PHOENIX — Arizona is considering making a Colt revolver that was popular in the West in the late 19th century the state's official firearm.
Almost half the state's lawmakers are co-sponsors of the bill honoring the Colt single-action Army revolver. The Senate Appropriations Committee voted 9-4 early Wednesday to advance the measure.
A Colt lobbyist said the revolver helped settle the Arizona Territory.
Anti-gun activists want lawmakers to consider bills limiting guns in the wake of a deadly Tucson shooting that killed six and wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. But the Republican-led Legislature has a strong record of supporting gun rights.
Utah lawmakers have passed a bill to designate the Browning M1911 — a semiautomatic pistol — as the state's official gun. The bill awaits the governor's signature.