UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

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MEETING AND PROXY STATEMENT 2022 NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDER MEETING AND PROXY STATEMENT

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

The Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., a Nevada corporation, will be held at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 (the “2023 Annual Meeting”). The 2023 Annual Meeting will be a virtual meeting of stockholders. You will be able to attend the 2023 Annual Meeting, vote, and submit your questions during the live webcast of the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SWBI2023 and entering the 16-digit control number included on your proxy card or in the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

The 2023 Annual Meeting will be held for the following purposes:

Stockholders of record at the close of business on July 28, 2023 may vote at the 2023 Annual Meeting.

These proxy materials were first made available to our stockholders on the internet on August 10, 2023.

Sincerely,

Kevin A. Maxwell

Senior Vice President,

General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary

August 10, 2023

Table of Contents

PROXY STATEMENT SUMMARY

This summary highlights information contained elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. You should read this entire Proxy Statement carefully before voting.

* = Independent Nominee; ** = Committee Chair; § = Chairman

AC = Audit Committee; CC = Compensation Committee; ESG = Environmental, Social, and Governance Committee; NCG = Nominations and Corporate Governance Committee

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Our key accomplishments for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2023 (“fiscal 2023”) include:

GOVERNANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Board Refreshment

We recognize the importance of board refreshment. Over 70% of our director nominees have joined our board of directors (the "Board") since 2018. This demonstrates the Board’s commitment to refreshment, including with independent nominees who provide perspectives and experience to support our strategy. Of our seven director nominees, two are women, one is a racial minority, and one is an ethnic minority.

Risk Oversight

Given the nature of our business, the Board remains focused on overseeing risk management. In addition to the Audit Committee receiving periodic presentations on enterprise risk management, during fiscal 2023, the Environmental, Social, and Governance Committee (the “ESG Committee”) discussed the campaign against the firearm industry at each of its meetings, and the full Board reviewed an updated report prepared by a third-party media monitoring firm that we have worked with for several years. During fiscal 2023, we also formalized a process whereby our Audit Committee Chair communicates directly with our Chief Compliance Officer at least quarterly in between scheduled Audit Committee meetings.

Stockholder Engagement

We recognize the importance of stockholder engagement. In addition to our regular, year-round stockholder engagement initiatives, prior to our annual meeting of stockholders held on September 12, 2022 (the “2022 Annual Meeting”), we met with certain of our largest stockholders to discuss, among other things, two stockholder proposals. In early 2023, we again met with certain of our largest stockholders. We used these meetings to, among other things, solicit our stockholders’ views on the right of stockholders to call special meetings (see Proposals 5 and 7) and our exclusive forum bylaw provision (see Proposal 6). We also engaged in April 2023 with our social activist stockholders (see Proposal 8).

COMPENSATION HIGHLIGHTS

Pay for Performance

Our executive compensation program emphasizes our pay-for-performance philosophy. For fiscal 2023:

BOARD AND GOVERNANCE MATTERS

GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of the Board, subject to limitations and other requirements in our charter documents or in applicable statutes, rules, and regulations, including those of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”).

Our governance framework supports independent oversight and accountability.

Our governance framework is based on our Amended and Restated Bylaws (our “Bylaws”), as well as the key governance documents listed below:

Copies of these documents are available on our website, www.smith-wesson.com, or upon written request sent to our Corporate Secretary at our principal executive offices located at 2100 Roosevelt Avenue, Springfield, Massachusetts 01104. The information on our website is not part of this Proxy Statement.

BOARD COMPOSITION

Director Skills and Qualifications

The NCG Committee, using a matrix of director skills and experiences that the Board believes are needed to address existing and emerging business and governance issues relevant to us (the “Skills Matrix”), reviews with the Board annually the desired experiences, mix of skills, and other qualities required for new Board members, as well as Board composition. The Board seeks director candidates who possess the requisite judgment, background, skill, expertise, and time to strengthen and increase the breadth of skills and qualifications of the Board. In particular, the Board may consider, among other things, the fit of the individual’s skills, background, qualifications, experience, and personality with those of other directors in maintaining an effective, collegial, and responsive Board and a mix of diversity in personal and professional experience, background, viewpoints, perspectives, knowledge, and abilities.

Skills Matrix. The NCG Committee developed the Skills Matrix in fiscal 2023 in response to requests from certain of our investors for more detailed information concerning our directors’ qualifications. The NCG Committee adopted the Skills Matrix to facilitate the comparison of our directors’ skills and experiences to those that the Board believes are needed to address existing and emerging business and governance issues relevant to us. The table below lists those skills and experiences, along with the total number of director nominees who possess the particular skill or experience.

Director Independence

Under the Guidelines and the Nasdaq listing standards, the Board must consist of a majority of independent directors. The Board annually reviews director independence and has determined that all director nominees, except for Mr. Smith (who is our President and CEO), are independent, as “independence” is defined by the SEC and the Nasdaq listing standards.

Board Refreshment

The Board has not established term limits; however, pursuant to the Guidelines, the NCG Committee reviews each director’s continuation on the Board at least every three years, which, among other things, allows the Board, through the NCG Committee, to consider the appropriateness of the director’s continued service.

Director Nomination Process

The NCG Committee is responsible for identifying and evaluating Board nominees. In identifying candidates, the NCG Committee may take into account all factors it considers appropriate, which may include personal qualities and characteristics, individual character and integrity, mature judgment, career specialization, relevant technical skills and accomplishments, and the extent to which the candidate would fill a present need on the Board.

Stockholder-Recommended Candidates. The NCG Committee will consider persons recommended by our stockholders for inclusion as Board nominees if the information required by our Bylaws is submitted in writing in a timely manner addressed and delivered to our Secretary.

