Colt SAA now Arizona State gun!

[ADfields]

This is way cool . . . also Utah is considering the 1911 as the Utah State gun.
http://www.kvue.com/news/national/116738619.html

 

[Hunt&FishAK]

whats the Alaska state gun? better be a ruger.

 

[starmac]

I suspect if alaska decided on one it would be something that was popular pre state days.

 

[Smitty of the North]

This is way cool . . . also Utah is considering the 1911 as the Utah State gun.
http://www.kvue.com/news/national/116738619.html

Thanks for tellin, AD:

It's "Good News", and a good choice for any of the Western States, I would think.

Also, a good strategy, to help foil the Anti-Gun crowd.

Alaska is a NEW State, so a Ruger Blackhawk would be suitable.

I don't know that handguns were widely used for Bear Protection in the old days, until Ruger made affordable 357's and 44 Mags. available in the Blackhawks.

I only go back to 1961, so correct me if I'm wrong, but the Blackhawk did make some handgun history in the Greatland, maybe more than any other handgun.

Smitty of the North

 

[.338 mag.]

What a splendid idea, a state gun, yeeehaw! I think we need one also. The S&W Mod.1917 .45 Colt came to my mind first, then I thought , no it should be a S&W Mod. 29 in .44 Mag. But now I realize the one that did the most shooting was the wonderful .22 Colt Woodsman that many old timers had. Although the Colt Series 70 1911 in .45 caliber bests describes many of us, I like that!

 

[tailwind]

I think it was decided that the state gun was a rifle. Like a 30-06, .375 or a Mosin or something like that. FWIW, my vote was the model 29, too.

I really like those SAA's, or any colt really. Does SC AK have any SASS action going on?

 

[Smitty of the North]

I really like those SAA's, or any colt really. Does SC AK have any SASS action going on?

Yup, they shoot at Birchwood.

Their website address is below.

http://alaska49ers.pistolshooting.com/sass.html

 

[Smitty of the North]

What a splendid idea, a state gun, yeeehaw! I think we need one also. The S&W Mod.1917 .45 Colt came to my mind first, then I thought , no it should be a S&W Mod. 29 in .44 Mag. But now I realize the one that did the most shooting was the wonderful .22 Colt Woodsman that many old timers had. Although the Colt Series 70 1911 in .45 caliber bests describes many of us, I like that!

It needs to be something "Historical", for sure.

A State "Hand Gun", could be chambered for a number of different cartridges.

I'm covered with both the Ruger Blackhawk, and the S&W Mdl 29, that was also very popular.

I'm also thinking something like starmac. What did they use before Statehood?

What is more or less, Unique to the Greatland?

I heard about the the 22 Colt Woodsman. Were they popular with Trappers? Enough to be significant?

Oh wal, IMO, there are other more important things about Arizona, that Alaska should mimic.

Smitty of the North

 

[ADfields]

Ruger Blackhawk 44mag came out in 1956, just 3 years before Alaska Statehood. Being affordable and big power I bet it was very common in the Alaskan backcountry by 1959. To me the Blackhawk 44mag would be the way to go for Alaska State handgun even though I don’t like 44mag myself. Blackhawk is a tip of the hat to the Colt SAA that would have been on the belts of many a gold rushing hopeful lugging their gear up the pass out of Skagway. 44mag Blackhawk was borne as a modern updated version of the handgun that settled the West but made with less expensive cast steel technology to once again make it the affordable equalizer. And they are still very common, still made and still used all over Alaska.

 

[Smitty of the North]

Ruger Blackhawk 44mag came out in 1956, just 3 years before Alaska Statehood. Being affordable and big power I bet it was very common in the Alaskan backcountry by 1959. To me the Blackhawk 44mag would be the way to go for Alaska State handgun even though I don’t like 44mag myself. Blackhawk is a tip of the hat to the Colt SAA that would have been on the belts of many a gold rushing hopeful lugging their gear up the pass out of Skagway. 44mag Blackhawk was borne as a modern updated version of the handgun that settled the West but made with less expensive cast steel technology to once again make it the affordable equalizer. And they are still very common, still made and still used all over Alaska.

Like I was sayin, the Blackhawk doesn't have to be a 44 Mag. It could be 357, though I agree the 44 made a bigger impact.

Yeah, I wonder how many Colt 45, SAAs were packed up the Chilkoot trail.

I don't know when Ruger started making the Blackhawk in 45 Colt, and the first time I heard, a guy told me he was loading, whatever the standard bullet weight ??? to 1000 fps. He was the first to tell me that for bears you needed "penetration".

Smitty of the North

 

[tailwind]

So what, did we just decide the AK state handgun is a Ruger Blackhawk?
Well if not I'm sayin' it now.
Do I have a second?

 

[HUNTERKJL]

I would vote for the Blackhawk, it seems fitting. Would be nice if Ruger would make a limited run of them with special "Alaska State Handgun" markings!

 

[Smitty of the North]

I'll second it, and give my Proxy to AD.

Smitty of the North

 

[stevelyn]

Yeah, I'd vote for the Blackhawk too. Mebbe we can send an AOD resolution to the Legislature for them to act on it.

 

[tailwind]

I would vote for the Blackhawk, it seems fitting. Would be nice if Ruger would make a limited run of them with special "Alaska State Handgun" markings!

Did I just blow your mind?

 

[ADfields]

Tailwind that’s a 50th anniversary not the Alaska State handgun, good try though. Don’t you want that on one hip and the State Handgun on the other when you’re out representing for our great State to the tourists?

I will compose letter to the powers that be expressing our wish for an Alaska State handgun and that we think it should be the 44mag Blackhawk. I’ll tell them Smitty said so and gave me his proxy . . . that ought to do the trick!:topjob: