Smith & Wesson's latest guns hit the self-defense target - Lethal Force

Shooting Industry, April, 2003 by Massad Ayoob

Smith & Wesson's 2003 introductions are heavy on the sporting side, grabbing a lot of attention in the media. However, many of the company's new firearms shows Smith & Wesson is also on top of the self-defense market.

Yes, the big dog drawing the most attention over the rest of the pack is the Model 500 S&W Magnum. The revolver is massive, packing 72 ounces on its gigantic new X-frame. It spits up to 440 grains of .50 caliber lead at 1,600 foot pounds to generate almost 2,600 foot-pounds of energy.

Gear for the dedicated handgun hunter, the Model 500 will sell, but the larger sales volume will go to Smith & Wesson's self-defense handguns.

New 1911 And .45 Autos Grab Attention

The long-awaited 1911 from Smith & Wesson already has buyers salivating. They want the great ergonomics, shootability, and the quality of a tricked-out, modern 1911 .45 auto. Customers also know these guns are notoriously finicky and they want the reliability they've come to expect from the Smith & Wesson brand. The Model SW1911 meets all the expectations.

The gun is traditional, accurate and reliable. It's drop-safe, using Smith & Wesson's own passive firing-pin safety. It works off the grip safety without using Colt's old Swartz patent recently resurrected so successfully by Kimber. The shooting public has been waiting for this gun a long time and they're standing in line to buy it.

Two other new .45 semi-autos emerge from Smith & Wesson this year. One is the sweet-shooting SW99. The good news: The trigger reach -- at least for single action after the double-action first shot -- is a little better than that of the Glock. The bad news: It still has the awkward decocking lever that comes from the Walther part of this Smith & Wesson/Walther cooperative design.

The other new Smith & Wesson .45 auto is a stainless version of the Model 457 Value Line lightweight compact. It's one of the best buys available in its flat-matte blue, and the same will be true in stainless. Either finish is also available in compact 9mm (Model 908), and full-size 9mm (Model 910) and .40 S&W (Model 410). The stainless Model 457 has been shipping since November 2002.

The new Model 4040PD is based on the sleek, compact single-stack Model 3913 9mm. The PD stands for Personal Defense. The Model 4040PD, in .40 S&W, has a 7 1 cartridge capacity, Scandium frame, Hogue rubber grips and Novak Lo-Mount Carry three-dot sights. Don't be surprised to see it in .357 SIG before long.

Smith & Wesson hasn't given up on the poorly-received Sigma, which remains in the line, but it's pinning more hopes on the SW99 in the Polymer Pistol Wars. In addition to the .45 mentioned, twin sub-compacts debut this year in 9mm and .40 S&W to compete directly with the baby Glocks. They have a good feel, good accuracy and good function.

New .44 Magnum Revolver A Mighty Kicker

For many of your customers, Smith's new Model 329 AirLite PD may be the most exciting new offering for 2003. It's a four-inch barrel, double-action .44 Magnum with Scandium frame and Titanium cylinder. A stainless steel barrel tube is encased in a barrel shroud made of the same aircraft aluminum the company has crafted its popular Airweight frames from for more than 50 years. This brings the weight down to an incredible 26 ounces.

In .44 Magnum, as you might imagine, the recoil is nothing less than savage. It hurts to shoot the 329. However, this can be remedied with good grips. The 329 comes with Ahrends finger-groove wood grip and a Hogue rubber monogrip.

In addition, Pachmayr Decelerators should be a natural point-of-sale accessory with this hard-kicking beast. So should Uncle Mike's or PAST recoil gloves.

Also, inventory a quantity of lighter-kicking .44 Special ammo to offer customers along with full-Magnum loads. If you want to go even softer, stock .44 Russian cowboy rounds from Black Hills.

Your customers who trek afield a lot, particularly in dangerous critter country, will greatly appreciate this featherweight powerhouse. They'll also appreciate the wisely chosen accessories you sell them along with the Model 329 to make it more shootable.

The hot -- in ballistics and sales interest -- new .17 Hornady Rimfire Magnum round finds another home in the heavy barrel S&W K-22 style Model 617. Customers can't get enough of the Hornady mini-round and Smith & Wesson gives you one more SKU to satisfy their demand.

It would be interesting to see how this round would function in the eight-shot Model 317 AirLite Ti .22 revolver, which remains a best seller, It could have potential for self-defense in the "mousegun market."

For 2003, Smith & Wesson also reintroduces the K-22 Magnum as the stainless Model 648.

The super-light .32 Magnum revolvers such as the Model 332 remain in the line. Smith & Wesson executives say it sells well enough to earn its space in the catalog, but they'd like to sell more.

The good news: It has a mild recoil in a super-light pocket revolver format that many favor, and a sixth shot compared to the usual five in a J-frame. The bad news: Anything .32 caliber is still seen by many in the buying public as a wimp gun, inadequate for personal protection.