Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026Find polling place

Idaho General Election · November 3, 2026

Advisory Question: Official State Gun

Advisory question: which gun should be the state gun of Idaho

About the advisory question

Idaho voters will see one advisory question on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot: which of six guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho. The question comes from House Bill 932. Dates, votes and figures on this page are as of October 3, 2026. The firearm descriptions below draw on the descriptions in the 2026 Idaho Voter Pamphlet (pages 14 and 15) and add dates and figures from government, museum and company sources, each named where it is used.

What voters are asked

The question and the six choices below are printed on page 14 of the voter pamphlet, and the wording is the same as in section 2(1) of the text of HB 932.

"Which of the following guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho? Please choose only one answer."

  • (a) Winchester Model 1894 (.30-30)
  • (b) Winchester Model 1873 "Gun that Won the West" (.44-40)
  • (c) 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver "Peacemaker" (.45 Colt)
  • (d) M1 Garand rifle (.30-06)
  • (e) Colt M1911 .45 automatic Colt pistol (.45 ACP)
  • (f) Remington Model 700 bolt-action rifle (.30-06)

The cartridge in parentheses is the one printed with each gun in the question in the pamphlet and the bill. Section 2(4) of HB 932 directs the Legislative Council to prepare and file with the Secretary of State "a brief description of each firearm" for the pamphlet. The pamphlet does not name who wrote the descriptions.

What the vote does

The vote is advisory. It does not make any gun the state gun. Three documents say so in different words:

  • The bill. Section 1(4) of HB 932 says: "The results will guide the Legislature as to which gun shall be designated the state gun of Idaho." The bill designates no gun itself.
  • The Statement of Purpose. The attachment to the bill, Statement of Purpose RS33738, which says it was prepared by a proponent of the bill, says: "This is a non-binding measure and the legislature would have to take action at a future legislative session to officially designate a gun as the Idaho State Gun."
  • The pamphlet. The "Brief Statement of Purpose" on page 14 of the voter pamphlet repeats nearly the same wording: "This advisory question asks Idahoans to designate which gun they would like to have as the official Idaho State Gun. This is a non-binding measure, and the Legislature would have to take action during a future legislative session to officially designate a gun as the Idaho State Gun."

Several of Idaho's state symbols, such as the state bird and state tree, are listed in Idaho Code Title 67, Chapter 45, "State Symbols". As of October 3, 2026, that chapter lists no firearm.

The six firearms

The summaries below are listed in ballot order. Where a fact comes from the NRA National Firearms Museum, American Rifleman (the NRA's magazine), Winchester, Colt or Remington, the source is named, because those organizations have an interest in the guns they describe.

  • (a) Winchester Model 1894. The pamphlet describes "a lever-action repeating rifle introduced in 1894." Winchester's historical timeline dates the model to 1894 and the .30-30 Winchester cartridge to 1895. The NRA National Firearms Museum calls it a "John Browning-designed firearm" that is "still in production," with "over five million" manufactured (the museum page is undated).
  • (b) Winchester Model 1873. The pamphlet describes "a lever-action rifle introduced in 1873" that is "historically associated with westward expansion and frontier settlement in the United States." Winchester's timeline says it was introduced in .44-40 WCF. American Rifleman (Rick Hacker, October 23, 2023) says it had a "47-year run that produced a total of 720,610 rifles, carbines, sporting rifles and muskets."
  • (c) Colt Single Action Army. The pamphlet describes "a single-action revolver introduced in 1873" that "has been offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths." Colt's timeline says a U.S. government contract designated it the "standard military service revolver," with "over 30,000" delivered from 1873 to 1891. The NRA National Firearms Museum says production ran through 1940 and resumed in 1956.
  • (d) M1 Garand. The pamphlet describes "a semi-automatic, gas operated, clip fed rifle." The National Park Service (Springfield Armory National Historic Site) says John Garand patented the design by 1932, that the Army "officially adopted the M1 in 1936," that it served "from 1936 to 1957," and that it was replaced by the M-14 by 1957. The same page says "more than six million" were produced.
  • (e) Colt M1911. The pamphlet describes "a semi-automatic pistol adopted by the U.S. military in 1911" that is "commonly used by civilians as both a concealed carry and competitive shooting pistol." The NRA National Firearms Museum credits designer John Moses Browning and says the Army placed an initial order with Colt for 31,344 pistols on April 24, 1911. Colt's timeline says the pistol was "designed by John Browning" and adopted in 1911 as the "standard sidearm of the United States Armed Forces."
  • (f) Remington Model 700. The pamphlet describes "a bolt-action centerfire rifle introduced in 1962" that is "known for its accuracy." American Rifleman (Layne Simpson, November 30, 2012) says the rifle's first advertisement appeared in the June 1962 issue and that "more than 5 million" had been built. Remington says the U.S. Army "adopted the Model 700 action as the basis for the M24 Sniper Weapon System." The Marine Corps' website says its M40 sniper rifle is "based off of the Remington 700" and has been in use "since 1966" (May 14, 2016).

How it got on the ballot

The question was created by a bill, not by petition. The bill page and the committee minutes record these steps:

  • March 18, 2026. HB 932 was introduced by the House Ways and Means Committee. In the House Ways and Means Committee minutes, Rep. Jason Monks presented RS 33738, the draft of the bill, as "a nonbinding measure," and the committee voted by voice to introduce it.
  • March 20, 2026. The House passed it 68-0-2 (two members absent). Rep. Monks was the House floor sponsor.
  • March 26, 2026. The Senate State Affairs Committee sent it to the floor with a do-pass recommendation by voice vote.
  • March 31, 2026. The Senate passed it 32-0-3 (three senators absent and excused). Sen. Mark Harris was the Senate floor sponsor.
  • April 2, 2026. The bill was signed by the Governor, a day after it was delivered, and is Session Law Chapter 301. Section 3 declares an emergency, so the act took effect on passage and approval, April 2, 2026.

No member voted against HB 932 in either chamber. Section 2(3) of the bill allowed the Legislative Council to add guns to the list before it filed its dossier. The six guns in the pamphlet are the same six listed in the bill.

What it costs

The fiscal note attached to the bill says: "This legislation is expected to have no direct impact on the General Fund or local government revenues. The Secretary of State already has sufficient funds to put measures on the ballot. The addition of another question should have minimal impact." The fiscal note gives no dollar figure.

What happens after the vote

Section 2(1) of HB 932 directs the Secretary of State to "take necessary steps to have the results on the question tabulated." After that, the next step belongs to the Legislature. The pamphlet says the Legislature "would have to take action during a future legislative session to officially designate a gun as the Idaho State Gun." The bill sets no deadline for that action.

What other states have done

Several states have designated an official firearm in their own laws. Utah Code 63G-1-601(13) says "Utah's state firearm is the John M. Browning designed M1911 automatic pistol." Arizona Revised Statutes 41-860.02 says "The colt single action army revolver is the official state firearm." Alaska Statutes 44.09.150 designates the pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 as the state bolt-action rifle. Pennsylvania's Act 73 of 2014 designated the Pennsylvania Long Rifle as the commonwealth's official firearm; it passed the House 173-24 and the Senate 48-0 and was approved June 26, 2014.

Sources

Official Idaho documents

Firearm histories: government, museum and company sources

Other states' laws

Page published by IdahoVoters.com. Last updated October 3, 2026. Campaign finance figures and court case status change; this page will be updated as they do.

Frequently asked questions

What is the advisory question on the ballot?
Voters are asked which of six guns should be designated as the state gun of Idaho, and to choose only one answer. The six choices are printed in the voter pamphlet and in section 2(1) of House Bill 932.
Will the result make a gun Idaho's official state gun?
Not by itself. The pamphlet says the Legislature "would have to take action during a future legislative session to officially designate a gun as the Idaho State Gun," and the bill says the results "will guide the Legislature."
Can I vote for more than one gun?
No. The question says "Please choose only one answer" (HB 932, section 2(1)).
Does the question change any gun law?
HB 932 contains legislative findings, the text of the question and instructions for placing it on the ballot. It does not amend any section of Idaho Code or designate any gun (bill text).
How did the question get on the ballot?
The Legislature put it there with House Bill 932, which passed the House 68-0-2 on March 20, 2026 and the Senate 32-0-3 on March 31, and was signed on April 2 as Session Law Chapter 301 (bill page). No petition was involved.
How much does the question cost?
The bill's fiscal note expects "no direct impact on the General Fund or local government revenues" and says the Secretary of State already has sufficient funds. It gives no dollar figure.
Do other states have an official state firearm?
Yes. For example, Utah names the M1911 pistol, Arizona names the Colt single action army revolver, and Pennsylvania names the Pennsylvania Long Rifle.