Tennessee now has an official state firearm. ...only just now??

[JasonPratt]

Do other states have official state firearms? Or is this a new hotness for states to do?  ??? Huh, apparently we're the seventh state to have one.

Anyway, obviously the Tennessee state firearm is the twelve gauge shotgun.

http://news.barrett.net/2016/02/26/tennessee-names-barrett-model-82-official-state-rifle/

...uh... i mean... what? the M82/M107 sniper rifle?!?

It makes sense in context, though.

The Barrett Rifle is a true Tennessee success story: A rifle born from sketches hand-drawn at a dining room table by then twenty-six-year-old photographer, who was born, raised, and educated in Tennessee with no design training or experience. The firearm design considered impossible at the time was a shoulder-fired semi-automatic .50 caliber rifle. Using sketches of his design, Ronnie worked in a one bay garage with a tool-and-die maker to build the first prototype.

His creation, the Model 82/M107, pioneered an entirely new classification of rifle, changed battlefield tactics and recognized as the world's premier .50 caliber rifle fielded by approximately 70 allied governments.

Today, Ronnie Barrett is one of only four people in the past 100 years to invent a rifle type classified and adopted for use by the United States military. The M107 was recognized, in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., by the Office of the Chief of Staff of the United States Army as one of the "top ten greatest inventions" for its service.

Tennessee. Still not to be trifled with. 

[LongBlade]

Never thought about it. The long black powder rifle from the early frontier days is often referred to as either a Kentucky or Pennsylvania rifle, but I have no idea if there's any official adoption thereof.

[Staggerwing]

Never thought about it. The long black powder rifle from the early frontier days is often referred to as either a Kentucky or Pennsylvania rifle, but I have no idea if there's any official adoption thereof.

Pennsylvania is one of the seven states (incl. Tennessee, as noted by JP) that has adopted an official 'state rifle' and it is indeed the Long Rifle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._state_firearms

Connecticut (my home state) has no Official State Rifle, despite having been the home to a number of classic firearms manufacturers.

[LongBlade]

Thanks, Stagger.

Interesting - a very recent phenomenon. Started in 2011 with WV and AZ.

[JasonPratt]

Man, I was trying to figure out why the Hall Rifle wasn't immediately jumped on for mass production and distribution to standard infantry; but then I read that the machinery just wasn't good enough yet to create a fine enough seal to prevent back-escape of gasses and so drastically reducing the hit-power of the shot.

Still, I'd rather have 430 hits in ten minutes at half-power than 208 or 164 at full power.

[Sir Slash]

Florida's official State Weapon is the Un-Guided Mall Shopping Cart that never the less always finds it target, your vehicle side door panel. And no matter what color your vehicle is, always leaves a deep scratch of another color. Odd since the carts themselves have no color. And while un-guided they are an intelligent weapon. I've seen packs of them roaming around the parking lot outside of Winn-Dixies' and Wal-Mart hunting for targets of opportunity. When nobody is looking of course.  :o

[Dammit Carl!]

Just when I think that state governments can't do anything more inane, someone pipes up and says, "Hey!  We need a State Gun!"

[JasonPratt]

To be fair, we're a pretty gunny state. 

Hopefully that particular gun has taken down more enemies of freedom than otherwise.  :-\

And who knows, maybe now they'll give it an official nickname: SERGEANT YORK!  8)


(...normally this is where I'd insert one of the sniper smilies from the old Wargamer site, but the smiley page has died.  :'( )

[Boggit]

Thanks, Stagger.

Interesting - a very recent phenomenon. Started in 2011 with WV and AZ.

But New Mexico is the home of the nuke... ;)

[JasonPratt]

Quite a bit of that nuke was also built in Tennessee.

Just saying.  ^-^