Smith and Wesson to buy Thompson Center

abf journal ^ | 12/18/06 | n/a

[sig226]

TD Banknorth Finances Smith & Wesson’s Buyout of Thompson/Center Arms Monday, December 18, 2006

Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Thompson/Center Arms, a designer, manufacturer and marketer of premium hunting firearms, for $102 million in cash. The transaction is expected to close in the beginning of January 2007.

[roaddog727]

Of all shotguns, the .410 is the only one where the gage = the caliber, so it is also a .41 Magnum.

[bmwcyle]

I am glad to see them back but the power in Washington has shifted again.

[from occupied ga]

Tungsten carbide makes a great vehicular suppository if you're not on the receiving end.

[sig226]

The debacle from the Clinton sell out resulted in the sale of S&W at a huge loss. I can't recall the name of the investment group that signed the agreement, but they lost a fortune after that one. Considering the overwhelming number of illegal lawsuits against the company, I guess they felt they had no alternative. An English company now owns Smith & Wesson and has denounced the settlement agreement. Thompkins PLC or something like that is the new owner.

People disgusted with the internal locks need to keep in mind that Springfield and Taurus also have them, Remington flirted with them but removed them, and Sturm Ruger has them on some models.

As much as I despise them as mechanical failures waiting to happen, and half ass excuses for poor gun handling, when you are outnumbered and outgunned by a vile enemy (Clinton, Brady, Schumer) radical means are required.

[ZULU]

Guess so!!

You'd be surprised at what a .58 caliber mini-ball can do - it mushrooms put to about 1" when it hits something hard. I love my Model 1858 Enfield also.

[ZULU]

Well, modern new fangled internal locks don't belong on muzzle-loaders.

[mylife]

I don't remember the caliber but it did double duty with a 410 shot shell.

Probably .45 long

[NorthWoody]

That gun is cocked. Hopefully not loaded, though? Safety first! :-)

I have a T/C Encore handgun (15" barrel) in 7mm-08 Rem, with the walnut forend and grip. Truly a fine and beautiful gun, and tack-driver accurate.

Now that S&W is buying T/C, I won't be purchasing any more of them.

[umgud]

It's not cocked. It doesn't set all the way down when not cocked. BTW, it's a G2 Contender. I have .17m2, .223, .204 and 6.8 Rem SPC barrels. It also is very accurate.

[NorthWoody]

I had a T/C 209x50 Magnum muzzleloader, but I sold it some time back, mostly because of the trouble/time/hassle involved in cleaning it. Couple that with Minnesota's muzzleloader deer hunting season being late and usually very cold, after the rut is over and the deer aren't moving much, and I gave up.

The safest way to unload a muzleloader is to fire it. Fire the gun once, just to unload it after a weekend of hunting, and you're committed to an hour of dis/reassembly and cleaning. Was a fine gun, but I just got tired of it.

[NorthWoody]

Oh. Without getting the gun out of the closet and the case, it seems to me that the hammer on my Encore stops a little closer to the frame than that. Might just be me. I'd treasure that gun if I were you.

[Shooter 2.5]

Most of the people who complain about Smith and Wesson usually have an AK in their inventory. That's according to my informal poll. Go figure.

[Quilla]

IIRC, the T/C .410 barrel will also shoot a 45 after the choke is removed.

[Shooter 2.5]

The front cover of the American Rifleman also shows they're getting into high end shotguns.

It looks like Smith has the "most powerful handgun in the world" under their flag again.

[mbynack]

An English company now owns Smith & Wesson and has denounced the settlement agreement. Thompkins PLC or something like that is the new owner.

The English company no longer owns Smith. It was purchased by a former employee and a manufacturer of firearms safety locks.

[ExSoldier]

when you are outnumbered and outgunned by a vile enemy (Clinton, Brady, Schumer) radical means are required.

That's funny, I just remembered the very first words I ever spoke to my very first rifle platoon as a brand new shave tail Second Looie. It was the height of the cold war in the 1980s and we were training for a conflict that we figured would center around the FULDA GAP in Germany.

I said: Gentlemen, we're outnumbered and outgunned 4 to 1 by the Soviet army. But we will NEVER be outsmarted. That's the only factor that counts.

I even believed it myself. Thankfully, I remembered to listen to the wise counsel of my platoon and 1st sergeants to keep my skinny a$$ squared away. If a junior officer will swallow his inflated sense of self and look to the senior nco's they will move Heaven and Earth to help him.

As to what my post has to do with yours...I have NO clue, however...

[ExSoldier]

In the 80's Thompson Contender marketed a combo Survival Rifle that I have always lusted for, but I could never find one, especially today (now that I can afford it). It was a synthetic stock and had a pair of barrels both 18 inches long. One was a caliber .223 and one was a .30-30. I always thought that would be a great truck combo to have for trips. It broke down into a nice nondescript rectangular package and had it's own case.

[Tribune7]

Here's what Wiki says about it:

Acquisition by Saf-T-Hammer

On May 11, 2001, Saf-T-Hammer Corporation acquired Smith & Wesson Corp. from Tomkins PLC for $15US million, a fraction of the $112US million originally paid by Tomkins. Saf-T-Hammer also assumed $30US million in debt bringing the total purchase price to $45US million. [4] [5] Saf-T-Hammer, a manufacturer of gun locks and other firearms safety products, purchased S&W with the idea of incorporating its line of security products into all Smith & Wesson firearms in compliance with the 2000 Clinton administration agreement.

The acquisition of Smith & Wesson was chiefly brokered by Saf-T-Hammer President Bob Scott, who left S&W back in 1999 due to problems he had with Tomkins’ policies. After the purchase Scott became the President of Smith & Wesson to guide the 157-year old company back to its former glory. On February 15, 2002 the name of the newly formed entity was changed to Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation.

[OKSooner]

I happened to be poking around on the S&W website yesterday and they already had it there. I thought I'd missed the news...

[Sender]

And then there are AK enthusiasts who don't complain about Smith & Wesson. S&W are an American icon who defined the quality double-action revolver.