Texas Plans to Designate the Cannon as Official State Gun
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.10.17
Texas is known for a lot of things, from longhorns to Friday night lights, Texas BBQ and cowboy boots. And soon, Texas may be adding to its set of official state symbols as plans are afoot for a state gun.
You would almost think, with the state’s famous fondness for firearms, the state gun would be any that goes “Bang!” but perhaps this will throw you for a twist:
The Guardian reports that a proposal to make the cannon the official state gun passed through a senate committee hearing on Thursday. Another proposal suggests the 1847 Colt Walker pistol – “the most powerful black powder pistol in existence” and used in the Mexican American War – should be listed as the official handgun of Texas. Yet another suggests the Bowie knife, named after Jim Bowie, who died in the battle of the Alamo, should be the state knife.
According to Don Huffines, Republican state senator who authored the cannon resolution, “there’s room for all three.”
Now, in today’s age, designating a weapon as a symbol has assuredly drawn some traction. Utah was the first to name an official state firearm in 2011, nominating the Browning M1911 automatic pistol. Arizona followed, adopting the Colt revolver, and now Indiana, West Virginia, Alaska and Pennsylvania have all named a state gun. Tennessee most recently claimed the Barrett M82 last year.
The Texas cannon resolution, as mentioned above, references the 1835 Battle of Gonzalez, when Mexican soldiers apparently tried to commandeer a cannon from a group of Texans who resisted, marking the beginning in the earnest of the Texas revolution.
“Obviously the cannon is the most significant symbol we have for the state of Texas, our sense of independence, our strength of being responsible as individuals and not reliant on the government, our sense of liberty, our sense of virtue,” Huffines said before the hearing.
