Idaho Voters Pick ‘Gun That Won The West’ In Referendum Panned By Local Experts

Voters in Idaho chose the Winchester Model 1873 as the state’s official firearm in a non-binding referendum Tuesday.

Republicans lost the House and Senate as Democrats swept multiple races in the South and Midwest, including flipping open seats in Iowa, North Carolina and Texas while ousting incumbents in Ohio, Kansas and South Carolina during Tuesday’s midterm elections. Republican Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed House Bill 932 on April 2, creating the advisory referendum that featured six firearms as options for the honor, which the Model 1873, known as “the gun that won the West,” won with 31.2% of the vote, according to The New York Times.

The other five firearms were the M1911 pistol, the Colt Single Action Army revolver (also known as the Peacemaker), the Winchester 1894 rifle, the M1 Garand and the Remington 700. The Winchester 1894, a popular lever-action firearm, finished second with 25.4% of the vote, while the Colt Single Action Army finished third with 15.1%.