Utah on way to designating the "State Gun"

[NCTexan]

The Salt Lake Tribune:

 

House OKs bill designating state gun

 

Rep. Carl Wimmer’s bill to designate the Browning M1911 handgun as a state symbol shot through the House on Wednesday, though it did generate strong debate from opponents who felt it was insensitive in light of the mass shooting in Tucson.

 

The Herriman Republican, however, said it was simply about honoring John Moses Browning, a Utah native who invented the handgun still used today.

 

“It’s an appropriate and fitting tribute to a Utah icon,” Wimmer said. “This firearm has defended liberty and freedom.”

 

But Rep. Carol Moss, D-Holladay, was among the first to oppose it.

 

“Someone once gave me this advice — don’t speak against guns. Now I’m going to break that advice,” Moss said. “It seems insensitive at this time when people are mourning the death of six people in Tucson and the serious wounding of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords — a friend of mine.”

 

The debate on the floor lasted for about 20 minutes, with Moss worrying that kids will be doing puzzles and coloring books featuring the state flower, the state bird and now, a state gun. She said that while she doesn’t oppose guns, she didn’t seen the value in having it introduced to children — the primary audience for learning about state designations.

 

The bill passed 51-19 and will now move to the Senate for consideration.

 

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If this passes their Senate... the liberals will come unglued! We should expect federal legislation to put the entire state of Utah into a "time out".

 

A recent NYTimes "opinion piece" (but how can you tell) was apoplectic that his would even be considered in light of the Tucson shooting. The writer stated that the Tucson shooter used a gun that was "like" the 1911. The Glock 19 the shooter used was as much like a 1911 as a Prius is like a snowmobile.

 

I'd also suggest a new state motto, "Welcome to Utah, shoot accurately, safely and legally."

 

John Moses Browning from Wikipedia

 

John Moses Browning (1855 – 1926), born in Ogden, Utah, was an American firearms designer who developed many varieties of firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world. He is arguably the most important figure in the development of modern automatic and semi-automatic firearms and is credited with 128 gun patents. He made his first firearm at age 13 in his father's gun shop, and was awarded his first patent on October 7, 1879 at the age of 24.

 

Browning influenced nearly all categories of firearms design. He invented or made significant improvements to single-shot rifles, lever-action rifles, and slide-action firearms. His most significant contributions were in the area of autoloading firearms. He developed the first reliable and compact autoloading pistols by inventing the telescoping bolt, integrating the bolt and barrel shroud into what is known as the slide. Browning's telescoping bolt design is now found on nearly every modern semi-automatic pistol, as well as several modern fully automatic weapons.

 

He also developed the first gas-operated machine gun, the Colt-Browning Model 1895—a system that surpassed mechanical recoil operation to become the standard for most high-power self-loading firearm designs worldwide.

 

Browning's most successful designs include the M1911 pistol, the Browning .50 caliber machine gun, the Browning Automatic Rifle, and a ground-breaking semi-automatic shotgun, the Browning Auto-5. These arms are nearly identical today to those assembled by Browning in the 1920s, with only minor changes in detail and cosmetics. Nearly all parts may be freely swapped between the earliest and latest of each series of these weapons, no matter when made, which has extended their service lifespan nearly indefinitely

 

This one of a kind 100 Year Anniversary Colt manufactured 1911 just sold on auction for $83,250.

 

 

Yo Pepper! SrWoodChuck! AceRimmer! I got out bid on this one.

[Pepper]

NCTexan!

 

It is obvious that some people are more equal than others.