Last updated and checked October 31, 2026 · By Nick Hall. Prices are the lowest new listings in our feed of 200+ retailers on October 31, 2026.
For more than 170 years, Smith & Wesson has been close to a synonym for “revolver.” It built the Model 1 that made the metallic-cartridge revolver a real product, gave the world the .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum, armed generations of police with the Model 10, and then did it again in polymer with the M&P and Shield. Now it’s selling metal-framed M&Ps and a lever gun, too. Here is who they are, what they make, and what is worth buying.
Table of Contents
Who Smith & Wesson is
Smith & Wesson is an American gunmaker based in Maryville, Tennessee, whose partners first teamed up in 1852. It makes revolvers, M&P pistols, AR-pattern rifles, carbines and the Model 1854 lever gun, and trades on Nasdaq as SWBI.
Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson started out in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1852, building a repeating arm that became the Volcanic. It didn’t work out. The business was renamed Volcanic Repeating Arms in 1855 and bought by Oliver Winchester, a shirt maker, and it eventually became the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. So the same two men had a hand in the company that became their famous rival. In 1856 they formed the Smith & Wesson Revolver Company.
The second try worked because of a patent. Rollin White held the rights to a bored-through cylinder, and Smith & Wesson paid him a $0.25 royalty per gun rather than making him a partner. The 1857 Model 1 fired a self-contained cartridge, and orders outran production by 1860. Then came the Registered Magnum in .357 in 1935, and the Model 29 in .44 Magnum in 1955, which Dirty Harry later made famous.
The corporate story is messier. The Wesson family sold control to Bangor Punta in 1965, and Britain’s Tomkins paid $112.5 million for the company in 1987. In March 2000 S&W signed an agreement with the Clinton administration on design and distribution changes, and the boycott that followed hit hard. The stock fell to 19 cents by December. Saf-T-Hammer bought the company for $45 million including debt in May 2001. The outdoor business was spun off as American Outdoor Brands in 2020, and in 2023 S&W moved its headquarters and much of its manufacturing from Massachusetts to Tennessee. The new address is 1852 Proffitt Springs Road, and I doubt that number is a coincidence. Fiscal 2026 revenue was $523.8 million, up about 10%.
What Smith & Wesson makes
Revolvers
This is still the heart of the company, and its catalog lists about 130 revolvers from $449 to $3,499. The small end starts with the $449 Bodyguard 38 2.0 and the $569 J-frame Model 642. Medium guns include the 686 Plus at $1,039 list, the Model 19 Classic and the Model 69 Combat Magnum. Up top, the 629 handles .44 Magnum from $1,139, and the S&W500 and 460XVR run $1,629 to $1,699. Street prices are lower: a 686 Plus was $869.99 at Brownells and a 642 was $499.99 at Guns.com.
M&P and carry pistols
The M&P launched in 2005 as S&W’s answer to the Glock. The current M&P9 M2.0 fixed the early trigger complaints, and the Shield Plus is the carry gun most people want at $393.99 from Guns.com. The newer Shield X and Bodyguard 2.0 fill out the carry line, and the M&P EZ guns serve shooters who struggle to rack a slide. The big 2026 news is metal: the M2.0 Metal HD has a stainless frame and lists at $1,149, and the limited Spec Series VI uses an aluminum frame.
Rifles and carbines
The M&P15 Sport III starts at $799, which is where a lot of first AR buyers land. Above it sit the Volunteer XV from $1,079 and the AXE rifles at $1,599. The M&P FPC folding carbine runs $549 to $779 and now comes in 5.7x28mm, and the Response is a 9mm carbine at $799. The one that surprises people is the Model 1854 lever gun, from $1,279 and now also in 360 Buckhammer. There’s even an M&P12 shotgun at $1,249.
1911s and the Performance Center
The E-Series and Pro Series cover the 1911 side. The Performance Center is the in-house shop that tunes actions and cuts slides, and it builds everything from a $629 enhanced-action 642 to a $3,499 Jerry Miculek world record Model 327.
Pros
- Deepest revolver catalog going
- No-lock models still listed
- Shield Plus is strong carry value
Cons
- Internal lock on many revolvers
- Limited editions get expensive
- Glock still wins aftermarket depth
Build quality and the internal lock
Steel S&W revolvers have earned their reputation for lasting. The one sticking point is the key-operated internal lock that’s been on most S&W revolvers since the Saf-T-Hammer purchase. Plenty of revolver shooters dislike it on principle, and you’ll hear it blamed for reliability gripes. For most owners it never comes up, but if you hate it, you don’t have to buy it.
S&W’s current catalog names no-lock versions of the Model 10 Classic ($1,019), Model 19 Classic ($1,119), Model 36 Classic ($849), Model 642 and 442 ($569), M&P 340 ($1,019) and 340 PD ($1,199). The limited Spec Series R 686 Plus is also a no-lock, at $1,999. Check the exact model name when you buy, because a lock and a no-lock version can sit side by side at the same dealer.
How Smith & Wesson compares
In revolvers, Ruger is the real rival. S&W actions tend to be smoother out of the box and the catalog is far deeper, while Ruger’s guns are famously overbuilt. That choice got simpler in October 2026, when Ruger said it was ceasing production of the GP100, SP101 and LCR. A 686 Plus now costs about the same as a GP100, at $869.99 against about $899, and it’s still in production.
