Idaho voters are weighing in on a state gun.
Idaho has a state flower, a state amphibian, a state dance, a state fruit and a state dinosaur.
But the Gem State’s residents are looking to determine what kind of gun should be the official state gun, choosing between six options that range from a rifle carried by American soldiers during World War II to the first semiautomatic pistol adopted as the Army’s standard sidearm.
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The question presented to voters is non-binding and will only advise the state Legislature. To make a specific firearm the official state gun, the legislature would need to approve a separate law after Tuesday’s election.
Voters are asked to choose the official state gun of Idaho from six historical and modern options:
— Winchester Model 1894 (.30-30).
— Winchester Model 1873 (.44-40).
— 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver (.45 Colt).
— M1 Garand rifle (.30-06).
— Colt M1911 .45 automatic Colt pistol (.45 ACP).
— Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle (.30-06).
None of the six guns has a development tie to Idaho, according to Cody Firearms Museum curator Danny Michael.
State Rep. Jason Monks, the House majority leader, introduced the measure in March. It was approved by the House and Senate without opposition before receiving the governor’s approval.
Mr. Monks said he introduced it to boost voter turnout and that it was done “kind of on the side.”
The bill landed on America’s 250th anniversary, making it “appropriate to commemorate the role played by firearms in America’s and Idaho’s histories,” the text reads.
Touting the state’s background with guns, the bill details how historical explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark depended on rifles while crossing Idaho’s wilderness, and gold rush miners carried revolvers and rifles for protection.
“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.
About three in five Idaho adults live in households with a gun, among the highest rates in the nation, according to a RAND Corp. estimate based on data through 2016.
As of 2026, 10 states have official state guns, according to the National Rifle Association, a gun-rights lobbying group.
Two options on Idaho’s ballot are already official guns elsewhere: Arizona’s is the Colt Single Action Army revolver, and Utah’s is the semiautomatic M1911 pistol, designed by Utah native John Browning.
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