Smith & Wesson Hasn't Forgotten the Gun Market

Smith & Wesson has officially renamed itself American Outdoor Brands (NASDAQ: AOBC), and most of its focus in recent months has been on building up its presence in the new rugged outdoors market it has entered, so some watchers had been concerned the gunmaker might start to downplay its firearms business. They needn’t have worried.

Right out of the gate, American Outdoor’s Smith & Wesson division announced it was introducing a new handgun that it expects will shape the firearms market for years to come, in the same way that its M&P (military and police) platform did after it debuted in 2005. It’s significant and symbolic that the first new product the renamed company introduced is a new firearm.

The Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 is a feature-rich handgun that first will be offered in full-sized 9mm, 40S&W and .45 Auto versions, with the promise of future additions and extensions, suggesting that the market will eventually see smaller models for the concealed carry segment that is so popular right now.

Naturally, Smith & Wesson describes this as a game-changing weapon. Division President Matt Buckingham spoke glowingly of the M&P M2.0. “This is clearly one of the most advanced production pistols on the market today, and we believe it is the pistol that consumers have been waiting for,” he said in the press release.

Beyond just new styling and markings, the M2.0 has what Smith & Wesson calls an “aggressive grip texture,” meaning the polymer grips should give the shooter greater control of the gun, plus a corrosion-resistant finish. A new trigger assembly with a crisp and audible reset, and four grip inserts — prior versions had just three — ensure you can customize the fit to your hand and comfort. The new handgun also comes with a 17-round capacity and two magazines.

Smith & Wesson has proved adept at taking the pulse of the firearms community and introducing guns they want. Its compact M&P Shield was perfectly timed to meet the rising demand for a concealed carry weapon, and quickly became one of the best-selling models on the market. Whether the M2.0 can replicate that success remains to be seen, but priced at $529, it ought to find more than a few buyers. And, by making it the company’s first new product of 2017, American Outdoor Brands has perhaps allayed the concerns that it was putting its firearms business on the back burner.

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Smith & Wesson Hasn't Forgotten the Gun Market