German gun-maker Walther will be selling its own firearms in the USA, starting in 2013. Previously, Smith & Wesson distributed Walther firearms and accessories in the United States. Walther has decided to handle the marketing, distribution, sales, and servicing of its firearms in the USA through the newly-formed Walther Arms Inc., a subsidiary of the PW Group of Arnsberg, Germany. (PW owns both CARL WALTHER GmbH Sportwaffen and Umarex.) Starting January 1, 2013, Walther sales and marketing will be handled by Walther Arms Inc., with the exception of the Walther P22 and PK380 models, which Smith & Wesson will continue to sell and distribute through April 30, 2013.
Walther Will Continue to Build M&P22 Pistol and Umarex Licenses Smith & Wesson Name
Though Walther will now import and distribute its own guns, Smith & Wesson will continue to manufacture the PPK for Walther Arms, Inc. and CARL WALTHER GmbH will continue to manufacture the M&P22 handgun for S&W. Additionally, Umarex will continue to license the Smith & Wesson brand for airgun products. “We are extremely thankful for the relationship we have had and will continue to have with the quality organization of Smith & Wesson,” said Wulf-Heinz Pflaumer, President of the PW Group, who added: “Smith & Wesson has been an outstanding partner.”
New Walther Arms Inc. Enterprise Will Be Based in Arkansas
Walther Arms will begin operations sharing a corporate campus in Fort Smith, Arkansas with Umarex USA, another company in the PW Group. “The new U.S.-based Walther Arms Inc. allows a more direct influence from the U.S. consumer’s wants and needs into our product development.” said Karl Heinz-Luther, V.P. of Sales & Marketing, CARL WALTHER GmbH. The President & CEO of Walther Arms will be Adam J. Blalock, who will also remain as President & CEO of Umarex USA. Blalock stated: “We will have a dedicated team focused on meeting the needs of U.S. consumers. We are very thankful for the many loyal Walther customers and we’re excited for the opportunity to serve them.” For more information visit www.carl-walther.de.
While serving as a U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot, Trevor Baucom lost the use of his legs after a serious helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Through hard work and dedication, Trevor has overcome his disabilities to become the first-ever sponsored shooter who competes from a wheelchair.
Trevor Baucom’s story is the focus of this week’s episode of Shooting USA, which airs tonight, June 13th, on the Outdoor Channel. This episode covers Baucom’s journey from a Blackhawk pilot/flight leader flying assault missions, to become the shooting industry’s first professionally-sponsored disabled shooter.
While serving with the Army’s 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade in Afghanistan, Baucom was paralyzed (from the waist down) in a helicopter crash. He was then medically discharged after 13 years of distinguished service. During his rehabilitation process, Baucom got involved in the shooting sports (Read Full Story). In short order, Baucom showed remarkable results, and now he is a sponsored member of Team Smith & Wesson. The first pro shooter who competes from a wheelchair, Baucom has also earned sponsorship from Atlanta Arms and Ammo, Ithaca Gun Company, Safariland, and Nevco Targets.
Baucom now serves as an inspiration for other wounded warriors as well as all disabled shooters. Trevor has competed in the Bianchi Cup, NRA Action Pistol events, the USPSA-operated Steel Challenge, and the IDPA Indoor Nationals. More shooting sports are on his schedule in the months ahead, including Trap and Sporting Clays, and NRA Bullseye Competition. Through this Shooting USA “Special Edition”, viewers will witness the positive impact Baucom has had on those around him. From Baucom’s return to the air as part of a special honor flight at Fort Campbell, KY, to his first competition at the NRA Bianchi Cup, this story gives credence to the “never-say-quit” attitude that is the hallmark of every United States serviceman and servicewoman. Watch Baucom’s passage from combat veteran to professional shooter today, June 13th on the Outdoor Channel. The show airs at 3 pm, 8 pm, and midnight EST.
Jim Scoutten Explains the Back-Story To learn more about Trevor Baucom, read The Story Behind Trevor’s Story by Jim Scoutten. Jim explains: “The credit for this story really goes to an accident of our office / studio location. We share a large office-warehouse building with a high-end physical therapy company. That’s where Chief Warrant Officer Trevor Baucom was heading in his wheelchair when we first struck up a conversation. I invited Trevor and his flying buddy, Apache Pilot CW3 Jeff Lamprecht, who had driven Trevor down from Clarksville, TN, in to tour our studio and offices and have a look at our inventory of firearms.” READ MORE…
The major American gun-makers are the darlings of Wall Street right now. Smith & Wesson (SWHC) recently traded at $8.60 per share, a 52-week high, up from a 52-week low of $2.29. That’s a whopping 376% increase in stock price in one year! (Current SWHC price is $8.32.) Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. (RGR) traded today as high as $51.87, up from a 52-week low of $18.65 per share. That represents a 278% gain since this time last year. If you had invested in either S&W or Ruger a year ago, you would be sitting pretty right now. Check out SWHC’s stock price trends for the past 52 weeks:
Election-Year Fears Drive Gun Sales
What is driving the rising prices of gun-maker equities? Experts say the main factor is fear — Americans are afraid that, if President Obama is re-elected, he will force through tough new gun laws. That, in turn, is driving increased gun sales, which is good for the gun makers. With increased gun sales, revenues are up and profits are up — and that’s what Wall Street likes to see. S&W got a boost recently when a Wedbush stock analyst Rommel Dionisio re-confirmed S&W’s “Outperform” stock rating, and raised the target price from $7.00 to $10.00. Mr. Dioniso explained that gun sales are starting to rise dramatically because Americans are worried that President Obama will tighten gun laws if he earns a second term.
