Posted on 01/27/2011 9:24:50 PM PST by smokingfrog
A Browning M1911 semiautomatic pistol may soon join the sego lily, Rocky Mountain elk and sugar beet as official symbols of the state of Utah.
The State Senate is considering a measure passed by the House of Representatives on Wednesday that would declare the .45-caliber handgun the official state firearm — the first in the country.
"This firearm was created by John Moses Browning, who was a son of Utah pioneers," said Republican Rep. Carl Wimmer of Herriman, Utah, during debate on the House floor. "This firearm really has defended liberty and freedom around the country and around the world. And I think this is a very appropriate designation to capture a portion of the state history."
The M1911 is one of several notable Browning firearms and has been used by the military and law enforcement since World War I.
Wimmer characterized the notion of an official state firearm as benign, similar to naming the Dutch oven the official state cooking pot. But Democrat Carol Spackman Moss of Holladay opposed the move.
"It seems insensitive to me at this time when many people are mourning the deaths of six people in Tucson and the serious wounding of Gabrielle Giffords, a friend of mine," Moss told the Utah House. "Many people have a negative experience with guns because guns do kill people [when they're] in the hands of those who use them wrongly."
(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...
I’d forgotten about the Calico. We could designate it as the official state .22 rimfire.
The AR-18 was made in Costa Mesa.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.