Company Launches Bolt-Action Rifle at 2007 NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (Nasdaq: SWHC), parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 155-year old company in the global business of safety, security, protection and sport, announced today the introduction of the Company's newest entry into the long-gun market, the i-Bolt, bolt-action centerfire rifle. Debuted at the 2007 National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meetings & Exhibits in St. Louis, Missouri, the i-Bolt has been designed by Smith & Wesson engineers in Springfield, Massachusetts, and will be manufactured by Smith & Wesson at that location as a premium hunting rifle.

The innovative i-Bolt incorporates several patent-pending features, including an externally adjustable trigger, a new bolt release, and a synthetic stock design engineered for stability, easy handling and comfort. Simple yet sophisticated, the new i-Bolt continues the Smith & Wesson legacy by delivering unmatched durability and consistent reliability in an innovative centerfire rifle.

Michael F. Golden, President and CEO of Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, said, "The introduction of the i-Bolt marks a significant milestone in our diversification strategy and an important step in our ongoing penetration of the $1.1 billion long-gun market. Our entry into this very sizeable market began with the introduction of our M&P15 tactical rifles just over a year ago, and was supplemented with the introduction of our shotguns and the acquisition of Thompson/Center Arms in January of this year. We are now expanding our presence with the introduction of a bolt-action rifle designed to the very exacting standards that Smith & Wesson customers have come to expect. The features and the price point of the i-Bolt will dovetail nicely with the existing portfolio of hunting rifles in our Thompson/Center Arms group. Together, these products will provide consumers with a full range of hunting rifle choices under two of the best-known and most well regarded names in sport shooting."

The first models of the Smith & Wesson i-Bolt will be available by summer 2007, with production continuing to ramp up throughout the Company's fiscal year, which ends April 30, 2008. The i-Bolt will be at full production levels at the Company's Springfield, Massachusetts factory well in advance of the Fall 2008 hunting season.

    Key features of the i-Bolt include the following:

      *  Initially chambered in .25-06, .270 and .30-06

      *  4+1 magazine capacity

      *  Available with a black synthetic stock or a Realtree(R) AP HD(TM)
         synthetic stock

      *  E-Z Turn(TM), a patent-pending, bolt-release feature free of
         side-buttons and mechanical parts

      *  A unique "boat-tail" contour bolt design with a visual cocking
         indicator

      *  Tru-Set(TM), a patent-pending, user-friendly trigger adjustment
         feature

      *  An enlarged, downward sloping trigger guard for easier trigger
         acquisition

      *  Semi-lineal safety, a three-position fire control safety mechanism

      *  A 23-inch, free-floated Thompson/Center precision match grade barrel
         with a 90-degree target crown for increased accuracy

      *  A one-piece weaver scope mount, featuring a Posi-Lug(TM) recoil lug,
         for stability

      *  A rigid synthetic stock with patent-pending, X-Bed(TM) technology for
         strength

      *  Patent-pending recoil reduction chamber with optional accessory,
         reducing felt recoil by approximately 30%

      *  Patent-pending, flush sling swivel mounts for a smooth, flat profile

      *  Uni-directional checkering for a firm grip, regardless of weather
         conditions

      *  CNC machined solid steel receiver.

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

Certain statements contained in this document may be deemed to be forward-looking statements under federal securities laws, and Smith & Wesson intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor created thereby. Forward-looking statements include the Company's potential participation in the long gun market and in the bolt-action rifle portion of the long gun market; the Company's ability to successfully compete in the bolt-action rifle market; and the Company's opportunities in the market for bolt-action rifles. The Company cautions that these statements are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Such factors include the acceptance of the bolt-action rifles by customers; the performance, capabilities, and durability of the Company's bolt-action rifles in actual use; the Company's ability to manufacture bolt-action rifles in accordance with their intended features and performance; as well as other risks as identified from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and Annual Reports on Form 10-K.

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

SOURCE Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation