Idaho's State Gun Vote: Winchester 1873 Is the 63% Favorite
Idaho voters decide today which of six firearms becomes the state's official gun, and the Winchester Model 1873 is the clear front-runner. Polymarket traders give the lever-action rifle a 63% chance of winning. The Idaho Legislature approved the question unanimously and sent it to the ballot, so the decision rests with voters. The designation changes no statute, no permit, and no purchase rule. It gives gun owners a reason to turn out, and it gives a few manufacturers something to brag about.
Key Details
The ballot offers six choices. Each one has a documented American service or civilian history, which makes the list more interesting than a typical symbolic vote.
- Winchester Model 1873, the rifle the market favors at 63%
- Winchester Model 1894, a lever-action rifle built with smokeless powder in mind
- 1873 Colt Single Action Army revolver, also known as the Peacemaker
- M1 Garand, the semi-automatic rifle of World War II
- Colt M1911, the pistol that served U.S. forces for decades
- Remington Model 700, a bolt-action hunting rifle
The Bearing Arms writer points out that the list leaves out the Colt AR-15, a choice he calls a clear omission. He also argues that the Winchester 1894 should have given way to a modern sporting rifle. Those are opinions, and the Idaho Legislature did not solicit them. The vote runs on the current ballot as written. Polymarket's odds reflect trader sentiment, not an official tally, and they can move until polls close.
Background
The Winchester 1873 entered production in 1873 and earned the nickname "The Gun That Won the West." It was chambered in pistol cartridges such as .44-40, which let ranchers and frontier hunters run one caliber for both rifle and revolver. The Colt Single Action Army arrived the same year, and its chambering overlap with the 1873 rifle is the reason the two are often paired in Western history and collecting. The Colt M1911, designed by John Browning, was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1911 and saw service through two world wars, Korea, and Vietnam. The M1 Garand was adopted in 1936 and carried American infantry through World War II. Remington introduced the Model 700 in 1962, and it became one of the most widely sold centerfire hunting rifles in the country. Idaho became a constitutional carry state in 2021, so no permit stands between a qualified adult and carrying a handgun in most situations. That history matters here because the state is picking a symbol of its own gun culture, not a new regulation.
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
Nothing about this vote changes what you can buy, carry, or transport in Idaho. The Winchester 1873 designation will not add a background check, a waiting period, or a magazine limit. Idaho gun owners should treat the result as a civics moment, not a policy event. Still, the result can ripple through the market. If the 1873 wins, expect more retail attention on lever-action replicas and Colt Single Action Army clones, especially from makers who already sell Western-style guns in Idaho gun shops. Collectors may watch for price bumps on original Winchester 1873s and Colt SAAs, though a state symbol rarely moves values for long. Owners who hunt should note that the Remington 700 and Winchester 1894 remain on the ballot as strong hunting and cowboy-action options, so the loser is not a bad gun. Watch the Idaho Secretary of State's results page after polls close. Watch the 2028 legislative session too, because the source commentary already floated a state cartridge question. That is the kind of harmless symbolism that sometimes turns into a bill with more teeth later.
DownRange Analysis
This question does not reach the Bruen test because it regulates nothing. Under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, a law that burdens the right to keep and bear arms must fit within the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. A state symbol burdens no one. It is speech by the state about its history, and Idaho is free to celebrate a rifle that helped settle the territory. The real value here is turnout. A fun ballot question gets gun owners to the polls who might otherwise skip a down-ballot race. Our advice is simple. Vote for the gun you actually respect. If you are an Idaho resident, the 1911 and the Garand deserve your attention for their service records. Do not confuse a state gun with a state policy. The rights that matter in Idaho, including permitless carry, are written into law and will not change based on this result.
