founded in 1856
Connecticut, Massachusetts
- Smith and Wesson both worked at the National Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts
- 1852 Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson founded
– the (1st) Smith & Wesson Company in Norwich, Connecticut
– 1855 renamed Volcanic Repeating Arms
– purchased by Oliver Winchester
– Wesson stayed as plant manager with Volcanic Repeating Arms for 8 months
– April 1857 renamed New Haven Arms Company
– 1866 renamed Winchester Repeating Arms Company
- 1856 Samuel Colt’s patent on the revolver expired
- 1856 Smith & Wesson Revolver Company
– founded by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson
– in Springfield, Massachusetts - 1899 Model 10
- January 4, 2007, Thompson/Center was purchased by Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
2100 Roosevelt Avenue
Springfield, MA 01104
1-800-331-0852
smith-wesson.com
About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is one of America’s most famous handgun makers. Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson first teamed up in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut to develop the Volcanic lever-action design, a venture that became Volcanic Repeating Arms in 1855 and passed to Oliver Winchester. In 1856 the two partners formed the Smith & Wesson Revolver Company, the forerunner of today’s firm, and built their early revolver business around Rollin White’s patent on a bored-through cylinder, paying White a royalty of 25 cents per gun.
The company’s .38 Military & Police revolver of 1899, later the Model 10, became one of the most produced handguns in history, with more than 6 million made, and the 1955 Model 29 in .44 Magnum became a pop-culture icon. Ownership passed to Britain’s Tomkins plc in 1987 and to Saf-T-Hammer Corporation in 2001, after which the company took the Smith & Wesson Holding name. The polymer-framed M&P pistol arrived in 2005 and the M&P15 rifle in 2006. In 2020 the company spun off its accessories business as American Outdoor Brands, and Smith & Wesson Brands continues to trade on Nasdaq as SWBI. As of 2026 it is headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee, and in January 2024 it introduced the Model 1854 lever-action rifle.
Key Facts
- 1856: Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson form the Smith & Wesson Revolver Company
- 1899: .38 Military & Police (Model 10) introduced
- 1955: Model 29 .44 Magnum introduced
- 2001: Saf-T-Hammer Corporation acquires Smith & Wesson from Tomkins plc
- 2005: M&P polymer pistol launched
- August 24, 2020: American Outdoor Brands spun off
Learn More
Sources
Across the Gun Websites Network
- Smith & Wesson Model 29 Revolver Buyers Guide.com
- Smith & Wesson Model 66 Revolver Buyers Guide.com
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