Staff Reports
The Idaho Legislature has done something only Idaho could make look ordinary: it passed HB 932 and Governor Brad Little signed it, putting a non‑binding advisory question on the November 3, 2026 ballot asking voters to pick an official state gun. Lawmakers moved the measure through both chambers unanimously, and now the question will sit on ballots alongside the usual election items as a piece of state pageantry with a twist.
What voters will see on the ballot
Six historic choices, one advisory vote
The ballot asks: “Which of the following guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho? Please choose only one answer.” The six options are:
- Winchester Model 1894 (.30‑30)
- Winchester Model 1873 “Gun that Won the West” (.44‑40)
- 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver “Peacemaker” (.45 Colt)
- M1 Garand rifle (.30‑06)
- Colt M1911 .45 Automatic Colt pistol (.45 ACP)
- Remington Model 700 bolt‑action rifle (.30‑06)
Why it’s symbol, not law
Crucial detail: the question is advisory and non‑binding. A voter majority would only be a recommendation. Any actual adoption as an official state symbol would require a separate law in the Idaho Legislature. So this is mostly symbolic — a fun piece of state branding, not a change to policy or gun rules.
The politics and the reaction
House Majority Leader Jason Monks, the bill’s sponsor, cast the move in patriotic terms and said it could boost turnout. That’s the sales pitch: heritage, pride, and a little civic theater. Even some gun‑group insiders are skeptical. Neill Goodfellow of the Idaho State Rifle & Pistol Association warned that none of the six options has a clear, deep tie to Idaho history and predicted many voters might be baffled by the choice. Notably, as the vote approached there were no official campaign committees backing any single option.
This fits a pattern. Roughly a dozen states have picked symbolic “state guns,” sometimes historic, sometimes eyebrow‑raising. Idaho’s question is tame by some standards and quintessentially Idaho by others — a small, local expression of federalism that costs little and sparks a lot of chatter. If the advisory question produces a clear favorite, expect lawmakers to weigh a follow‑up bill in the next legislative session. If the vote is muddled, it will likely stay exactly what it is: a ballot quirk and a conversation starter.
