Indiana Legislature Votes On State Firearm
By Chuck Sudo in News on Mar 12, 2012 7:40PM
The 200-year-old Grouseland Rifle is a Mitch Daniels signature away from being the official state firearm of Indiana.
Why the Grouseland? (We won't ask why even have a state firearm.) Indiana State Sen. John Waterman (R-Shelburne) said it's an integral part of the state's history. John Small, a tavern owner, militia member and the first sheriff of the territory that eventually became the Hoosier state, was also a gunsmith. Small built the first Grouseland between 1803 and 1812. It has a 61.5 inch barrel, with pierced silver and brass inlays and a medallion of the United States seal and the angel Gabriel engraved on the brass patch box. It may have started out as a flintrock and later converted to a percussion rifle, meaning the Grouseland may have originally been a musket. The provision naming the Grouseland was inserted via a state senate amendment, and the public never had a notice or opportunity to testify on this.
Indiana now becomes the third state in the nation to designate an official firearm. Last March, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed into law a bill naming the Browning Model M1911 automatic pistol as that state's official firearm. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill into law last May naming the Colt single-action Army Revolver as its official firearm.