Winchester vs. Colt: Idaho votes to designate a state gun

Along with voting on their next members of Congress and amendments to their state constitution, Idaho residents will also decide the state’s first official gun when they vote this Election Day.

In observance of America’s 250th anniversary, Idaho legislators gave voters the choice of six different guns to serve as the state’s official firearm. The ballot advisory question is not binding, but the state Legislature could make the decision permanent via future legislative action.

Voters will pick between four long-barrel guns and two pistols — including two Winchester brand models, two Colt models, the M1 Garand and a Remington. Idaho House Majority Leader Jason Monks (R) told the Idaho Statesman he researched and consulted with other legislators before deciding on the final six options.

“I like the term ‘iconic,'” Monks told the Statesman. “I thought a little bit more historical than necessarily what’s popular today.”

In a bill that first brought the question onto the ballot, the state House pointed to a deep history of firearms in the United States and Idaho, from armed citizen militias during the Revolutionary War to pioneers using rifles to hunt for food.

“The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms as a safeguard against tyranny and for personal security,” the relevant legislation reads .

Today, the legislation states firearms support the state’s hunting and recreational shooting industries.

“Idaho has built a strong tradition of responsible gun ownership while having one of the highest per-capita gun ownership rates in the nation,” it reads.

While only six guns are on the 2026 ballot, Monks told the Statesman legislators won’t be limited to what voters decide when it comes to selecting an official firearm. When asked about criticism surrounding the nonbinding nature of the ballot measure, Monks stressed the importance of firearms to American history.

“Obviously, without guns, there would be no America,” he told the Statesman. “We’d still be a British colony.”