Stockholder-Nominated Candidates. We have a “Proxy Access for Director Nominations” bylaw that permits a stockholder, or a group of up to 20 stockholders, owning 3% or more of our outstanding common stock continuously for at least three years to nominate and include in our proxy materials Board nominees constituting up to two individuals or 20% of the Board (whichever is greater), provided that the stockholder(s) and the nominee(s) satisfy the requirements specified in our Bylaws.

Majority Voting Standard

Our directors are elected by a majority of the votes cast for them in uncontested elections. If an incumbent director does not receive the requisite majority of votes cast, then the director is expected to submit his or her resignation to the Board. Based on the recommendation of the NCG Committee, the Board would determine whether to accept the resignation and would publicly disclose its decision and its rationale. A director who tenders his or her offer of resignation would abstain from any decision or recommendation regarding the offered resignation.

Over-Boarding Policy

Our directors may not serve on more than three other public company boards, unless it is determined, based on the individual facts, that such service will not interfere with service on the Board. In connection with the evaluation of these facts, the Chairman of the Board and Chair of the NCG Committee will consider the time commitment required by the director’s service, if any, in leadership positions (e.g., board chair, committee chair, lead independent director, etc.) on the Board and any other public company board of directors. None of our director nominees serves on more than three other public company boards and our CEO does not serve on any other public company board. The NCG reviews annually the time commitments of our independent directors.

Director Nominees

The Board currently has eight members. Pursuant to the recommendation of the NCG Committee, the Board has nominated each current director for election at the 2023 Annual Meeting, except for Mr. Furman, who, after many years of distinguished service to the Board, is retiring from the Board effective at the 2023 Annual Meeting. Ms. Lohmeier, who was appointed to the Board in July 2023, was first identified as a director candidate by a third-party search firm and will stand for stockholder election for the first time at the 2023 Annual Meeting. If elected, each director nominee will hold office until the 2024 Annual Meeting and until his or her successor is elected and qualified. If any director nominee is unable or declines to serve as a director at the time of the 2023 Annual Meeting, the proxies will be voted for any nominee designated by our current Board to fill the vacancy. We do not expect that any director nominee will be unable or will decline to serve as a director.

Set forth below is information about each director nominee, including a description of his or her qualifications to serve on the Board and a listing of certain key skills and experiences from the Skills Matrix possessed by each director nominee.

BOARD AND COMMITTEE GOVERNANCE

Risk Oversight

The Board recognizes that risk is inherent in every business. As is the case in virtually all businesses, the Board recognizes that we face a number of risks, including operational, economic, financial, cybersecurity, legal, regulatory, and competitive risks. While our management is responsible for the day-to-day management of the risks we face, the Board, as a whole and through its committees, is responsible for the oversight of risk management.

The Board’s involvement in our business strategy and strategic plans plays a key role in its oversight of risk management, its assessment of management’s risk appetite, and its determination of the appropriate level of enterprise risk. The Board receives updates at least quarterly from senior management and periodically from outside advisors regarding the various risks we face, including operational, economic, financial, cybersecurity, legal, regulatory, and competitive risks. The Board also reviews the various risks we identify in our SEC filings, as well as risks relating to various specific developments, such as new product introductions. In addition, the Board regularly receives reports from senior members of our Internal Audit function and our General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer.

Cybersecurity Risk Oversight. We recognize the importance of cybersecurity risk governance. The Audit Committee receives regular reports from management on, among other things, the emerging cybersecurity threat landscape and our cybersecurity risks and threats. The Audit Committee regularly briefs the full Board on these matters. We maintain a Cyber Incident Response Plan.

ESG Risk Oversight. We recognize the importance to our stakeholders of ESG matters. Since 2021, the ESG Committee has assisted the Board and its committees in fulfilling the Board’s oversight responsibilities with various environmental, social, health, safety, and governance policies and operational control matters relevant to us. In part, the ESG Committee reviews emerging risks and opportunities associated with ESG matters.

Board Leadership Structure

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines support flexibility in the structure of the Board by not requiring the separation of the roles of CEO and Chairman. We maintain separate roles between our CEO and Chairman in recognition of the differences between the responsibilities of these roles. The Board believes this leadership structure is the most effective for us at this time because it allows our CEO to focus on running our business and our Chairman to focus on pursuing sound governance practices that benefit the long-term interests of our stockholders.

Board Committees

The Board has four standing committees, each of which is comprised of independent directors: the Audit Committee, the Compensation Committee, the NCG Committee, and the ESG Committee.

Meeting Attendance in Fiscal 2023

In fiscal 2023, the Board held seven meetings and its committees held a combined total of 21 meetings. Each director attended 75% or more of the aggregate of all meetings of the Board and the committees on which he or she served. We encourage our directors to attend our annual meetings of stockholders. All directors attended the 2022 Annual Meeting.

Executive Sessions

We regularly schedule executive sessions in which independent directors meet without the presence or participation of management. Our Chairman serves as the presiding director of these executive sessions during Board meetings, and our committee chairs preside at the sessions held during committee meetings.

Stockholder Engagement

We meet with investors throughout the year and consider investor feedback on emerging issues, which allows us to better understand their priorities and perspectives. This year-round engagement provides us with useful input and enables us to consider developments proactively. In addition, from time to time, we conduct stockholder outreach programs. Prior to the 2022 Annual Meeting, we requested meetings with the corporate governance teams at stockholders representing approximately 46% of our outstanding shares, as a result of which we engaged with teams at stockholders representing approximately 27% of our outstanding shares. We primarily discussed the stockholder proposals that were included in our proxy materials for the 2022 Annual Meeting. In early 2023, we requested meetings with the corporate governance teams at stockholders representing 44% of our outstanding shares, as a result of which we engaged with teams at stockholders representing 10% of our outstanding shares. We used these meetings to, among other things, discuss progress we had made on topics of importance to our stockholders, including Board refreshment, and solicit our investors’ views on the right of stockholders to call special meetings (see Proposals 5 and 7) and our exclusive forum bylaw provision (see Proposal 6).