Other Wall Street “experts” are singing the same tune. Writing on the Motley Fool website, Wall Street reporter Bobbie Johnson opined: “The sales of handguns and ammunition has been on the slow rise over the last few years but the last few months have shown much higher sales. Retailers say it’s due to the upcoming presidential election while others speculate that it is simply the massive uncertainty rippling across our country and others. The industry saw an uptick in sales in the months prior to President Obama’s election in 2008 which was based on the presumption of tougher gun regulations. The general consensus is that more regulations will come into play should the President be re-elected.”
Celebrating its 15th year, the IDPA Indoor National Championships will take place at the Smith & Wesson Shooting Sports Center in Springfield, MA, Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 23-25, 2012. The Indoor Nationals, as it is known, is one of the three major championships on the annual International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) shooting calendar. This event draws hundreds of top competitive shooters from across the nation. CLICK HERE to view image galleries from the 2011 IDPA Indoor Nationals in Massachusetts.
Registration Opens Next Sunday, December 18th
The 2012 championships will feature 12 stages and a minimum round count of 153. Online registration for the IDPA Indoor National Championships opens at 6:00pm ET on Sunday, December 18, 2011. Additional information on the 15th Annual Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor National Championships is available online. Below is a video by Team S&W Captain Julie Golob on the 2011 IDPA Indoor Nationals. Bad weather delayed Julie’s arrival, but the video shows many other top competitors, such as fellow Team S&W squad member Jerry Miculek, in action. Team S&W dominated last years event, winning five National titles.
Editor’s Note: Sometimes proven old designs are just as good as the latest technology. In the capable hands of Robert Vadasz, the scratched and well-used 11-year-old Smith & Wesson revolver shown below has won three PPC National Championships and the 2011 National Police Shooting Championship (multiple guns used). Here’s a profile of a great shooter and his trusty old wheelgun.
Story by Lars Dalseide, for The NRA Blog
When I first approached U.S. Border Patrol Agent Robert Vadasz about profiling the guns he used to win the 2011 National Police Shooting Championship — his third in four years — he had just completed the final stage of the Revolver 1500 Match. A match that he won with a score of 1490-117X. A match in which he used his Bob Jones PPC revolver.
“It’s a .38 Special Smith & Wesson,” said Vadasz. “My Bob Jones PPC revolver. The very first competition gun that I ever had built … probably back in 2000″. Fitted with Hogue Monogrip, the .38 hasn’t been tinkered with since the day it arrived. “Exact same gun,” said Vadasz. “It’s never been worked on. It’s never been changed. I won all three of my PPC National Championships with this gun. It’s real special to me.”
In a 2001 NRA Law Enforcement Division Newsletter, gunsmith Bob Jones talked about his work on PPC pistols: “I started working on pistols in the Navy, and it kind of stuck — it was something I really enjoyed doing,” said Bob, thinking back to his days as a Naval armorer who tinkered with .45s.
Bob’s typical modifications to a Smith & Wesson revolver include fitting a Shilen barrel, bobbing the hammer (cutting off the cocking spur), adding an Aristocrat Sight Rib, tuning and smoothing the trigger, and installing a trigger stop. The Shilen barrel increases accuracy, adds some additional weight for stability, and its increased size (and surface area) helps with heat dissipation.
Last week we reported that Smith & Wesson was recalling certain Thompson/Center (T/C) Venture rifles because of potential defects in the sear mechanism. Well it looks like the problem is worse than first thought. As a result, Smith & Wesson has expanded its recall to include ALL T/C Venture Rifles manufactured prior to October 28, 2011. The sear issue could possibly cause a Venture rifle to fire without the trigger being pulled. READ Recall Notice.
