Bill would designate Long Rifle of Early Ohio as state firearm

Ohio soon could have an official state firearm.

State Rep. Johnathan Newman (R-Troy) introduced House Bill 1025 on Oct. 13, designating the Long Rifle of Early Ohio as the official state firearm.

Buckeye Firearms Association volunteers Steve Loos and Larry Moore were on the selection panel, with Loos providing technical data and Moore bringing his experience as a hunter and avid trapshooter.

"As a native Ohioan with a great appreciation for our Second Amendment heritage, ... I was honored to be appointed by Rep. Newman to serve on the expert panel," Loos said. "Having studied the history and mechanics of the gun from a young age, I was pleased to offer my insight."

Loos is a gunsmith, an NRA instructor in multiple disciplines, a CCW trainer, and a firearms appraiser for many collectors, and he is a founding BFA leader.

Moore said he, too, was honored to be included on the selection panel with such a fine group of firearms experts.

"We discussed several different firearms, all of which are worthy of being included, but we had to pick just one," he said. "We had a hearty debate before the group chose the long rifle. It is a firearm that was critical in opening the Northwest Territory even before Ohio became a state. Many long rifles were built in Ohio in the early days. There were several important builders in more modern times. These include Cecil Brooks, who made the long rifle the NRA presented to President Ronald Reagan."

Newman posted the bill's announcement on his Facebook page.

"This is the beauty of being available and listening," he said. "(T)his idea came from grassroots constituents. Ten other states have a state firearm; our neighboring states have one."

Ohio's leading firearm groups each chose a judge to serve on the selection panel — all gun enthusiasts and collectors possessing extensive knowledge of gun history, said Newman, who was endorsed with an A rating by the BFA-PAC for House District 80.

"They debated and deliberated for one month before making their selection," he said of the long gun, also known as a Kentucky rifle or Pennsylvania rifle. "And they made a brilliant selection that Ohio will be proud of for generations to come."

The Long Rifle of Early Ohio, Newman said, was instrumental in taming the wild frontier of the Northwest Territory, leading Ohio to become a state in 1803.

He said the legislation would help residents remember and teach future generations the rich history and virtues that made Ohio a great state and America a great country.

"It will also remind all of the importance of the 'certain unalienable rights' given to us by our Creator, as outlined in the Declaration of Independence and named in the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment," he said.

The bill currently has 18 cosponsors that include 17 Republicans and one Democrat.

The legislature is expected to return from recess after Election Day.

Joe D. "Buck" Ruth, a pen name for Scott Hummel, is a longtime small-game hunter and gun owner who spent nearly three decades in the news industry. He is the website and social-media manager for Buckeye Firearms Association.