Responding to Stockholder Engagement. We value the feedback that we receive from our investors and seek opportunities to respond to their feedback, when appropriate. For example, in response to feedback we received in recent years from many of our largest stockholders, we have expanded our public disclosures both in SEC-filed documents and through the publication of other relevant documents. In 2022, we published our first Firearm Market Factsheet, which was intended to increase transparency around our business practices by, among other things, describing our go-to-market approach to both domestic and international sales and highlighting our commitment to promoting responsible firearm ownership. In 2022, we also published our second Environmental Factsheet, which, among other things, highlighted our commitment to responsible environmental practices, described our approach to environmental management, and listed a number of environmental impact highlights. Copies of the Firearm Market Factsheet and the Environmental Factsheet are available on our website, www.smith-wesson.com. The information on our website is not part of this Proxy Statement.

In response to requests from certain of our stockholders for more detailed information concerning our directors’ qualifications, in fiscal 2023, the NCG Committee developed and adopted the Skills Matrix.

ADDITIONAL GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Certain Relationships

Unless delegated to the Compensation Committee by the Board, the Audit Committee charter requires the Audit Committee to review and approve all related party transactions and to review and make recommendations to the full Board, or approve, any contracts or other transactions with any of our current or former executive officers, including consulting arrangements, employment agreements, change-in-control agreements, termination arrangements, and loans to employees made or guaranteed by us. We have a policy that we will not enter into any such transaction unless the transaction is determined by our disinterested directors to be fair to us or is approved by our disinterested directors or by our stockholders. Any determination by our disinterested directors is based on a review of the particular transaction, applicable laws and regulations, our policies, and the Nasdaq listing standards. As appropriate, the disinterested directors of the applicable committees of the Board will consult with our legal counsel or internal auditor. There was no transaction during fiscal 2023, and there are no currently proposed transactions, in which we were or are to be a participant in which an executive officer, director, director nominee, a beneficial owner of 5% or more of our common stock, or any immediate family members of such persons had or will have a direct material interest.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers that require us to indemnify such individuals, to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada law, for certain liabilities to which they may become subject as a result of their affiliation with us.

Clawback Policy

We maintain a compensation recovery, or clawback, policy. See “Compensation Matters – Compensation Discussion and Analysis – Additional Compensation Matters – Clawback Policy” for more information.

Communicating with the Board

Stockholders may communicate with the Board or specific directors, including our independent directors and the members of our board committees, by submitting a letter addressed to the Board of Directors of Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc., c/o any specified individual director or directors, at our principal executive offices.

Corporate Political Contributions and Expenditures

We have a policy to post on our website each fiscal year an annual report disclosing all political contributions or expenditures in the United States in excess of $50,000 that are not deductible as “ordinary and necessary” business expenses under Section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended (the "Code"). Non-deductible amounts generally include contributions to or expenditures in support of or opposition to political candidates, political parties, or political committees.

Corporate Stewardship Policy

We have a policy, pursuant to which, in order to meet our objective of being a good corporate steward, we consider, among other things, our responsibilities with respect to employee, safety, and governance risks, including the risks caused by the unlawful or improper use of firearms.

Director and Officer Derivative Trading and Hedging

We have a policy prohibiting our directors and officers, including our executive officers, and any family member residing in the same household, from engaging in derivatives trading and hedging involving our securities or pledging or margining our common stock.

Whistleblower Policy

We have a policy covering the policies and procedures for the receipt, retention, and treatment of complaints that we receive regarding accounting, internal controls, or auditing matters, and the confidential, anonymous submission by our employees of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters.

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

The Compensation Committee, with advice from its independent compensation consultant, determines, or recommends to the Board for determination, the compensation of our directors. We pay each non-employee director an annual retainer in the amount of $70,000. We also pay additional sums to our Chairman, Vice Chairman, Chairs of our committees, and members of our committees as follows:

(1) In June 2023, we eliminated the role of Vice Chairman.

Each committee member receives an additional $1,500 per committee meeting attended in excess of seven meetings per year (for the Audit Committee), in excess of six meetings per year (for the Compensation Committee), in excess of four meetings per year (for the NCG Committee), and in excess of four meetings per year (for the ESG Committee).

We reimburse directors for travel and related expenses incurred in connection with attending Board and committee meetings. Mr. Smith receives no additional compensation for his service as a director.

Each non-employee director receives a stock-based grant to acquire shares of our common stock on the date of his or her first appointment or election to the Board. Each non-employee director also receives a stock-based grant at the meeting of the Board held immediately following our annual meeting of stockholders for that year. Stock-based grants were in the form of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) for 8,071 shares of common stock in fiscal 2023. The RSUs vest one-twelfth each month after the grant.

The following table sets forth the compensation paid by us to each non-employee director for fiscal 2023.

We maintain stock ownership guidelines for our directors and executive officers. See “Compensation Matters — Compensation Discussion and Analysis — Additional Compensation Matters — Stock Ownership and Retention Requirements.”

compensation matters

Pursuant to SEC rules, our stockholders are being asked to approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of our NEOs as disclosed in this Proxy Statement. We have recently received high levels of support from our stockholders on advisory votes to approve executive compensation.

