Texas Senate Fires First Shot in Bid to Make the Cannon the Official State Gun

The Texas Senate has spoken: they want the cannon to become the official state gun of Texas.

With overwhelming bipartisan support, senators passed a resolution recognizing the historic weapon as a symbol of the state’s fighting spirit and independence. The measure, authored by Senator Bryan Hughes, now awaits action in the Texas House, where an identical resolution—HCR 89—was filed by Representative Cole Hefner.

While the designation isn’t final, the Senate’s vote puts the cannon one step closer to joining the ranks of Texas state symbols—like the bluebonnet (state flower), the chuckwagon (state vehicle), and the longhorn (state large mammal).

The cannon holds deep historical significance for Texas. In 1835, at the Battle of Gonzales, Texian settlers resisted demands from the Mexican government to return a small cannon loaned to them for protection. In response, the settlers raised a flag bearing the phrase “Come and Take It”—a now-iconic slogan that marked the first battle of the Texas Revolution. The event is widely seen as a defining moment in Texas’s fight for independence.

The resolution moved through the Senate State Affairs Committee and was placed on the local and uncontested calendar before its adoption in the full Senate on April 10, 2025. The House version of the resolution is currently pending in the Committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism.

If both chambers approve the measure, the cannon will officially be designated as the state gun of Texas. Unlike a traditional bill, this type of resolution doesn’t require the governor’s signature to take effect.

Texas would become one of just a few states to adopt an official state firearm. Others include Utah (M1911 pistol), Alaska (Winchester Model 70), and Arizona (Colt Single Action Army revolver), among others. The cannon, however, would be the most distinctive—both in size and historical symbolism.