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Springfield Police Department Selects Smith & Wesson M&P Pistol

Smith & Wesson M&P40 Polymer Pistols

Smith & Wesson

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--(Ammoland.com)- Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 158-year old firearms maker, announced today that the Springfield, MA Police Department (PD) has chosen to equip all of its officers with primary duty side arms from the company’s Military & Police (M&P) Pistol Series.

The M&P40 will be issued to each officer to replace pistols that had previously been in service at the department. Springfield PD has received a total of 580 M&P40 pistols and is currently in the process of transitioning officers over to the new firearms.

Officials within the Springfield PD indicated that the M&P40 would provide a safe and innovative firearm that will allow its officers to best serve and protect the citizens of the city. The department added that the M&P pistol was well suited to meet the needs of the department’s diverse officer makeup, noting such features as the firearm’s interchangeable grips sizes and ambidextrous controls. During Springfield PD’s testing of the new side arm, the M&P pistol was further recognized for its ease of maintenance, accuracy and flexibility to adapt to a wide variety of applications in the field.

“Throughout history, Smith & Wesson and the Springfield Police Department have enjoyed a long-standing partnership,” said Leland Nichols, Vice President of Sales for Smith & Wesson. “It is with great pride that we continue to build that relationship today. We look forward to working closely with the men and women of the Springfield PD, as together we remain focused on exploring new and innovative ways to best assist the citizens of our great community and state.”

Each of the Smith & Wesson M&P40 pistols will be laser engraved with ‘Springfield Police Department’ on the slide along with a special control number across the top. In addition to the new duty side arm, the Springfield PD is currently using M&P15 tactical rifles as the department’s issued patrol rifles.

During a special presentation at Smith & Wesson’s headquarters on Tuesday, November 9th, the company presented the engraved firearms to the Springfield PD Command Staff. As part of the presentation, the command staff was also taken on a tour of the firearm manufacturer’s facilities. Several high-ranking officials including Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the Commissioner of the Springfield PD, William J. Fitchet, attended the event.

About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (NASDAQ: SWHC) is a U.S.-based, global provider of products and services for safety, security, protection and sport. The company designs and constructs facility perimeter security solutions for military and commercial applications, and delivers a broad portfolio of firearms and related training to the military, law enforcement and sports markets. SWHC companies include Smith & Wesson Corp., the globally recognized manufacturer of quality firearms; Universal Safety Response, a full-service perimeter security integrator, barrier manufacturer and installer; and Thompson/Center Arms Company, Inc., a premier designer and manufacturer of premium hunting firearms. SWHC facilities are located in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Tennessee. For more information on Smith & Wesson and its companies, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com; www.usrgrab.com; or www.tcarms.com.

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Milwaukee Police Department Converts to Smith & Wesson M&P40 Pistols
Department Now Carrying Smith & Wesson M&P Pistols & Tactical Rifles.

Smith & Wesson

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — -(AmmoLand.com)- Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 157-year old firearms maker, announced today that the Milwaukee Police Department will equip its entire 2,000-officer force with Smith & Wesson Military & Police (M&P) Series pistols.

The conversion commences this week and comes on the heels of the Department’s announcement in the Fall of 2008 that it selected the M&P Series tactical rifles to equip its patrol vehicles.

The Milwaukee Police Department joins a growing list of law enforcement agencies that have converted to the M&P Series of firearms, a line of products that was designed specifically for professional use.

M&P40 Polymer Pistols
The Milwaukee Police Department plans to purchase 2,000 Smith & Wesson M&P40 polymer pistols, chambered in .40 S&W.

The pistols will be issued to each officer of the Department and will replace currently issued, non-Smith & Wesson firearms supplied by a European-based manufacturer. During the selection process for a new duty sidearm, the M&P pistol was compared with the Milwaukee Police Department’s then-current sidearm. The M&P40 was selected for its reliability and durability.

Department officials indicated that the pistol was especially noted for its ambidextrous controls and the ability to customize the grip size of the pistol to each officer’s preference.

The conversion to M&P40 pistols is set to begin immediately with plans to convert the entire police force by September. Smith & Wesson’s first shipment of 60 pistols has been delivered and will be deployed to the Milwaukee Police Department’s current class of recruits. In addition, the Department’s armourers have commenced training on maintenance of the pistol from Smith & Wesson field staff. The balance of the Department’s officers will receive training and will be issued new M&P40’s over the course of the summer.

M&P15 Tactical Rifles
In Fall 2008, the Milwaukee Police Department announced its intent to begin transitioning from patrol shotguns to Smith & Wesson M&P15 tactical rifles. The first order of 100 rifles has been made available to officers upon the completion of a certification course. While reviewing new patrol rifles, the Milwaukee Police Department compared the M&P15 against a range of competitive semi-automatic rifles. The M&P15 was acknowledged for the high quality of its components and the fact that it is produced in the United States.

Sergeant Joseph Seitz, Sergeant in Charge of Firearms Training, said, “A key factor in our decision to convert to Smith & Wesson was not only the superior quality and performance of the M&P products, but also the company’s responsiveness in addressing our needs. Smith & Wesson shipped products quickly and delivered immediate, on-site armourers training and officer safety training during our conversion to the M&P15 tactical rifles. When we made the decision to convert to Smith & Wesson’s M&P40 pistols, Smith & Wesson again rapidly commenced the delivery of product and immediately dispatched personnel to begin on-site armourers training. This approach to service and support saves us time and money and makes the conversion process much more efficient and effective.”

Milwaukee Chief of Police, Edward Flynn, said, “Converting a department to a completely new brand of firearms is a significant decision that requires careful evaluation by our armourers and officers. We reviewed the Smith & Wesson M&P firearms based upon their reputation for reliability and durability, as well as their recent selection by a number of other police departments throughout the United States. Both firearms were thoroughly tested and were found to meet all of our requirements. The M&P40 pistols have been designed especially for professional use and incorporate a number of unique features. Particularly, they allow each officer to customize the fit and feel of the sidearm. That flexibility means we can provide a safer and more efficient environment while on the job.”

Leland Nichols, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Smith & Wesson, said, “We are pleased to add the Milwaukee Police Department to the growing list of agencies that have chosen to equip their officers with our M&P Series of firearms. This series of products has been designed especially to address the needs of global law enforcement and military personnel, and it is successfully fueling our stated strategy to expand our professional law enforcement customer base. M&P products are manufactured in America and have earned the respect of police agencies both in the United States and abroad.”

About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, a global leader in safety, security, protection and sport, is parent company to Smith & Wesson Corp., one of the world’s largest manufacturers of quality firearms and firearm safety/security products and parent company to Thompson/Center Arms Company, Inc., a premier designer and manufacturer of premium hunting rifles, black powder rifles, interchangeable firearms systems and accessories under the Thompson/Center brand. Smith & Wesson licenses shooter protection, knives, apparel, and other accessory lines. Smith & Wesson is based in Springfield, Massachusetts with manufacturing facilities in Springfield, Houlton, Maine, and Rochester, New Hampshire. The Smith & Wesson Academy is America’s longest running firearms training facility for law enforcement, military and security professionals. For more information on Smith & Wesson, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com. For more information on Thompson/Center Arms, log on to www.tcarms.com.

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