As described in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section, we believe our compensation policies and procedures are competitive, focused on pay-for-performance principles, and aligned with the long-term interests of our stockholders. Our executive compensation philosophy is to pay base salaries to our executive officers at levels that, in the context of unfavorable industry factors beyond the control of management, enable us to attract, motivate, and retain highly qualified executives. Our executive compensation program is designed to link annual performance-based cash incentive compensation to the achievement of pre-established performance objectives, based primarily on our financial results and achievement of other corporate goals.

Consistent with our pay-for-performance philosophy:

The advisory vote on this resolution is not intended to address any specific element of compensation; rather, it relates to the overall compensation of our NEOs, as well as the compensation philosophy, policies, and practices described in this Proxy Statement. Our stockholders may vote for or against, or abstain from voting on, the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the stockholders of the Company approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers, as disclosed in the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, executive compensation tables, and narrative discussion set forth in the Proxy Statement for the 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

This advisory vote will not be binding on the Board. The Compensation Committee will, however, take the outcome of the vote into account when considering future executive compensation decisions. We provide our stockholders with this advisory vote on an annual basis and expect that the next such vote will occur at the 2024 Annual Meeting.

In accordance with SEC rules, our stockholders may vote, on an advisory basis, on how frequently they would like to cast an advisory vote on the compensation of our NEOs. The Board believes conducting an advisory vote on executive compensation on an annual basis is currently appropriate for us and our stockholders.

Our stockholders may cast a vote on the preferred voting frequency by selecting the option of “1 year,” “2 years,” or “3 years,” or they may abstain from voting in response to the following resolution:

RESOLVED, that the Company’s stockholders wish the Company to include an advisory vote on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act every:

• one year,

• two years, or

• three years.

Because the required vote is advisory, it will not be binding upon the Board. The Board will, however, take into account the outcome of the vote when considering the frequency with which we will provide our stockholders the opportunity to vote, on an advisory basis, to approve the compensation of our NEOs.

COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALysis

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Named Executive Officers

This section describes our executive compensation program, outlines the core principles behind that program, and reviews the actions taken by the Compensation Committee concerning the fiscal 2023 compensation of the following NEOs:

Program Emphasis

Our executive compensation program emphasizes our pay-for-performance philosophy and is designed to help us attract, motivate, and retain highly qualified executives.

Compensation Governance and Practices

Our executive compensation program demonstrates our ongoing commitment to good corporate governance practices and aligns our executive officers’ interests with those of our stockholders.

Say-on-Pay Results

At the 2022 Annual Meeting, 95% of the votes cast were in favor of the advisory vote to approve executive compensation. We have recently received high levels of support from our stockholders on advisory votes to approve executive compensation. Based on these high levels of support, the Compensation Committee determined not to make any material changes to our executive compensation program.

Summary of Fiscal 2023 Compensation Program

The following highlights aspects of our fiscal 2023 compensation program:

Factors Affecting Fiscal 2023 Compensation

Historically, the firearm industry has been very cyclical, with past expansions and contractions driven, in large part, by unpredictable political, economic, social, legislative, and regulatory factors beyond the control of industry participants and their management teams. For example, we experienced historic levels of demand for our products in parts of fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2022, in part, as a result of the impact of COVID-19 and the social unrest experienced in the United States during the summer of 2020. Since then, demand for our products has returned to more normalized levels, which adversely impacted our year-over-year financial and operating results in fiscal 2023.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Philosophy and Objectives

Our executive compensation philosophy is to pay base salaries to our executive officers at levels that, in the context of unfavorable industry factors beyond the control of management, enable us to attract, motivate, and retain highly qualified executives. Our executive compensation program is designed to link annual performance-based cash incentive compensation to the achievement of pre-established performance objectives, based primarily on our financial results. Similarly, our executive compensation program is designed so that stock-based compensation focuses our executive officers’ efforts on increasing stockholder value by aligning their economic interests with those of our stockholders.

Total compensation levels for our executive officers reflect corporate positions, responsibilities, and the achievement of performance objectives. Due to our pay-for-performance philosophy, realized compensation levels may vary significantly from year-to-year and among our executive officers.

Goals

Our executive compensation program’s objectives include:

ADMINISTRATION

The Board has appointed a Compensation Committee, consisting exclusively of independent directors. The charter of the Compensation Committee authorizes the Compensation Committee to determine and approve, or to make recommendations to the Board with respect to, the compensation of our CEO and other executive officers. The Board has authorized the Compensation Committee to make all decisions with respect to executive compensation. Among other things, the Compensation Committee is authorized to determine and approve the base salary of our CEO and other executive officers. Additionally, the Compensation Committee establishes annual cash and stock-based incentive compensation programs for our CEO and other executive officers and provides our executives with variable compensation opportunities, a majority of which is based on the achievement of key operating measures determined at the beginning of the fiscal year. Once the Compensation Committee determines key operating measures for the upcoming fiscal year, the measures generally are not subject to material changes during the fiscal year. The Compensation Committee, with advice from its independent compensation consultant, also determines the compensation of our directors.

Role of the Compensation Committee and our CEO

The Compensation Committee determines the compensation of our executive officers, including our CEO, at least annually in light of the goals and objectives of that fiscal year’s compensation program. Together with our CEO, the Compensation Committee annually assesses the performance of our other executive officers. After receiving recommendations from our CEO, the Compensation Committee, with input from its independent compensation consultant, determines the compensation of our other executive officers.

In determining executive officer compensation levels, the Compensation Committee periodically reviews compensation levels of executives of companies deemed to be generally similar to ours based on their size, industry, and competitive factors. The Compensation Committee uses this peer group information, as well as published executive compensation survey data from a broader group of companies with similar revenue to ours, as points of reference; however, the Compensation Committee does not benchmark or target our compensation levels to a specific percentile against this competitive information.

