Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (“Smith & Wesson”, Nasdaq SWBI), a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, today announced that it has acquired Savage Arms (“Savage”) by merger from an indirect subsidiary of JDH Capital I, L.P. (“JDH”). The price of the acquisition is listed at $160,000,000 in stock value and cash.
The transaction combines two iconic American firearm manufacturers with leading capabilities across distinct segments of the firearms market. Savage’s strength in hunting and bolt-action rifles is highly complementary to Smith & Wesson’s leadership position in handguns and growing presence across other long gun categories, creating a broader product portfolio.
Savage has been producing firearms for more than 130 years and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hunting, competition and target shooting centerfire and rimfire rifles and shotguns.
According to Shooting Times: “The combined company [S&W plus Savage Arma] will immediately rank as the largest commercial firearms manufacturer in the United States, with a full-line product offering spanning handguns, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and suppressors. Savage brings roughly $160 million annual net sales and a dedicated, skilled workforce of approximately 500 to the Smith & Wesson family, strengthening the combined company’s position at a moment when consumer demand for American-made firearms across every category remains strong.”
Mark Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Wesson, commented, “The acquisition of Savage is a transformative step for Smith & Wesson and an important milestone in our strategy to be the undisputed market leader in the firearm industry. Savage’s brand heritage, culture, and longstanding reputation for performance and innovation align closely with our own, and the business meaningfully expands our presence in the hunting category. By bringing these two companies together, we have created a broader, stronger platform with significant opportunities to better serve our customers, accelerate innovation, realize operating efficiencies and drive long-term value for our stockholders.”
Michael Fertitta, Managing Director of JDH, commented, “Savage has a storied history spanning more than 132 years, and we are incredibly proud of the business and brand the Savage team has built. Smith & Wesson is a natural partner for Savage given the complementary strengths of the two companies and their shared commitment to quality, innovation and serving the firearms community. We are excited about the potential of the combined business and look forward to participating in its continued success as a significant Smith & Wesson stockholder.”
Transaction and Company Details
• Acquisition Date: October 21, 2026
• Deal Value: $160 million in cash and stock
• Previous Owner: JDH Capital I, L.P. (which becomes a Smith & Wesson stockholder)
• Savage Headquarters: Westfield, Massachusetts
• Savage Workforce: Approximately 500 employees
• Annual Net Sales (Savage): Roughly $160 million
Strategic Impact
• Product Complementarity: Merges Smith & Wesson’s handgun leadership with Savage’s footprint in bolt-action and hunting rifles.
• Market Scale: Creates one of the largest combined commercial U.S. firearm manufacturers, spanning handguns, revolvers, centerfire/rimfire rifles, shotguns, and suppressors.
Ask 10 shooters about barrel cleaning and you’ll get 10 different opinions. This reflects that fact that different fouling problems demand different solutions. For example, solvents that work well for copper may not be the best for hard carbon (and vice-versa). To come up with the right solution, first you must understand the nature of the fouling in your barrel.
John Krieger Interview with AccurateShooter at SHOT Show:
The debate about the proper care of a match barrel is a hot one, spiked with folklore and old wives’ tales, Lohman said. He and his staff set out to set the record straight: “We tried to interject some science into the discussion of cleaning a match barrel,” he explained. In his article, Lohman writes:
Why worry about a little barrel fouling when the throat is subjected to a brutal 5,600° F volcano at 55,000 PSI? To investigate these and other questions about taking care of a match barrel, we spoke with a dozen experts and share their knowledge in this first of a series of articles.
After listening to folks who shoot, build barrels or manufacture cleaning solvents for a living, we concluded that even the experts each have their own unique recommendations on how to care for a match barrel. But they all agree on one thing — the gun will tell you what it likes best. Because the life expectancy of a match barrel is about 1,500 to 2,500 rounds, the objectives of cleaning one should include: preserve accuracy, slow the erosion, and remove fouling — all without damaging the gun. This article doesn’t claim that one cleaning method is better than the next. Rather, we set out to interject a little science into the discussion and to share some lessons learned from experts in the field.
