Smith and Wesson

Smith & Wesson is a manufacturer of handguns located in Springfield, Massachusetts.

History of Smith & Wesson

In 1852 partners Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson formed a company to produce a lever action pistol nicknamed "The Volcanic". The company formed by the partners came to be known as the ""Volcanic Repeating Arms Company", and due to financial difficulties this company came into the majority ownership of investor Oliver Winchester.

In 1856 the partners left the Volcanic Company to begin a new company and manufacture a newly designed revolver and cartridge combination. The timing of the founding of this new company was quite fortuitous, as the arrival of the Civil War five years later produced a great demand for Smith & Wesson's products.

Smith & Wesson is famous for the many types of ammunition it has introduced over the years, for its first double action high capacity pistol and for its revolver know how.

Ammunition types introduced by S&W

• .22 Long Rifle
• .38 Special
• .357 Magnum
• .40 S&W
• .41 Magnum
• .44 Magnum
• .500 S&W

Famous S&W revolvers

• Model 3 (First automatic ejection of used ammunition)
• Model 10 (First .38 Special)
• Model 19 (First low weight .357 Magnum)
• Model 27 (First .357 Magnum)
• Model 60 (First stainless made .357 Magnum)
• Model 29 (First .44 Magnum)
• Model 1917 (First revolver that could fire .45 ACP pistol ammunition)
• Model 586 (First heavy duty medium weight .357 Magnum)
• Model 625 (Holds the world record for 2 x 6 shoots with reload)

Famous S&W pistols

Classic pistols

• Model 39 (First US designed double action pistol in 9mm Luger/Parabellum).

• Model 59 (First high capacity double action pistol in 9mm Luger/Parabellum).

Sigma series

The Sigma series of recoil operated, locked breech semi-auto pistols was introduced in 1994, with the Sigma 40, followed by the Sigma 9. The gun frame is manufactured from polymer, while the slide and barrel can be manufactured from either stainless steel or carbon steel. The Sigma series was improved in 1999, including shortening the barrel and slide, addition of an accessory rail under the barrel, incorporating more comfortable grip checkering and enlarging the ejection port.

• Sigma 9: Uses the 9mm Luger/Parabellum ammunition.

• Sigma 40: Uses the .40 S&W ammunition.

• Sigma 380: Uses the .380 ACP ammunition.