At the invitation of the Compensation Committee, our CEO may attend portions of Compensation Committee meetings, except those at which his compensation is discussed or determined. This enables the Compensation Committee to review with him the goals that he regards as important to achieving our success and to receive his assessment of the performance of, and goals for, our other executive officers. However, the Compensation Committee, with the assistance of its independent compensation consultant, rather than our CEO, determines goals, targets, and compensation for our other executives.

Role of the Independent Compensation Consultant

The Compensation Committee has sole discretion to retain a compensation consultant and is directly responsible for the appointment, compensation, and oversight of the work of the compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee retains a compensation consultant to assist in setting the design and goals of the executive compensation program, to review trends in executive compensation, to identify relevant peer companies, and to conduct an assessment and analysis of executive market compensation. The compensation consultant reports directly to the Compensation Committee.

Compensia, Inc. served as the Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant for fiscal 2023. For fiscal 2023, the compensation consultant identified for the Compensation Committee peer group companies, provided a compensation assessment and analysis of those companies, determined the positioning of each executive officer’s compensation by element among the peer companies and the survey data, developed recommendations and guidelines for the structure of our executive compensation program, reviewed the overall compensation package, and advised the Compensation Committee regarding the appropriateness of our executive compensation program. In addressing Compensia’s independence in light of applicable SEC rules and Nasdaq standards, the Compensation Committee considered relevant factors and concluded that Compensia is independent and the engagement would not raise any conflicts of interest under the applicable rules and standards.

Peer Group for Fiscal 2023

The Compensation Committee’s independent compensation consultant identified for the Compensation Committee a peer group for fiscal 2023. In selecting peer companies for the Compensation Committee’s final review, the consultant identified companies deemed generally relevant to us with a focus on those involved in durables and apparel and consumer products companies, especially those with high dollar value products. The consultant then supplemented the list with companies involved in manufacturing. Within these industries, the consultant used a “rules-based” approach to select companies based on similar financial characteristics; specifically, it targeted companies with revenue from approximately $500 million to $2 billion and a market capitalization from approximately $300 million to $3 billion. The consultant proposed, and the Compensation Committee adopted, a number of changes to the peer group for fiscal 2023 in order to improve our alignment with the peer group’s median revenue and market capitalization selection criteria. Specifically, the Compensation Committee added three companies (Lifetime Brands, Inc., OneWater Marine Inc., and Quannex Building Products Corp.) to the peer group for fiscal 2023 and removed three other companies (Callaway Golf Company, National Presto Industries, and NN, Inc.).

COMPENSATION ELEMENTS

Our executive compensation program consists primarily of base salary, annual performance-based cash incentive compensation opportunities, stock-based compensation, and severance benefits, together with health and welfare benefits generally available to most employees and our other executives, and limited perquisites. The Compensation Committee considers each element of compensation individually and collectively with other elements of compensation when establishing the various forms, elements, and levels of compensation for our executive officers.

Our fiscal 2023 executive compensation program included the following direct compensation components: base salary, annual performance-based cash incentives, and stock-based compensation.

Base Salaries

Base salaries are designed to provide competitive levels of compensation to our executives based on their position, responsibilities, skills, experience, performance, and contributions. The Compensation Committee also considers individual performance and contributions, future potential, competitive salary levels for comparable positions at other companies, salary levels relative to other internal positions, corporate needs, and the advice of its independent compensation consultant. The Compensation Committee’s evaluation of these factors is subjective, and it does not assign a particular weight to any one factor.

Given the high-profile nature of our industry, it has become increasingly difficult to attract, motivate, and retain highly qualified individuals willing to be associated with us and our industry. The Compensation Committee has become increasingly aware of the impact this factor has had not only on existing and potential future employees, but also the pressures this factor places on the families of these individuals.

Fiscal 2023 Base Salaries. The Compensation Committee generally sets base salaries for our executive officers at the beginning of the fiscal year. Based on an evaluation of the factors listed above, the Compensation Committee’s desire to reward and retain our executive officers, the general industry range for base salary increases, and the competitiveness of our base salaries as measured against the peer and market data, the Compensation Committee set our NEOs’ annual base salaries for fiscal 2023 as follows:

(1) The increase took into account peer company comparisons and additional experience in the position.

Annual Performance-Based Cash Incentive Compensation

Annual performance-based cash incentive compensation is designed to motivate our executives and reward the achievement of specific performance goals that support our business strategy. In designing the cash incentive compensation plan for any particular year or period, the Compensation Committee establishes performance objectives, based primarily on our financial results and the achievement of other corporate goals. In limited cases, the Compensation Committee may consider individual objectives, responsibilities, and performance in determining the amounts payable, but it did not do so in fiscal 2023.

The Compensation Committee determines the target annual compensation opportunities for our executive officers, with these opportunities being subject to change from year to year based on its periodic review of economic, industry, and competitive data; changes in individual responsibilities; and our overall compensation philosophy. The Compensation Committee confirms, with its independent compensation consultant and our independent audit firm, the achievement of the objectives and approves the payment, if any, of annual cash incentive compensation in the first quarter of the following fiscal year.

Fiscal 2023 Executive Annual Cash Incentive Program. In April 2022, the Compensation Committee established the 2023 Executive Annual Bonus Plan, a performance-based cash incentive compensation plan for our executives, including our NEOs (the “2023 Bonus Plan”). The 2023 Bonus Plan provided each participant an opportunity to earn cash incentive compensation based on attaining pre-established objective financial performance metrics and, from time to time, individual performance goals. Each participant was assigned an incentive bonus opportunity expressed as a percentage of base pay and objective financial performance metrics were established with varying weightings totaling 100%. For each metric, threshold, budget, target, and maximum performance levels were set. Final cash incentive compensation was calculated by multiplying each participant’s target percentage by the weighted average percentage calculated for each metric. Cash incentive compensation could not exceed 200% of a participant’s target bonus opportunity, and eligibility for payment of any award was subject to the participant continuing to be employed by us through the end of the fiscal year.