For more Shooting Sports USA articles, visit www.ssusa.org.
Top to bottom: Remington firing pin assembly with ISS, Tubb SpeedLock alloy-composite system without ISS (current versions have dual, opposite-wound springs), and Remington short action firing pin assembly without ISS.
The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit regularly publishes technical articles on the USAMU Facebook page. One informative USAMU article covered mechanical issues and related ignition irregularities that can cause vertical fliers even with good ammunition in an otherwise excellent rifle. We highly recommend you read this article, which offers some important tech tips.
Vertical Dispersion: Mechanical/Ignition Issues?
Poor or inconsistent ignition has long been known to be one of the “usual suspects” when one encounters vertical fliers that just shouldn’t be there. By having a sense of some of the basic principles involved, and a few basic areas to check, the shooter may avoid colsiderable frustration, not to mention time, expensive loading components and barrel wear.
Is your well-built rifle of high-quality components plagued with vertical fliers across more than 1-3 handload combinations? Consider the bedding, crown and scope/sight mounts. Are they correct? If so, then you might check for ignition issues before boldly undertaking an extensive, expensive, and quite possibly fruitless quest for the “magic handload”.
SEEING IS BELIEVING: While the author had been aware for many years that poor ignition should be considered and ruled out when dealing with vertical fliers in an otherwise-excellent rifle, actually seeing the problem and its almost instantaneous cure really drove the lesson home.
He was working with a “dot” rifle – a .22 LR match rifle that really stacked bullets into little piles at 50 yards and beyond. With one lot of ELEY Tenex, it produced consistent “bughole” groups at 50, but with another, selected lot of Tenex, similar groups were regularly ruined by single, vertical fliers that did not appear in other rifles. Rather than spending days burning up expensive, select ammunition looking for “magic lots”, he contacted a well-respected rimfire gunsmith and explained the situation.
Without so much as batting an eye, the highly-experienced ‘smith tore into the rifle’s action, and quickly found the cause(s) of the problem. He discovered a demonstrably weak firing pin spring, plus a chip out of the face of the firing pin where it contacted the cartridge rim.
After replacing and tuning the offending parts, the rifle immediately began shooting tiny, bughole groups with the previously “unacceptable” lot of Tenex. Centerfire rifles can also benefit from ensuring positive, consistent ignition. A wise riflesmith is literally worth his weight in gold!
So, what are some issues we as shooters can inspect in our rifles to help determine if ignition woes could be part of our problem? At the club level, ask yourself if that “experienced” Remington, Winchester 70, or even Springfield-based match bolt gun you’re using is still running its’ original 40-80 year-old factory striker spring? If so, a new replacement is cheap insurance against current or future problems. (And BTW, it might be best to stick to the normal, factory-spec spring weight. A super-powerful spring can cause vertical, just as a weak one one can.) Along with that, a routine check for proper firing-pin protrusion is a quick preventive measure that can rule out potential issues.
Other areas to consider are the centering and consistency of the firing pin’s operation in the bolt. Admittedly, with the increasing use of precision-machined custom actions, this is becoming less an issue every day. Below is the firing pin assembly from a custom BAT action:
However, particularly with factory actions, a very quick and easy check is to remove the bolt, let the firing pin go forward, and look at the firing pin tip through the firing pin hole. Is the tip off-center in the hole, and possibly striking it as it moves forward? Is the hole out-of-round or burred from being struck repeatedly? If so, a trip to the riflesmith is likely in order.
Similarly, machining issues in the bolt/firing pin system can lead to rough and erratic firing pin movement, in which the firing pin drags against an internal surface of the bolt. In high-quality rifles these issues are relatively rare, but not unheard-of, and it takes mere minutes to rule them out. It may be worthwhile to remove the cocking piece/firing pin/spring assembly and look for any unusual gouges, dings, peening, burrs or signs of abnormal wear.
This task is especially easy with Winchester 70s, Springfields, and the similar Mauser 98s, involving little more than the push of a button and unscrewing the cocking piece assembly. This is just one of the many reasons these tried-and-true actions have earned such a loyal following in the field, among hunters who must maintain their rifles away from a shop.