In striker pistols, the M&P goes against Glock and the SIG P320. I think the M&P has the most natural grip angle of the three, but Glock wins on aftermarket and it isn’t close. The Shield Plus is also priced under most P365 models in our feed. In ARs, a Sport III is fair value, though PSA and Aero will undercut it.
Who should buy what
- Pocket-carry revolver fan: a Model 642, no-lock if that matters to you.
- Everyday concealed carrier: an M&P9 Shield Plus.
- New or hand-strength-limited shooter: an M&P EZ.
- Home-defense buyer: an M&P9 M2.0 or a 4-inch 686 Plus.
- Big-bore hunter: a 629, or an S&W500 if you can handle it.
- Lever gun shopper: a Model 1854, checked against a Henry at the same price.
Look elsewhere if the biggest possible aftermarket matters more than fit in your hand. That’s Glock territory.
The Smith & Wesson philosophy
S&W’s habit is range. It didn’t invent the metallic cartridge, but it built the revolver that made one sell. It was late to polymer strikers, then built one of the best-selling families around. Investor materials say it introduced over 250 new SKUs in fiscal 2026, and 38.1% of revenue came from new products. There’s a Smith for almost every job, and sometimes five of them, which can make choosing the hard part.
How to choose your Smith & Wesson setup
Decide revolver or semi-auto first. For a revolver, pick the frame for your caliber and carry method, then decide whether the lock bothers you. For a semi-auto, go Shield Plus for concealment, M2.0 for duty and home defense, and EZ if racking a slide is a problem. Then buy spare factory magazines and a holster made for your exact model, since an M&P and a Shield don’t share either one.
From Springfield to Maryville
For 167 years Smith & Wesson built guns in Springfield, Massachusetts. It armed Union officers, lawmen, beat cops and Hollywood’s most famous detective. It survived British ownership, a boycott that nearly sank it and the slow move from wheel guns to polymer. Then it packed up for Tennessee in 2023. Its first venture was a repeating lever gun that failed, and now it sells a lever gun again.
What Smith & Wesson owners upgrade
On the M&P, most owners change the trigger first, and Apex Tactical built much of its name on M&P kits. After that come better sights, an optic plate, a bigger magazine release and match barrels. Shield owners add grip tape and extended magazines. On revolvers, the classics are grips and springs: a Hogue or VZ grip, a Wolff spring kit and a brighter front sight.
Most of those come from aftermarket makers, so you won’t find them under the S&W name below. What you’ll find here are factory magazines, holsters made for S&W models, cases and cleaning kits, and the small factory parts that wear out.
Facts and Figures
- First partnership: 1852, Norwich, Connecticut.
- Revolver company: 1856. Model 1: 1857.
- .357 Magnum: 1935. Model 29 in .44 Magnum: 1955.
- Headquarters: Maryville, Tennessee, since 2023.
- Fiscal 2026 revenue: $523.8 million.
- Catalog: about 130 revolvers, $449 to $3,499.
- New for 2026: M2.0 Metal HD, Spec Series VI and R, FPC 5.7, 1854 in 360 Buckhammer.
Retail prices in the cards and carousels here are live.
Shop Smith & Wesson Parts & Prices
Live Smith & Wesson products and current prices, organized by department and updated automatically.
Smith & Wesson Pistols
Smith & Wesson Revolvers
Smith & Wesson Rifles & Rimfires
Pistol Magazines
Magazine Parts & Older Models
IWB Holsters for S&W Guns
Recoil Springs & Small Parts
AR-15 Lower Parts Kits
Pistol Cases
Cleaning Kits
Where Smith & Wesson Fits in Our Buying Guides
- Best Smith & Wesson Pistols
- The Best .357 Magnum Revolvers
- The Best .44 Magnum Revolvers
- The Best .38 Special Revolvers
- The Best Home-Defense Revolvers
- The Best Compact 9mm Pistols
- The Best 1911 Pistols Under $1,000
Smith & Wesson FAQ
Where are Smith & Wesson guns made?
In the United States. After 167 years in Springfield, Massachusetts, the company moved its headquarters and much of its manufacturing to Maryville, Tennessee in 2023.
Did Smith & Wesson really start Winchester?
Indirectly, yes. Their first venture became Volcanic Repeating Arms, which Oliver Winchester bought in 1855 and which became Winchester Repeating Arms by 1866. Smith and Wesson formed their revolver company in 1856.
Which Smith & Wesson revolvers have no internal lock?
S&W names no-lock versions of the Model 642, 442, 340 PD, M&P 340 and the Model 10, 19 and 36 Classics, among others. Check the exact model name, because many standard revolvers still carry the lock.
Did Smith & Wesson invent the .357 and .44 Magnum?
S&W introduced the first revolver for each: the Registered Magnum in .357 in 1935 and the Model 29 in .44 Magnum in 1955.
What is the M&P Shield Plus?
A slim 9mm carry pistol with a 3.1-inch barrel, sold in 10-round and 13-round versions. It was $393.99 at Guns.com on October 31, 2026.
M&P or Glock?
Both are excellent polymer strikers. I think the M&P has the more natural grip angle, while Glock has the much larger aftermarket. Shoot both if you can, because fit in your hand should decide it.
What is the Smith & Wesson Model 1854?
S&W's lever-action rifle, listed from $1,279 in .357 Magnum and 45 Colt, and $1,399 in 30-30, .44 Magnum, 45-70 and 360 Buckhammer.
What tier is Smith & Wesson?
Full range: a $449 Bodyguard 38 2.0 at the low end of its revolver list and Performance Center guns at the top, with M&P pistols and rifles covering the middle.
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