Fiscal 2023 Performance Metrics. For fiscal 2023, the Compensation Committee established Net Sales and Adjusted EBITDAS as the performance metrics for our executives, with a weighting of 40% for Net Sales and 60% for Adjusted EBITDAS. Adjusted EBITDAS also served as the threshold for which the failure to achieve this performance metric would result in no bonus payments regardless of the achievement of the other performance metric.

The target award percentages for fiscal 2023 as a percentage of base pay were 100% for Mr. Smith, 75% for Ms. McPherson, and 65% for Mr. Maxwell and Ms. Cupero. There were no individual performance goals for fiscal 2023.

For these purposes, “Adjusted EBITDAS” means our net income as reported in the Form 10-K adding back interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, non-cash stock compensation expense and any nonrecurring expenses as determined by the Compensation Committee as set forth in the 2023 Bonus Plan or at any time thereafter. For fiscal 2023, the Compensation Committee determined to include the following nonrecurring expenses: (i) accelerated expenses related to the refinance of our credit facility, if any; (ii) fair value inventory step-up and backlog expense; (iii) all acquisition or merger related expenses associated with negotiating, conducting diligence, and closing for any acquired company or merger; (iv) any costs associated with the Relocation, including severance, relocation, recruiting, construction and duplication of costs; (v) changes in contingent consideration; (vi) impairment charges for goodwill, tangible, or intangible assets; (vii) costs incurred relating to shareholder activism; (viii) any gain or loss incurred on a sale or disposal of a product line, which sale or disposal is approved by the Board; (ix) costs directly related to inventory that cannot be sold or otherwise used by us, which unsaleable or unusable inventory is the result of a change in federal firearms law; and (x) any costs/impact related to the implementation of any new accounting pronouncements that become effective during the fiscal year. To the extent practicable, each amount was calculated based upon the numbers used in the audited financial statements and, if possible, in the same amount as reported in the Form 10-K.

The financial performance metrics established under the 2023 Bonus Plan were as follows:

The failure to reach the threshold metric of at least $141,277, or 47.0% of target, for the Adjusted EBITDAS metric would result in no bonus payments regardless of the achievement of the Net Sales metric.

In fiscal 2023, Net Sales and Adjusted EBITDAS, for purposes of compensation, were $479.2 million and $95.2 million, respectively, compared with $864.0 million and $299.6 million, respectively, in fiscal 2022. We experienced historic levels of demand for our products in parts of fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2022, in part because of the impact of COVID-19 and the social unrest experienced in the U.S. during the summer of 2020. Since then, demand for our products has returned to more normalized levels, which adversely impacted our year-over-year financial and operating results in fiscal 2023.

The table below sets forth for each NEO the annual fiscal 2023 base salary, the target bonus percentage, the annualized target cash bonus opportunity, and the actual bonus paid for fiscal 2023 reflected as a percentage of target bonus opportunity and in cash:

Stock-Based Compensation

Our stock-based compensation is composed of both RSUs and PSUs. We believe stock-based compensation is critical in aligning our executives’ and stockholders’ interests. Together, we believe that these incentives focus our executives on making decisions that will benefit our stockholders.

The Compensation Committee believes in tying executive rewards directly to our long-term success and focusing our executives’ efforts on increasing stockholder value by aligning their interests with those of our stockholders. Our stock-based compensation enables our executives to earn and maintain a significant stock ownership position in us. The amount of stock-based compensation granted takes into account our performance; the grant date value of awards; previous grants to an executive officer; an executive officer’s position; the performance, contributions, skills, experience, and responsibilities of the executive officer; the cost to us; the executive officer’s total compensation in relation to peers at our peer companies; and other factors that the Compensation Committee deems necessary or appropriate from time to time, including retention, overhang, and burn rate.

The Compensation Committee generally sets the vesting schedule for RSUs over multiple year periods to encourage executive retention. The Compensation Committee generally establishes multi-year performance requirements for the earning of PSUs to reward long-term Company performance. PSUs are earned only if the relative performance of our common stock achieves the then-applicable pre-established metric compared with the RUT’s performance. In addition, we generally maintain a value cap on PSUs.

Given the high-profile nature of our industry, it has become increasingly difficult to attract, motivate, and retain highly qualified individuals willing to be associated with us and our industry. The Compensation Committee continues to recognize the importance of long-term incentive stock-based compensation as a factor in executive compensation.

Timing of Stock-Based Awards. The Compensation Committee sets the value of RSUs and PSUs at the fair market value of our common stock, which, for annual awards, is the average closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq for the five-day period ending on the effective date of grant and, for new hires or special awards, is the closing price of our common stock on Nasdaq on the effective date of grant. The Compensation Committee generally grants stock-based compensation to our executive officers annually within the same time frame each year. In the case of new hires, grant prices generally are determined by the closing price of our common stock on the 15th day of the month following the date on which the employee reports for service.

Fiscal 2023 Stock-Based Compensation. During fiscal 2023, grants of annual stock-based compensation to our NEOs consisted of RSUs and PSUs, with a weighting of 40% for RSUs and 60% for PSUs. In determining the equity awards granted to each executive officer, the Compensation Committee considered the factors discussed above.

During fiscal 2023, we granted the following RSUs and PSUs to our NEOs:

RSUs vest one-fourth following each of the first, second, third, and fourth anniversaries of the grant date.