Particularly with older rifles, watch for and remove excess grease (or even Cosmoline!) from both the firing pin assembly and inside the bolt. This can help improve firing pin speed and consistency. Other bolt-action designs may need a take-down tool or other measures.
As part of this inspection, AFTER ENSURING THE RIFLE IS UNLOADED, slowly cock the rifle, dry-fire, and repeat several times. Listen carefully near the action for inconsistency in the sounds it generates. Does the striker falling make the same sound each time? Do you hear or feel grinding upon operation? If so, where?
Be sure to check the operation of the cocking piece (bolt shroud), firing pin within the bolt shroud, the cocking piece cam and the rear of the bolt body where the cocking piece cam operates. As with our examination for abnormal wear marks discussed above, look for marks indicating roughness or a possible need for light polishing. Then, clean and lightly grease the bearing surfaces while you’re at it.
Remington 700 bolt shroud and cocking cam
These are relatively easy checks that shooters can undertake to perform a preliminary inspection on their own. Other mechanical issues can also cause ignition issues, chiefly centered around the action of the trigger, sear and sear spring. If these are suspected, a trip to an experienced, qualified riflesmith for diagnosis is recommended. We hope you find this information helpful! Join us again next week, and in the meantime, enjoy the shooting sports safely!
While devotees of this site are hard-core accuracy addicts, who normally shoot tiny groups with sophisticated Benchrest and Varmint rifles, we should not overlook the pure fun of shooting a classic iron sights lever-action rifle at reactive targets. Lever guns are fun to shoot, easy to transport, AND they require a lot less maintenance than your modern black rifle.
Drilling a tight 1/4-MOA group is very satisfying. But for simple, basic shooting fun, it’s hard to beat a slicked-up, “race-ready”, Winchester-clone lever gun. In fact, this Editor’s favorite rifle for “fun shooting” is my 20″ Uberti Model 1866 “Yellowboy” Lever gun. Shooting low-recoil .38 Special rounds at steel targets from a standing position offers old-fashioned shooting satisfaction. When I invite a new shooter to the range, I usually bring the 1866 Yellowboy, and let the newbie shoot steel at 50 yards. New shooters (of all ages) love the look and feel of the rifle, and the low recoil. The typical response is: “Wow, that was fun!”.
My rifle features a slicked-up action and lightened trigger. After a “CodyMatic” action job by cowboy gunsmith Cody Conagher, my Yellowboy’s lever can be cycled with just one finger. Trigger pull is about a pound and a half. The high-gloss, blued octagonal barrel is very accurate and the mirror-finish bore cleans up easily.
Based on the Model 1866 Winchester, Uberti’s Yellowboy, and its Model 1873 “older brother”, feature a toggle-link action that is extremely smooth. The toggle action design also keeps the linkages separate from the chamber so the gun runs extremely clean. After firing 100 rounds or more, all you need to do is wipe off the bolt and breech-face with some solvent and run a bore-snake down the bore a few times. To be honest, the Yellowboy is more fun to shoot at steel than my AR Carbine. And maintenance-wise, for every five minutes I spend cleaning the 1866, I’ll spend an hour detail-stripping and cleaning the AR. The shooting-to-cleaning ratio favors the lever gun by orders of magnitude.
These Italian-made Winchester clones are very handsome, with nicely figured wood under a durable clearcoat. You can polish the brass receiver to keep it shiny, or leave it alone to develop an authentic, dulled patina. Uberti’s Model 1873 features a steel receiver with gorgeous color case-hardening.
After the fun factor, what’s the best thing about Uberti lever guns? Resale value. I can sell my 1866 for quite a bit more than I paid for it. Over the past decade, the price of Italian-made Uberti lever guns has been steadily rising. This means that older rifles fetch a premium on the used market.
Here’s a simple solution for lumpy front sandbags. Cut a small block the width of your fore-end and place that in the front bag between matches. You can tap it down firmly with a rubber mallet.
