This article was written with the assistance of A.I. technology, and has been edited and fact-checked by Melly Alazraki.
As one of America’s oldest and most well-known gun manufacturers, Smith & Wesson has been a staple in the firearms industry for over 150 years. The company got its start in 1852, when founders Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson created the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company. The Volcanic pistol was one of the first repeating firearms. The company ended up in the ownership of Oliver Winchester, and Smith and Wesson started another company.
In 1856, they founded Smith & Wesson and began production of their first pistol, the Model 1. The Model 1 was a small, single-action revolver that became quite popular and helped put the company on the map. In the years that followed, Smith & Wesson would release new models of pistols, revolvers, and rifles. Today, the company is known for its handguns and is one of the leading manufacturers of pistols in the United States.
Pistols have become the most popular type of firearm in the United States in recent years. From 2016 to 2020, Smith & Wesson manufactured 5,516,685 pistols in the United States, which accounted for 26% of the market share, according to data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. One of the company’s most popular pistol models is the M&P Shield, which is a compact 9mm handgun, although it comes in a .40 caliber as well. 9mm is the most popular pistol caliber in the United States.
Smith & Wesson is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. The company employs over 2,000 people and has a network of dealers and distributors all over the world. Firearms from Smith & Wesson are used by civilians and law enforcement officers all over the world.
Click here to check out America’s top pistol companies.
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