PSUs are earned and vest based on the relative performance of our common stock against the RUT over the approximately three-year performance period following the date of grant. If the relative performance of our common stock (measured based on the average closing price of our common stock during the 90-calendar-day-period preceding approximately the third anniversary of the date of grant against the average

closing price of our common stock during the 90-calendar-day-period immediately following the date of grant) does not equal or exceed the relative performance of the RUT (measured based on the average closing price of the RUT during the 90-calendar-day-period preceding approximately the third anniversary of the date of grant against the average closing price of the RUT during the 90-calendar-day-period immediately following the date of grant), then no PSUs subject to the awards will be earned and vest. If the relative performance of our common stock equals the relative performance of the RUT, then 38% of the PSUs subject to the awards (at target) will be earned and vest, or the threshold award. If the relative performance of our common stock exceeds the relative performance of the RUT by up to five points, then the PSUs subject to the awards will be earned and vest on a straight-line basis from the threshold award level up to the target award level, with 100% of the PSUs subject to the awards (the target number of PSUs) being earned and vesting if the relative performance of our common stock exceeds the relative performance of the RUT by five points. If the relative performance of our common stock exceeds the relative performance of the RUT by over five points up to a level of 10 points, then the PSUs subject to the awards will be earned and vest on a straight-line basis up to the maximum award, with 200% of the PSUs subject to the awards (the maximum number of PSUs) being earned and vesting if the relative performance of our common stock exceeds the relative performance of the RUT by 10 points or more.

The underlying shares of our common stock earned, if any, relating to PSUs will be delivered as soon as practical after the ending date of the performance period and confirmation by the Compensation Committee of the performance achievement. The maximum number of shares that can be delivered with respect to the fiscal 2023 PSU awards is limited to a dollar value, determined as of the vesting date, of 600% of the grant date value.

Upon a change in control of the Company prior to the three year anniversary of the date of any PSU grant, each PSU award recipient will earn a number of PSUs subject to the award in accordance with the formula described above, provided that (i) the relative performance of our common stock will be measured based on the consideration offered for one share of our common stock in the change in control to calculate our market capitalization (or in the event of a change in control that does not involve an acquisition of our stock, based on the trading price of our common stock on the date of the change in control to calculate our market capitalization) against the average closing price of our common stock during the 90-calendar-day period immediately following the date of grant; and (ii) the relative performance of the RUT will be measured based on the average closing price of the RUT during the 90-calendar-day-period immediately prior to the change in control against the average closing price of the RUT during the 90-calendar-day-period immediately following the date of grant. The PSUs earned pursuant to the formula described above will then be converted into RSUs that will vest upon the earlier of (i) a qualifying termination of employment or (ii) the original vesting date.

2020 PSU Payout. The PSUs granted in fiscal 2020 to our executive officers, which had a three-year performance period ending May 1, 2023, were not earned because our market capitalization combined with the market capitalization of AOUT did not meet the minimum performance requirements compared with the RUT. Over the three-year performance period, our market capitalization combined with the market capitalization of AOUT depreciated 29.0% while the RUT appreciated 31.0%. As a result, the Compensation Committee confirmed that this underperformance resulted in the PSUs granted in fiscal 2020 not being earned, and therefore, our NEOs who received the 2020 award received none of the target shares of common stock underlying the PSUs granted in fiscal 2020.

Adjustments for the Separation. In connection with the Separation, our outstanding stock-based awards were adjusted in a manner intended to maintain the intrinsic value of the RSUs and PSUs immediately prior to the Separation. The RSUs and PSUs held by our directors and executives generally were converted into RSUs or PSUs of us and AOUT, such that each such holder would (i) continue to hold the existing RSU or PSU in us covering the same number of shares of our common stock that were subject to the RSU or PSU prior to the Separation and (ii) receive an identical RSU or PSU covering one share of AOUT common stock for each four shares of our common stock covered by the RSU or PSU in us, resulting in the RSUs or PSUs for us, and AOUT, having a combined intrinsic value immediately after the Separation as before the Separation, taking into account any necessary adjustments to the exercise price to maintain

such intrinsic value. In addition, to the extent the existing award of us is subject to the achievement of certain company performance-based target goals, appropriate adjustments were made to such target goals and incorporated into the new awards to reflect the changes to the businesses as a result of the Separation. The number of shares covered by RSUs in us held by other employees were adjusted so that the RSUs had the same intrinsic value immediately following the Separation as before the Separation. To the extent the existing award is subject to vesting based upon continued service, the new awards also remained subject to the same vesting conditions based upon continued employment with the holder’s post-Separation employer.

Benefits and Perquisites

Our executives are eligible to participate in those health, welfare, and retirement plans generally available to employees who meet applicable eligibility requirements – including our profit sharing, 401(k), employee stock purchase, and medical and disability plans. In addition, from time to time, we may provide our executive officers with other benefits and perquisites that we believe are reasonable – including severance and change-in-control benefits, car allowances, housing allowances, relocation assistance, a nonqualified supplemental deferred compensation plan, and insurance premium reimbursement.

We do not view perquisites and other personal benefits as a significant element of our executive compensation program, but believe they can be useful in attracting, motivating, and retaining executive talent. We believe these additional benefits may assist our executives in performing their duties and provide time efficiencies in appropriate circumstances. We may provide additional benefits and perquisites to our executives in the future as an element of their overall compensation. All future practices will be approved and subject to periodic review by the Compensation Committee.

ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION MATTERS

Consideration of Risk in Compensation Policies

We have assessed the compensation policies and practices with respect to our employees, including our executive officers, and concluded that they do not create risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on us.

Deductibility of Executive Compensation

Section 162(m) of the Code generally limits our deductibility, for federal income tax purposes, of compensation paid to each of our NEOs in excess of $1 million per person per year.

