Idaho voters pick Winchester Model 1873 as state gun

Idaho residents voted to make the Winchester Model 1873 the state's official firearm. The rifle won an advisory election held to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States.

As of early Wednesday, November 4, the Model 1873 had received approximately 31 percent of the total ballots. The Winchester Model 1894 finished second with roughly 25 percent of the support. Four other weapons were on the ballot. They included the Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle, the Colt M1911, the M1 Garand, and the Colt Single Action Army revolver.

The Colt Single Action Army is commonly known as the Peacemaker. State lawmakers proposed the vote to recognize the history of firearms in the country. Legislative text cited citizen militias who used long rifles during the Revolutionary War. It also pointed to explorers like Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. They relied on rifles for hunting and protection during their 1805 to 1806 expedition.

The Model 1873 has a strong cultural following. It appeared in the 1955 film The Gun that Won the West. Buffalo Bill called the rifle The Boss, according to Field & Stream. The National Park Service described it as an everyman's rifle. Production of the weapon took place in New Haven, Connecticut. Manufacturers produced 720,610 units between 1873 and 1916.

The vote is nonbinding. Lawmakers must now pass legislation to formally designate the winning rifle. They are expected to take up the measure during the 2027 legislative session. The final legal status of the state gun will not be confirmed until that process is complete.

Idaho follows a growing trend among states. Eleven other states have chosen an official firearm in the last 15 years. Utah and Arizona were the first to do so in 2011. Utah selected the Browning M1911, a design created by John Browning. Arizona chose the Colt Single Action Army revolver.