The block will keep the front bag nice and square, without bunching up in the center. That will help your rifle track straight and true. Rick Beginski uses wood (see photo), while our friend John Southwick uses a small block of metal. The metal block might work a little better, but the wood version is easier to make with simple tools. Shown above is a slick Delrin block with a built-in bubble level used with a quality J.J. Loh front rest. Using a good block on your front bag helps ensure that the actual top surface of your front bag is level, as distinct from the front rest assembly.
Lyman’s popular E-Zee Case Length Gauge II is now bigger and better. The latest version of Lyman’s Case Gauge is much larger than the original version. The Case Gauge II now measures more than 70 cartridge types — way more than before. This tool is a metal template with SAAMI-max-length slots for various cartridge types, including modern cartridges such as the Winchester Short Magnums. This tool allows you to quickly sort brass or check the dimensions. If you have a bucketful of mixed pistol brass this can save you hours of tedious work with calipers. You can also quickly check case lengths to see if it’s time to trim your fired brass.
If you load a wide variety of calibers, or do a lot of pistol shooting, we think you should pick up one of these Lyman Case Gauge templates. They are currently available for $24.99 at Brownells, $26.99 at MidwayUSA, and $34.68 on Amazon. The E-Zee Case Gauge has long been a popular item for hand-loaders.
NOTE: For years the E-Zee Case Gauge had a silver finish with black lettering, as shown above. Some of the most recent production of E-Zee gauges have a new “high contrast” look, with white lettering on a black frame. You may get either version when you order online — Brownells and MidwayUSA show silver, while Amazon shows black. We actually prefer the older silver version. Below is the black and white variant.
Lyman Case Gauge Should Last a Lifetime
Easily measure the case length of over 70 popular rifle and pistol cases with Lyman’s E-Zee Case Length Gauge II. This really is a “must-have” piece of kit for any gun owner who hand-loads numerous pistol and rifle calibers.
This precisely-made metal gauge makes sorting or identifying cases fast and accurate. The template is machined with SAAMI max recommended case lengths. Made from metal, with no moving parts, the E-Zee Case Gauge should last a lifetime. The Lyman E-Zee Gauges offered by Brownells are silver with black lettering, while other Case Gauge models are black with white lettering.
Here’s a cool way to save money — but you need to act quickly. Today — October 20, 2026 — Powder Valley Outdoors is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $99.00. So if you need powder, primers, bullets, brass, ammo or other products (including reloading gear), head over to PowderValley.com and take advantage of this special ONE-DAY Only deal on 10/20/2026!
NOTE: In addition to today’s FREE Shipping offer, Powder Valley is currently offering FREE Hazmat on qualifying orders of $599.00 or more. NOTE: This is a completely separate deal from the 10/20/26 one-day FREE Shipping offer. But it can save you $25 or more with a large order of powder and/or primers.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Brownells — Fall Clearance SALE and Major Discounts
⏺️ » Deals on optics, ammo, guns, tools plus 30% OFF with CODE FALL30
Brownells is running major discounts now with a fall clearance sale. There are good deals on optics, gun components, ammo, reloading gear and much more. Visit Brownells’ Sale and Clearance Page to access hundreds of deals. And you can then save an additional 30% with Code FALL30. On the Fall Clearance landing page you can navigate by product type, and be sure to use Code FALL30 to get 30% savings off the listed price.
MidwayUSA — Waterfowl Hunting Sale — Guns, Ammo, Carry Bags
⏺️ » Deals on shotguns, ammo, hunting gear, + Free Shipping $100+ Orders
If you’re getting ready to head out to the marshes, check out the waterfowl hunting sale at MidwayUSA. You’ll find great deals on shotguns, camo gear, and high-quality waterfowl hunting ammo. They have everything from shotguns to shells to gear to keep you warm and comfortable all at low prices to save you some money. In addition, MidwayUSA is now offering FREE Shipping for orders over $100.00.
As an Amazon affiliate, this site can earn revenues through sales commissions.
Federal Ammunition has released a new version of the Federal Ballistic AE App to assist shooters and hunters. The updated Advanced Edition (AE) App features a modern interface with enhanced navigation for a better user experience in the field. The HUD and DOPE charts are combined in a single workspace, with real-time trajectory information and manual data adjustments in wind direction, speed, and range.
