Offbeat: Weapon of the day: Utah’s official gun, the Browning M1911
- You’re not a true Utah resident unless you own this gun. Amidst the collective messes taking place in Libya and Japan, you might’ve missed this bizarre piece of news out of Utah. See, Gov. Gary Herbert signed a bill making the Browning M1911 handgun the state’s official gun. See, its creator, John Browning, was born in Utah waaaaay back in 1855 and effectively invented the first automatic and semi-automatic weapons. “The governor has said previously, and still feels, this isn’t about a gun,” said Ally Isom, Herbert’s spokeswoman. “It’s about honoring John Moses Browning and paying tribute to the man as an innovator and entrepreneur and someone who has given a lot to the state of Utah.” But we all know people aren’t going to read that part of the headline. Our quick take: If someone gets killed by a bullet from this gun, does that somehow make it more patriotic? source