gold rushes and settlement of the West.

The choices include the Winchester Model 1873, the Colt Peacemaker, the M1 Garand, the Colt M1911, the Winchester Model 1894 and the Remington Model 700. Betting market projections on Tuesday morning placed the Winchester Model 1873 ahead.

The vote is advisory rather than binding. Idaho’s House passed the measure 68-0 in March, and Gov. Brad Little signed it on April 2. If voters establish a clear preference, lawmakers could consider a separate designation in the 2027 session.

Idaho would join 11 states with official firearms if lawmakers follow through. Critics have called the ballot question an unnecessary expense and pointed out that none of the listed guns has a developmental connection to Idaho. Gun-rights advocates have also objected to the omission of the AR-15, while the six candidates put historic and widely recognized firearms on the ballot.