Legislature goes off half-cocked in selection of state firearm

By Charles F. Trentelman

Standard-Examiner staff

Monday, February 7, 2011 - 10:57pm

Here's a joke about the proposed official Utah state firearm: They've got the wrong gun. Those rubes in the Legislature want to honor a non-Utah weapon.

The Legislature is debating making the M1911 Browning semiautomatic pistol, which was designed by Ogden gun maker John Moses Browning, Utah's official state firearm.
The lawmakers seem captivated by this one's supposed history "defending freedom," even though pistols have little practical combat use. I think they just feel cool with one on their hip.

Here's the problem: The M1911 is not the first gun, nor even the first pistol, Browning designed.

It was never made in Utah. It was never even made by Browning. He sold the design to Colt, in Connecticut.

And, most important, Browning himself did not think this pistol, or any pistol, was his most important invention.

What would be a better state firearm? Like the sego lily and the California gull, it should have historical ties and have been made or used in Utah. We have several options.

When I was in the Bear River Valley Muzzleloaders, I gained appreciation for mountain men who explored Utah with a rifle that was a pain in the butt to load and a nightmare to shoot. Peter Skene Ogden was probably armed with a flintlock muzzleloading rifle when he explored Ogden Valley in 1825.

Ever try to shoot a flintlock rifle?

It looks easy in movies. In real life, you aim, inhale, squeeze the trigger and try to hold the very heavy rifle on target while the flint strikes a spark in the pan, which sets off an explosion of noise, smoke and flame inches from your eyes.

If you are lucky, the bullet is fired. If you are very lucky, you hit what you hope to eat for dinner.

So, there's my first nomination: The trapper's muzzleloading rifle, carried by men who blazed trails Mormon pioneers followed.

But you say: "We want to honor Browning."

Fine. John Browning's father, Jonathan, was the official gunsmith for the Mormon exodus. Jonathan provided a slide repeating rifle and a cylinder repeating rifle, ingenious arms vastly superior to muzzleloaders, but not made in Utah.

In 1878 John, 23, was in the family's Ogden gunshop repairing a badly made single-shot rifle. He told his father, "I could make a better gun than that myself," and Jonathan, who was old and sick, said, "I wish you'd get at it. I'd like to live to see you do it."

In 1879, John patented the Browning Single Shot Rifle. He and his brothers made and sold 600. In 1883, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company bought it. Versions were marketed for almost 40 years.

Years later John was asked which was his most significant invention. He named the single-shot rifle because selling it "gave me $8,000 worth of certainty that I could invent things for which people would pay large prices."

So that's my second nomination: The Browning Single Shot Rifle. It fathered the long line of Browning-designed rifles, pistols, shotguns and machine guns, including the M1911 pistol.

Nobody makes the rifle any more, and single-shot rifles aren't as sexy as automatic pistols, but so what? This rifle is history, romance and Utah-made. The Browning Arms Museum at Ogden's Union Station has several, including John's own personal rifle.

Sadly, a historic muzzleloader or single-shot rifle isn't something you can strap on your hip and strut around with. For that reason alone I predict the Legislature will go with the M1911.

It's wrong, but being wrong never stopped those guys.
Wasatch Rambler is the opinion of Charles Trentelman. You can call him at 801-625-4232 or e-mail ctrentelman@standard.net. He also blogs at http://www.standard.net/.
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