This State's Voters Are Making a Huge Decision on Election Day

Idaho voters will make a decision on Election Day that could make history. Not only are they deciding who they want in government positions, they will also determine the official state gun.

The question on the ballot reads: “Which of the following guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho?”

The six contenders are the Winchester Model 1894 (.30-30), the Winchester Model 1873 (.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), according to Ballotpedia. 

The vote is non-binding: it advises the Legislature, which would have to pass a separate law in a future session to crown the winner, according to the bill’s statement of purpose. The Associated Press is tracking the question as a race in its own right, with all six firearms listed as candidates. 

Just as they should be.

Idaho already has an impressive assembly of symbols. It has a state flower. A state vegetable. A state gem. Even a state dinosaur.

But Idaho would not be the first on the draw when it comes to selecting a state gun. Here’s the list, according to the National Rifle Association: Alaska’s pre-1964 Winchester Model 70, Arizona’s Colt Single Action Army Revolver, Indiana’s Grouseland Rifle, Kentucky’s Kentucky Long Rifle, Pennsylvania’s Pennsylvania Long Rifle, Missouri’s Hawken Rifle, Tennessee’s Barrett M82, Texas’s Colt Walker Revolver, Utah’s M1911 Pistol, and West Virginia’s Hall Model 1819 Flintlock Rifle.

LOL Idaho is voting on a state gun. This is the most Idaho thing I’ve seen https://t.co/bVS1RkUBWF

— BeshearStan (@BeshearStan) November 3, 2026

Utah started the state gun trend in 2011. But Idaho did it better. It allowed the matter to be decided by popular vote.

The bill passed the state House in March by a vote of 68-0 with all members voting. Gov. Brad Little signed it on April 2.

Not every gun made the cut, and the omissions seem to have their own politics. Monks said building the list involved tough decisions, and plenty of popular firearms were left out, such as the .44 Magnum. The Idaho Second Amendment Alliance went further, complaining that the six choices are all safe, historic picks and that the AR-15 was left off the ballot entirely.

There is also an historical issue with the choices. Danny Michael, curator of the Cody Firearms Museum in Wyoming, noted that none of the six guns “have a developmental tie to Idaho.”

Of course, not everyone is happy about the ballot question. Some imply that it’s just a way to blow taxpayer money on frivolous matters. Scott McIntosh, opinion editor at the Idaho Statesman, pointed out that the measure would require the state to print thousands of additional ballot pages for a vote that is not binding.

“[W]hy do we need a ballot measure to vote on what everyone’s favorite gun is? Why not just have an online poll, then bring the results to a germane committee and vote on it?” he asked.

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