Expanded Recall of Thompson/Center (T/C) Venture Rifles
This broadens the recall announced by Smith & Wesson on November 8, 2011. This recall applies to ALL Venture rifles manufactured prior to October 28, 2011. To determine if your rifle is affected, please reference the serial number list located at www.smith-wesson.com/venturerecall or by calling Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-713-0356. If your serial number does not fall within the list of affected serial numbers, your rifle is not part of this recall.
REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN: STOP USING YOUR RIFLE. Any unintended discharge of a firearm has the potential to cause injury or death, and we ask that you stop using your rifle until we have an opportunity to inspect the sear to make certain that there is no condition which will allow the rifle to fire without the trigger being pulled. To facilitate the inspection and, if necessary, repair of your rifle, please contact Smith & Wesson’s customer service department to receive instructions and a prepaid return label for the return of your rifle to Smith & Wesson. When you return your rifle to Smith & Wesson, be sure to attach the completed information card received from Smith & Wesson, so that your rifle can be returned to you as quickly and efficiently as possible.
CONSUMER CONTACT: Please contact Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-713-0356, or at venturerecall@smith-wesson.com to arrange for the inspection and repair of your rifle.
Smith & Wesson has announced a recall of recently-made Thompson/Center (T/C) Venture rifles due to a potential defect involving the sears on some Venture rifles produced from August 1, 2011 to October 28, 2011. The text of S&W’s Recall Notice, along with a link to the list of serial numbers of affected T/C Venture rifles, are provided below.
SAFETY RECALL NOTICE – November 7, 2011
DESCRIPTION OF THE HAZARD:
During an internal technical review, Smith & Wesson determined that some of the sears used on Venture rifles produced from August 1, 2011 to October 28, 2011, may not have been manufactured to specification. Because the sear is an important part of the firing mechanism, we are asking that all of the rifles produced during this time period be returned to Smith & Wesson so that the firearm can be inspected by our technicians to ensure that the rifle operates in a safe and appropriate manner.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCT INVOLVED:
This recall applies only to Venture rifles manufactured from August 1, 2011 to October 28, 2011. To determine if your rifle is affected, please reference the serial number list located at the link below or by calling Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-713-0356. If your serial number does not fall within the list of affected serial numbers, your rifle is not part of this recall. CLICK HERE For List of Recalled Serial Numbers.
REMEDY/ACTION TO BE TAKEN: STOP USING YOUR RIFLE. Any unintended discharge of a firearm has the potential to cause injury, and we ask that you stop using your rifle until we have an opportunity to inspect the sear to make certain that there is no condition which will allow the rifle to fire without the trigger being pulled.
To facilitate the inspection and repair, if necessary, of your rifle sear, please contact Smith & Wesson’s customer service department to receive instructions and a prepaid return label for the return of your rifle to Smith & Wesson.
When you return your rifle to Smith & Wesson, be sure to attach the completed information card received from Smith & Wesson, so that your sear can be inspected and repaired, and returned to you as quickly and efficiently as possible.
CONSUMER CONTACT:
Please contact Smith & Wesson directly at 1-800-713-0356, or at venturerecall@smith-wesson.com to arrange for the inspection and repair, if necessary, of your rifle.
Shoot, the much-awaited book by Julie Golob, will be released in early 2012, and it can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com. Julie, Captain of the Team Smith & Wesson Shooting Team, is one of the best lady pistol shooters on the planet. Her new book Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition covers the training programs and match strategies that have enabled Julie to win multiple World and National action pistol championships. One of the most well-rounded competitors on the pro shooting circuit, Julie has won national and world titles in seven different shooting disciplines.
This champion, veteran, wife and mother is also an accomplished author, writing about the shooting sports in shooting publications, newswires, and internet blogs. In February, 2012, Skyhorse Publishing will release Julie’s first book, Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition. The book serves as both an introduction to firearms and shooting for novices (with an emphasis on safety) and a primer to help experienced shooters improve their skills.
According to the Shooting Wire, “rumor has it (or is it wishful thinking?) that there might be some copies [of Julie’s new book] floating around at SHOT Show [in January]. Either way, be sure to reserve your copy today.”
Smith & Wesson is going to produce an AR15-type rifle chambered for the .300 Whisper cartridge. This will be an addition to S&W’s Military & Police (M&P) Rifle series. As the first production rifle in the AR platform to be chambered in .300 Whisper (and .300 AAC Blackout), the new rifle offers both sub-sonic and supersonic capabilities. Originally developed and pioneered by J.D. Jones of SSK Industries, the 300 Whisper is based on the .221 Rem Fireball case necked up to .308. Notably, S&W says its M&P15 .300 Whisper is compatible with both the .300 Whisper and the .300 AAC Blackout (BLK) cartridges. The latter is a SAAMI-standardized, trademark-free variant of the .300 Whisper.
