Caribbean and Pakistani Police Forces Purchase Smith & Wesson M&P9 Polymer Pistols

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: SWHC), parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 156-year old company in the global business of safety, security, protection and sport, announced today that it has filled orders for the company's M&P9 polymer pistols to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in the Caribbean and to the Sindh Police Agency in Pakistan.

The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has purchased 1,500 M&P pistols, chambered in 9mm. The Police Service employs over 10,000 members and is one of multiple agencies that serve and protect the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean Sea. Officials at the agency indicated that they selected the M&P9 pistol after a testing process that included a variety of competing firearms. They noted that the M&P9 pistol excelled in key areas including enhanced performance; ability to tailor the grip size to meet each officer's preference through three interchangeable palm-swell grip straps; and ambidextrous operating controls, all which proved advantageous to their officers. In addition, the pistol's stainless steel barrel and slide with Melonite(R) finish was an optimal choice for the tropical environment of the Caribbean.

The Pakistan Sindh Police Agency has ordered 548 M&P pistols, also chambered in 9mm that will be used as primary side arms. Officials at the Sindh Police indicated that they selected the M&P9 pistol for its reliability during testing, as well as its unique design features, including its modularity.

Leland Nichols, President and Chief Operating Officer of Smith & Wesson Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, said, "We are proud to add the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, and the Sindh Police agency, to the growing list of international law enforcement agencies and security divisions that have purchased M&P Series pistols for duty use. M&P pistols have now shipped to professional law enforcement and security organizations in over 20 countries."

Nichols added, "As a long-time customer of Smith & Wesson, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service has employed a variety of Smith & Wesson pistols in the line of duty for many years. We are extremely pleased that they will continue to partner with us and have chosen to equip their officers with our M&P products. The Sindh Police agency represents a new relationship for us, and we are equally pleased that they have selected the M&P as their new duty weapon. We look forward to working with the professional men and women of these international agencies. We remain committed to providing a strong portfolio of law enforcement products along with a dedicated support staff to provide these professionals a more effective and safe way to complete their jobs."

The M&P pistol features a polymer frame reinforced with a rigid stainless steel chassis and a through-hardened black Melonite finished stainless steel barrel and slide for durability; a passive trigger safety to prevent the pistol from firing if dropped; and a sear release lever that eliminates the need to press the trigger in order to disassemble the firearm. A loaded chamber indicator is located on top of the slide. The firearm also features an ambidextrous slide stop and a reversible magazine release, as well as an enlarged trigger guard designed to accommodate gloves. Each M&P pistol is equipped with three interchangeable grip sizes that allow the user to custom fit the gun to their preference. The M&P9 has a 17+1 capacity and the Smith & Wesson lifetime service policy is standard with each pistol. The M&P pistol series is available in 9mm, .40S&W, .357SIG, and .45ACP calibers. Compact versions of the M&P pistol are also available for concealed carry and back-up use.

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, 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 http://www.smith-wesson.com. For more information on Thompson/Center Arms, log on to http://www.tcarms.com.

Contacts:

Liz Sharp, VP Investor Relations
Smith & Wesson Holding Corp.
(480) 949-9700 x. 115
lsharp@smith-wesson.com

Industry Contact: Gary Giudice
Blue Heron Communications
(800) 654-3766
gary@blueheroncomm.com

SOURCE Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation

Web site: http://www.smith-wesson.com