Smith & Wesson
An American firearms manufacturer best known for revolvers, pistols, and the M&P product family.
Last updated October 13, 2026
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Overview
Smith & Wesson is an American firearms manufacturer whose modern corporate history began in 1856, when Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson established the Smith & Wesson Revolver Company. The partners had previously worked together on the Volcanic repeating firearm and cartridge system. That earlier enterprise became Volcanic Repeating Arms and was eventually acquired by Oliver Winchester, developing into the Winchester firearms business. Smith and Wesson then reunited to pursue a cartridge revolver based on Rollin White’s bored-through-cylinder patent. The company’s early growth was tied to the practical advantages of metallic-cartridge revolvers. Its Model 1 and subsequent designs found substantial private demand during the American Civil War, while the company’s patent position and litigation against competing manufacturers helped protect its ability to produce cartridge revolvers. After the war, Smith & Wesson shifted toward larger and more powerful revolvers suitable for frontier use. The Model 3 became an important military design and was adopted by the United States Army as an early cartridge-firing service revolver. In 1899, the company introduced the .38 Military & Police revolver, later designated the Model 10. It became one of the most widely used police and military sidearms of the twentieth century. Smith & Wesson later helped popularize high-powered magnum revolvers, including the .357 Magnum Registered Magnum of the 1930s and the Model 29 .44 Magnum introduced in the 1950s. The Model 29 gained broad public recognition through popular culture, particularly its association with the Dirty Harry films. The company expanded beyond revolvers during the twentieth century. It developed the Model 39 semi-automatic pistol in the 1950s and later produced successive generations of double-action pistols. In the 1990s, it introduced the polymer-framed Sigma line and entered a patent dispute with Glock that was settled without public disclosure of the payment terms. In 2005, Smith & Wesson introduced the M&P series, a new polymer-framed pistol family initially aimed at law-enforcement users and later offered to civilian customers. The M&P platform subsequently expanded into rifles and other firearms. Ownership changed several times. The Wesson family sold its controlling interest to Bangor Punta in 1965. Tomkins acquired Smith & Wesson in 1987, after which the company received investment in manufacturing and quality control. In 2001, Saf-T-Hammer acquired Smith & Wesson from Tomkins and subsequently renamed the combined company Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation. The holding company was renamed American Outdoor Brands Corporation in 2016, while Smith & Wesson remained its firearms business. The brand has also been involved in recurring public debates over gun control, product liability, safety technology, and the use of commercially available firearms in violent crime. A 2000 agreement with the Clinton administration provoked intense backlash from gun-rights organizations and parts of the firearms retail market. The company later abandoned its related smart-gun initiatives. In 2020, American Outdoor Brands separated its outdoor-products business from Smith & Wesson. Smith & Wesson retained the SWBI ticker and became an independent, publicly listed firearms company. Its current portfolio centers on revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, modern sporting rifles, and firearms for civilian, law-enforcement, and military customers.
History
Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson first collaborated in Norwich, Connecticut, on the Volcanic repeating firearm and its associated cartridge. That business was renamed Volcanic Repeating Arms and sold to Oliver Winchester. After the venture’s financial difficulties and reorganization, Smith and Wesson formed the Smith & Wesson Revolver Company in 1856. The new company built revolvers around a bored-through cylinder covered by Rollin White’s patent. Its early Model 1 used a self-contained metallic cartridge and became commercially important as demand for compact defensive arms increased. Civil War soldiers and civilians purchased the company’s revolvers privately, creating production pressure and encouraging expansion into a larger facility. Smith & Wesson also pursued legal action against manufacturers that infringed the cylinder patent. Following the war, demand for small pocket revolvers weakened. The company responded with larger-caliber arms for frontier and military use. The Model 3, introduced in 1870, was a major large-frame revolver and was adopted by the U.S. Army. In 1899, Smith & Wesson introduced the .38 Military & Police, later designated Model 10. Its reliability and broad institutional adoption made it a defining service revolver for much of the twentieth century. The company continued technical development with the .357 Magnum Registered Magnum in 1935 and the .44 Magnum Model 29 in 1955. These models strengthened Smith & Wesson’s association with powerful sporting and law-enforcement revolvers. The brand diversified into semi-automatic pistols with the Model 39 in the 1950s and later developed second- and third-generation pistol families. In 1965, the Wesson family sold control to Bangor Punta. Under that ownership, Smith & Wesson expanded into related police equipment, including handcuffs and breathalyzers. Tomkins acquired the company in 1987 and invested in manufacturing modernization and testing. During the 1980s and 1990s, police adoption shifted increasingly from revolvers to high-capacity semi-automatic pistols, increasing competitive pressure from European manufacturers. The company’s 2000 agreement with the Clinton administration became one of the most controversial episodes in its corporate history. The agreement included design, dealer, and distribution provisions intended to reduce access by prohibited buyers and improve firearm safety. Gun-rights groups and firearms retailers organized against the arrangement, and the company later abandoned its smart-gun initiative. Saf-T-Hammer acquired Smith & Wesson in 2001, renamed the combined company Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, and sought to stabilize the brand. The company introduced the polymer-framed M&P pistol family in 2005 and subsequently extended the M&P name into rifles and other products. In 2016, the parent company became American Outdoor Brands Corporation. In 2020, American Outdoor Brands separated its outdoor-products division from Smith & Wesson. The firearms business retained the Smith & Wesson name and SWBI ticker and continues to operate as a public American manufacturer.
- 2020
Firearms business becomes independent
[1]Smith & Wesson is spun out from American Outdoor Brands and continues as a separately listed company under SWBI.