Powered by the JBM Ballistics computer, Ballistic App is a respected ballistics calculator for iOS devices. This app calculates trajectory, windage, velocity, energy, lead, and bullet flight time for any valid range. Ballistic AE can compensate for atmospheric conditions such as temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, altitude and more. The App has a library of more than 800 projectiles and factory loads, with G1/G7 BC data, as well as advanced features including a mil-dot and MOA rangefinder, GPS and atmospheric reporting, full-size charts, and a precision target log.
The refreshed Ballistic AE App is designed to help long-range shooters and hunters hit more consistently with real-time aiming and scope adjustments available at their fingertips. Federal Marketing V.P. Jason Nash states: “This new and improved mobile app provides a better user experience [with improved accuracy].”
The Federal Ballistic AE iOS ballistics calculator is designed to provide accurate trajectory, windage and velocity for Federal, Remington, Fiocchi, and Speer projectiles. App users will find their favorite cartridge types including virtually all new modern cartridges and Federal’s new Peak Alloy products 7mm Backcountry and 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak. The App also employs GPS-aware precision tools to help provide more accurate trajectory predictions in the field.
Federal states: “This new version of the Ballistic AE App gives hunters and shooters the modern tools they need to perform at their peak in the field and on the range.” Full information on the new Ballistic AE App can be found at Federalpremium.com. Users can download the App for FREE from the Apple App Store.
Yes Hunters Should Protect Their Hearing
According to Dr. William W. Clark, the current Director of the Washington Univ. School of Medicine’s Audiology/Communication Sciences Program, a “serious threat to hearing comes from recreational hunting or target shooting”. This is in large part due to the fact that many people choose not to use traditional hearing protection devices like earplugs and earmuffs because they want to be able to hear their surroundings. Multiple studies have found that between 70 to 80% of hunters never wear earplugs or earmuffs, and nearly half of all target shooters don’t consistently wear traditional hearing protection. Thus, it should come as no surprise that for every five years of hunting, hunters become seven percent more likely to experience high frequency hearing loss.
We recommend that hunters carry quick-insert plugs on a cord around your neck. These can be quickly deployed when you are getting ready to shoot. Or, get a lightweight neck band with earbuds, such as Howard Leight Quiet Band QB1HYG, Sellstrom Band, or 3M Safety Band, all with good Noise Reduction Ratings of 25 dB or higher. You can keep these lightweight bands around your neck for quick deployment.
The Risk of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can be progressive and irreversible. If you are a shooter, this is serious business. As the NRA Blog cautions: “You may not even realize you’re harming your hearing. Hearing loss occurs gradually, and can go effectively unnoticed until symptoms become severe. By then, the damage is done. Effective hearing protection is a must whenever you are shooting firearms or when you are in the vicinity of gun-shots.
For ultimate protection, we recommend a good set of tapered foam earplugs, topped by ear-muffs. However, there are situations when you may prefer lighter-weight hearing protection that can be quickly removed. For example, if you are standing well behind the firing line as an observer, or if you are working as a rangemaster or waddie some distance away from the shooters.” Good muffs or plugs will reduce sound by 23 to 33 dB.
Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. (“Smith & Wesson”, Nasdaq SWBI), a U.S.-based leader in firearm manufacturing and design, today announced that it has acquired Savage Arms (“Savage”) by merger from an indirect subsidiary of JDH Capital I, L.P. (“JDH”). The price of the acquisition is listed at $160,000,000 in stock value and cash.
Is your well-built rifle of high-quality components plagued with vertical fliers across more than 1-3 handload combinations? Consider the bedding, crown and scope/sight mounts. Are they correct? If so, then you might check for ignition issues before boldly undertaking an extensive, expensive, and quite possibly fruitless quest for the “magic handload”.
Here’s a simple solution for lumpy front sandbags. Cut a small block the width of your fore-end and place that in the front bag between matches. You can tap it down firmly with a rubber mallet.
Lyman’s popular 