Manufactured on the M&P15 (AR-clone) platform, S&W’s new semi-automatic .300 Whisper rifle features an 1 in 7.5” twist, 16″ chrome-moly barrel. Both the forged 7075 aluminum upper and lower receivers have been coated with a Realtree APG camo finish. Standard features include forward assist and a six-position, collapsible CAR stock. MSRP for the complete rifle is $1,119. A separate .300 Whisper AR flat-top upper will also be offered, with an $819.00 MSRP.
“As the popularity of the modern sporting rifle continues to grow, more hunters are seeing the advantages of taking these firearms into the field,” said Mario Pasantes, S&W Senior Vice President of Marketing. “The M&P15 300 Whisper gives consumers the ability to use either lightweight or heavy cartridges during hunting or recreational applications without changing rifles or barrels.”
Is Hunting the Real Market for S&W’s .300 Whisper M&P15?
Editor’s Comment: If this gun is intended for hunting, we’re not sure Smith & Wesson got this one right. While the .300 Whisper is an interesting cartridge, it was originally designed to run sub-sonic, or be used with a suppressor. At sub-sonic velocities, the cartridge doesn’t pack much punch — not much more than a heavy pistol round. So you’re carrying around an 8-lb rifle (with optics) that only hits like a pistol. On the other hand, it can be loaded up to supersonic velocities, yielding ballistics similar to the .30-30.
But if you run it supersonic, why mess with this oddball cartridge at all? There are many other proven, game-killing chamberings for which a huge variety of inexpensive hunting ammo is widely available. (In fairness, .300 Whisper factory ammunition does exist. Hornady now offers both 1200 fps sub-sonic and 2375 fps supersonic .300 Whisper Ammo.)
Now the use of a .300 Whisper with a suppressor is intriguing. But, realistically, how many American hunters are going to get fingerprinted and pay the $200 tax for a suppressor, not to mention the hefty cost of the suppressor itself? As for the rifle configuration, a 16″ barrel is quite short for a hunting gun, and a wobbly first-gen collapsible stock that rattles is the last thing we’d want to take hunting.
Our guess is that most purchasers of this rifle will simply use it for plinking or tactical games, where the low recoil and long barrel life associated with the .300 Whisper will be welcome. One source suggests that the .300 Whisper has become popular with metallic silhouette shooters due to its low recoil and high accuracy. However we doubt you’ll be seeing many M&P15s on the silhouette course, given the funky, collapsible buttstock and short sight radius. (Under NRA Rules, AR15-type rifles are eligible for metallic silhouette competition under rule 3.1.2, but they must use “standard type stock[s]”.)
Story Tip by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Smith & Wesson is replacing its President/CEO. This comes after Smith & Wesson stock hit rock bottom last week, trading at $2.49 per share, a 52-week low. Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SWHC) today announced that P. James Debney has been appointed President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. The company said the executive reshuffling was done “in accordance with the company’s comprehensive management succession planning process.” Debney previously served as Vice President of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation and President of the company’s firearm division. Debney will replace former President/CEO Michael F. Golden, who will continue as a member of S&W’s Board of Directors.
According to the Outdoor Wire: “The remaining term of former President and CEO Michael F. Golden’s employment contact has being bought out by the company, but Golden will continue as a member of the Board of Directors[.] Golden’s contract is expected to impact the company’s current quarter earnings per share by as much as two cents, with the gross numbers to be included in the quarterly 10-Q set to be released after the close of the stock markets today.” Smith & Wesson stock, as of the time of this Bulletin release, is trading at $2.58 per share, gaining back a bit from the $2.49 low on Sept. 23, 2011.
Walther Will Continue to Build M&P22 Pistol
While serving as a U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot, Trevor Baucom lost the use of his legs after a serious helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Through hard work and dedication, Trevor has overcome his disabilities to become the first-ever sponsored shooter who competes from a wheelchair.
While serving with the Army’s 5th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade in Afghanistan, Baucom was paralyzed (from the waist down) in a helicopter crash. He was then medically discharged after 13 years of distinguished service. During his rehabilitation process, Baucom got involved in the shooting sports (
To learn more about Trevor Baucom, read 
Story by Lars Dalseide, for 
But if you run it supersonic, why mess with this oddball cartridge at all? There are many other proven, game-killing chamberings for which a huge variety of inexpensive hunting ammo is widely available. (In fairness, .300 Whisper factory ammunition does exist. Hornady now offers both 1200 fps sub-sonic and 2375 fps supersonic 
Our guess is that most purchasers of this rifle will simply use it for plinking or tactical games, where the low recoil and long barrel life associated with the .300 Whisper will be welcome. One source suggests that the .300 Whisper has become popular with metallic silhouette shooters due to its low recoil and high accuracy. However we doubt you’ll be seeing many M&P15s on the silhouette course, given the funky, collapsible buttstock and short sight radius. (Under 