- 2005
M&P pistol family debuts
[1]Smith & Wesson introduces a new polymer-framed pistol platform aimed initially at military and police users.
- 1955
Model 29 is introduced
[1]The company launches its .44 Magnum Model 29, later made famous through popular culture.
- 1935
Registered Magnum launches
[1]Smith & Wesson introduces the .357 Magnum Registered Magnum, helping establish the modern magnum-revolver category.
- 1899
Model 10 lineage begins
[1]The .38 Military & Police revolver is introduced and eventually becomes known as the Model 10.
- 1870
Model 3 large-frame revolver introduced
[1]The company moves into large-caliber revolvers, including the Model 3, which later receives U.S. Army adoption.
- 1856
Modern Smith & Wesson is founded
[1]Smith and Wesson form the Smith & Wesson Revolver Company after their earlier enterprise is sold and reorganized.
- 1852
Smith and Wesson begin their earlier Volcanic venture
[1]Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson establish an earlier company to develop the Volcanic repeating rifle and cartridge system.
Products and positioning
Positioned as a long-established American firearms brand serving civilian shooting, personal protection, law-enforcement, and selected military markets.
Handguns · 1856
Revolvers
Revolvers are the historical core of Smith & Wesson’s brand. The range has included compact pocket models, medium-frame service revolvers, large-frame magnum designs, and the X-frame Model 500. Important families include the Model 10, Model 27, Model 29, and Model 686. The products serve sporting, defensive, collecting, law-enforcement, and recreational-shooting markets.
Pistols and rifles · 2005
M&P series
The M&P family is a modern product platform introduced in 2005. Its polymer-framed semi-automatic pistols were designed with military and police users in mind, while later versions addressed civilian self-defense, competition, and concealed-carry needs. The M&P name has also been applied to modern sporting rifles and related firearm configurations.
Service revolver · 1899
Model 10
Originally introduced as the .38 Military & Police in 1899, the Model 10 became one of the most widely produced and adopted service revolvers in the company’s history. It was used extensively by police and military organizations and established Smith & Wesson as a major institutional firearms supplier.
Magnum revolver · 1955
Model 29
The Model 29 is a large-frame .44 Magnum revolver introduced in 1955. It became a cultural symbol of powerful handguns after appearing prominently in film and popular media. The model is associated with sporting use, collecting, and the company’s high-performance revolver heritage.
Semi-automatic pistols · 1994
Sigma series
The Sigma line, introduced in the 1990s, was a family of polymer-framed, recoil-operated semi-automatic pistols. It included versions chambered for 9mm, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .380 ACP. Glock brought a patent-infringement action, which Smith & Wesson settled while retaining the right to continue producing the series.
Controversies
2021
Mexico sues U.S. gun manufacturers
The Mexican government filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court against gun manufacturers including Colt, Smith & Wesson, Barrett, Glock and Ruger, alleging that their business practices enabled firearms trafficking into Mexico and seeking compensation for alleged negligence.
2018
Public scrutiny over use of M&P15 rifles in mass shootings
Smith & Wesson faced renewed political and public scrutiny because an M&P15 rifle was used in the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. The same product family had also been reported in connection with the 2015 San Bernardino attack and the 2012 Aurora shooting. The scrutiny concerned firearm availability and regulation rather than a finding that the company caused those attacks.
2000
Controversy over Clinton administration agreement
The company’s agreement to implement firearm-safety, dealer, and distribution provisions produced intense opposition from the NRA, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, firearms retailers, and many consumers. The controversy contributed to a boycott and the departure of chief executive Ed Schultz.
Marketing campaigns
- 2000Preferred buying program agreement
United States
Smith & Wesson agreed to firearm-design and distribution conditions, dealer conduct requirements, and other safety-related measures in an arrangement with the Clinton administration. The company expected preferential purchasing opportunities to offset possible commercial losses. The arrangement triggered a boycott organized by gun-rights and firearms-industry groups, weakened the company’s market position, and was subsequently abandoned in practice.
Outcome. The arrangement triggered a boycott organized by gun-rights and firearms-industry groups, weakened the company’s market position, and was subsequently abandoned in practice.
Brand decisions
2020
Separation from American Outdoor BrandsStrategyBackground
The parent company had developed a broader outdoor-products portfolio alongside the firearms business.
Action taken
American Outdoor Brands spun off the outdoor-products operation, leaving Smith & Wesson as a separately listed firearms company.
Aftermath
Smith & Wesson retained the SWBI ticker and concentrated its public-company identity on firearms.
2005
Launch of the M&P platformProduct launchBackground
Police and military markets were moving from traditional revolvers toward modern semi-automatic pistols, while Smith & Wesson needed a contemporary platform distinct from its older pistol families.
Action taken
The company introduced a new polymer-framed M&P pistol with ergonomic features and interchangeable backstraps.
Aftermath
The platform became a central part of Smith & Wesson’s modern product portfolio and expanded into additional pistol and rifle configurations.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Mexico sues U.S. firearms companies[4]
Mexico’s government filed a lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts against 10 U.S.-based firearms companies, seeking to hold them accountable for Mexico’s gun violence. Smith & Wesson, Colt and Glock were named in the suit.
Reported
Mexico sues U.S. gun manufacturers[3]
The Mexican government filed a lawsuit in a U.S. federal court against gun manufacturers including Colt, Smith & Wesson, Barrett, Glock and Ruger, alleging that their business practices enabled firearms trafficking into Mexico and seeking compensation for alleged negligence.
Sources4 sources
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