Smith And Wesson
Smith And Wesson grips
Smith & Wesson is one of America's oldest and most iconic firearms manufacturers, founded on November 17, 1852, in Norwich, Connecticut, by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson
Both were experienced gunsmiths: Smith from a family of rifle makers, Wesson a former Colt employee. Their first venture produced the Volcanic Repeating Arms lever-action pistol and rifle (1854–1856), using "Rocket Ball" ammunition—a precursor to modern metallic cartridges. Financial struggles led Volcanic to fail; Oliver Winchester bought the assets, evolving them into the Winchester Repeating Arms Company
In 1856, Smith and Wesson re-partnered in Springfield, Massachusetts, focusing on a breakthrough: the world's first successful metallic cartridge revolver. The Model 1 (.22 Short rimfire, 7-shot tip-up) debuted in 1857 and became an instant success—reliable, easy to load, and popular during the Civil War era
Key milestones:
- 1860s: Model 2 (.32 rimfire) and Model 3 (Schofield, Russian) gained military contracts
- 1870s–1890s: Top-break and large-frame designs dominated
- 1899: Introduced the legendary Military & Police (.38 Special), later the Model 10—the most produced revolver ever
- 1950s–1960s: .357 Magnum (1935), .44 Magnum (1955) revolutionized big-bore handguns
- 1965: Acquired by Bangor Punta; later Bain Capital (1987), then spun off as independent in 2001
Today, headquartered in Springfield, MA, Smith & Wesson (now under American Outdoor Brands until 2020 separation) leads with M&P polymer pistols, AR-15 rifles, revolvers, and performance center customs—blending 170+ years of innovation, reliability, and American heritage
