Smith & Wesson, the iconic American gun manufacturer founded in 1852, has undergone several name changes throughout its history as the company changed ownership and expanded into new markets. Today, after a series of mergers and spinoffs, the core Smith & Wesson gun business resides under the corporate umbrella of American Outdoor Brands.
The Origins of Smith & Wesson
The company that would become Smith & Wesson was founded in 1852 as the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company in Norwich, Connecticut. The original founders were Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. The pair had previously worked for the manufacturing firm Robbins & Lawrence, where they had helped design the Volcanic rifle and pistol under a patent obtained by Walter Hunt.
The Volcanic name was a reference to the ammunition used in these early lever-action firearms, which contained a hollow-base conical bullet containing powder and a primer. This “Rocket Ball” ammunition was self-contained in the base of the bullet. The Volcanic Repeating Arms Company obtained the manufacturing rights to these weapons and produced them in a factory in Norwich.
In 1855, Smith and Wesson left Volcanic and formed the Smith & Wesson Company after obtaining the patent for a new revolver design. This was the No. 1 revolver, which became popular among gunsmiths and helped establish Smith & Wesson as a major firearms manufacturer.
Cartridge Revolvers and Early 20th Century
Smith & Wesson continued to grow throughout the late 19th century by capitalizing on innovations in ammunition technology. The company’s big breakthrough came with the adoption of the self-contained metallic cartridge, which allowed the bullets, gunpowder, and primer to be combined together in a single unit. Smith & Wesson obtained licensing to the Rollin White patent for bored-through revolver cylinders, which enabled their revolvers to use the new cartridges.
In 1870, Smith & Wesson introduced the Model 3 revolver, which was designed specifically for these new cartridges. The combination of the bored-through cylinder and metallic cartridges gave Smith & Wesson revolvers a strong advantage in convenience and efficiency.
The company went on to produce many iconic revolvers and pistols throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of the most popular models included:
- Model 1 (1857): The first successful cartridge revolver
- Model 3 (1870): Designed for .44-caliber metal cartridges
- New Model 3 (1877): Refined solid-frame version of Model 3
- .38 Military & Police (1899): Popular .38 caliber revolver
- .44 Hand Ejector (1908): Powerful large-frame revolver
- .38/44 Outdoorsman (1930s): Precursor to .357 Magnum
Smith & Wesson continued to operate under its original name as an independent company into the 1960s.
Mergers and Ownership Changes
In 1965, Smith & Wesson was purchased by the Bangor Punta Corporation as part of a diversification strategy into different manufacturing industries. The gunmaker became part of Bangor Punta’s Omark Industries.
In the 1970s, Bangor Punta changed strategies and decided to focus on railcar production and other industries. As a result, it sold off Smith & Wesson to a group of investors led by Tomkins PLC in 1987.
Under Tomkins’ ownership throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Smith & Wesson underwent a period of innovation and expansion. Some key events during this time period included:
- Introduced successful semi-automatic pistols like the Sigma series
- Purchased handcuff and restraint manufacturer Safariland
- Bought Thompson/Center Arms, a manufacturer of black powder muzzleloaders and hunting rifles
In 2001, Smith & Wesson was purchased by Saf-T-Hammer Corporation for $15 million. The next year, Saf-T-Hammer changed its name to Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation.
Spin-off into Smith & Wesson Brands
In 2002, Smith & Wesson underwent a reorganization in which the handgun business was split off as a separate publicly-traded company, Smith & Wesson Corp. Meanwhile, the long gun business consisting of rifles, shotguns, and black powder muzzleloaders was spun off into a new company called Thompson/Center Arms.
This reorganization was intended to let each business focus on its specific markets and customers. As of 2002, the two successor companies to the original Smith & Wesson were:
- Smith & Wesson Corp: Produced handguns, handcuffs, and other related products
- Thompson/Center Arms: Produced long guns including rifles, shotguns, and muzzleloaders
Merging Back into Smith & Wesson Brands
Smith & Wesson Corp. underwent additional changes of ownership in the 2000s. In 2007, it was acquired by Saf-T-Hammer for $606 million. Shortly thereafter in 2009, private equity firm Saf-T-Hammer merged Smith & Wesson Corp. back together with Thompson/Center Arms under a new publicly-traded holding company called Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation.
Bringing these two businesses back together enabled the new company, operating as Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., to market a wider range of firearms and accessories under the unified Smith & Wesson brand. This continues as the company’s structure today.
Acquisition of Additional Brands
Since re-integrating as Smith & Wesson Brands in 2009, the company has grown further by acquiring several well-known brands:
- Battenfeld Technologies (2011) – A company specializing in shooting and hunting accessories, including cleaning kits, ear protection, gun cases, and reloading tools.
- Taylor Brands (2016) – Acquired several cutlery brands including Schrade, Uncle Henry, Old Timer, and Imperial.
- Crimson Trace (2016) – Manufacturer of laser sights and tactical lights for firearms.
- Gemini Technologies (2017) – Brought in brands like Caldwell Shooting Supplies for shotgun accessories and Wheeler Engineering for gunsmithing tools.
- Ultimate Survival Technologies (2019) – Maker of survival and camping gear including knives, fire starters, light sources and water purification.
Through these acquisitions and continued expansion of its firearm business, Smith & Wesson Brands has grown to over $1 billion in annual sales and become one of the largest manufacturers and marketers of firearms and outdoor accessory products in the United States.
Current Corporate Structure
Today, Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. serves as the parent corporation that owns the major firearms brands Smith & Wesson, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech suppressors, as well as all of the accessory brands it has acquired like Crimson Trace, Caldwell Shooting Supplies, Wheeler Engineering, Schrade knives, and Ultimate Survival Technologies.
The company has two main reporting segments:
- Firearms – Includes pistols, revolvers, rifles, and shotguns under the Smith & Wesson, Thompson/Center Arms, and Gemtech names.
- Outdoor Products & Accessories – Includes branded accessories, non-firearm products for outdoor enthusiasts, and tools under brands like Caldwell, Crimson Trace, and Imperial.
The corporate headquarters of Smith & Wesson Brands is located in Springfield, Massachusetts, where the first Smith & Wesson revolvers were produced in the 1850s. The company has facilities located across the United States that handle functions like manufacturing, distribution, and customer service.
Smith & Wesson Brands continues to design, manufacture, and sell a wide range of products for shooting, hunting, and outdoor enthusiasts. By bringing many strong brands under one corporate structure, the company has become one of the most diversified marketers of firearms and outdoor accessories for American consumers.
Conclusion
The iconic Smith & Wesson name has belonged to several different corporate entities through changes of ownership and restructuring over the past 170+ years. Yet it remains one of the most well-known American brands in the firearm industry. After various mergers, spinoffs, and acquisitions, the core Smith & Wesson gun business now resides under Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. This publicly-traded company owns a diverse collection of market-leading firearm and outdoor accessory brands serving shooting sports enthusiasts across the United States.