Taxation of “Parachute” Payments

Sections 280G and 4999 of the Code provide that executive officers and directors and certain other service providers may be subject to significant additional taxes if they receive payments or benefits in connection with a change in control of a company that exceeds certain prescribed limits and that the company (or a successor) may forfeit a deduction on the amounts subject to this additional tax. We did not provide any executive officer, including any NEO, with a “gross-up” or other reimbursement payment for any tax liability that the executive officer might owe as a result of the application of Sections 280G and 4999 during fiscal 2023, and we have not agreed and are not otherwise obligated to provide any executive officer with such a “gross-up” or other reimbursement.

Derivative Trading and Hedging

See “Board and Governance Matters—Additional Governance Matters—Director and Officer Derivative Trading and Hedging.”

Clawback Policy

We maintain a compensation recovery, or clawback, policy. In the event we are required to restate our financial results as a result of a material noncompliance by us with any financial reporting requirement under the federal securities laws, we will have the right to use reasonable efforts to recover from any current or former executive officer who received incentive compensation (whether cash or equity) from us during the three-year period preceding the date on which we were required to prepare the accounting restatement, any excess incentive compensation awarded as a result of the misstatement. This policy is administered by the Compensation Committee. We have adopted a new clawback policy that will take effect within 60 days of the effective date of certain amendments to the applicable Nasdaq listing rules.

Stock Ownership and Retention Requirements

We maintain stock ownership guidelines for our non-employee directors and executive officers. Our non-employee directors and executive officers are required to own shares of our common stock or share equivalents with a value equal to at least the lesser of the following:

Each individual has five years from the date of his or her appointment as a director or an executive officer to achieve the required ownership levels. For these purposes, stock ownership generally includes shares directly owned by the individual (including any shares over which the individual has sole ownership, voting, or investment power); shares owned by the individual’s minor children and spouse and by other related individuals and entities over whose shares the individual has custody, voting control, or power of disposition; shares underlying RSUs that have vested and are deliverable or will be vested and deliverable within 60 days; shares underlying PSUs that have vested, but are not deliverable within 60 days if the performance requirements have been satisfied; and shares held in trust for the benefit of the individual. Failure to satisfy the required ownership level may result in the ineligibility of the individual to receive stock-based compensation, in the case of an executive officer or director, or inability to be a nominee for election to the Board, in the case of a director.

Employment Agreements

We do not maintain employment agreements with any of our NEOs, except Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith. On April 4, 2020, we entered into an employment agreement with Mr. Smith, pursuant to which he is (a) entitled to an annual base salary that is subject to annual review by the Board and (b) eligible to participate in our executive compensation programs, to receive a discretionary annual cash bonus under our annual cash incentive program as determined by the Board, and to receive annual and periodic stock-based compensation awards as determined by the Board. Mr. Smith is entitled to receive other standard benefits, including a car allowance of $1,500 per month; participation in any group health insurance, pension, retirement, vacation, expense reimbursement, relocation program, and other plans, programs, and benefits approved by the Board and made available from time to time to our other executives; and certain insurance benefits.

If we unilaterally terminate Mr. Smith’s employment without cause, he will receive (i) his base salary for 18 months after the termination; (ii) a pro rata portion of his annual cash bonus for the fiscal year in which the termination occurs to the extent earned under the then applicable executive annual cash incentive program; (iii) a car allowance for 18 months after termination; (iv) at our option, either (x) coverage under our medical plan to the extent provided for him pursuant to his employment agreement at termination, such benefits to

be received for 18 months thereafter or (y) reimbursement for the COBRA premium for such coverage through the earlier of the 18-month period or the COBRA eligibility period; and (v) a vested pro rata portion of stock-based awards scheduled to vest in the fiscal year of the termination.

If Mr. Smith’s employment is terminated by reason of his death or disability, if Mr. Smith unilaterally terminates his employment, or if Mr. Smith engages in an act or acts involving a crime, moral turpitude, fraud or dishonesty, or he willfully violates in a material respect our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Conduct, or Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers, he will receive no further base compensation under his employment agreement.

If Mr. Smith’s employment is terminated by reason of his death or disability, if we unilaterally terminate Mr. Smith’s employment without cause, or if Mr. Smith voluntarily terminates his employment, or is terminated by us, following a qualifying change in control event as described below, he will receive, for the fiscal year of the notice of termination, any earned bonus, on a pro-rated basis, based on the performance goals actually achieved for the fiscal year of the notice of termination, as determined in the sole discretion of the Board, at the time such bonuses are paid to our other employees.

The agreement provides that, in the event of a change in control (as defined therein), Mr. Smith may, at his option and upon written notice to us, terminate his employment, unless (i) the provisions of his employment agreement remain in full force and effect and (ii) he suffers no reduction in his status, duties, authority, or compensation following the change in control, provided that he will be considered to suffer a reduction in his status, duties, or authority if, after the change in control, (a) he is not the CEO of the company that succeeds to our business; (b) such company’s stock is not listed on a national stock exchange; or (c) such company terminates his employment or reduces his status, duties, authority, or compensation within one year of the change in control. If, within one year of a change of control, Mr. Smith terminates his employment because of the change in control following which the employment agreement does not remain in full force and effect or his status, duties, authority, or compensation have been reduced, or such company terminates Mr. Smith, he will receive (A) his base salary for 18 months; (B) an amount equal to 150% of the average of his cash bonus paid for each of the two fiscal years immediately preceding his termination, which will be paid over the 18-month period; (C) his car allowance for 18 months; and (D) at our option, either (x) coverage under our medical plan to the extent provided for him at the date of termination for 18 months or (y) reimbursement for the COBRA premium for such coverage through the earlier of such 18-month period or the COBRA eligibility period. In addition, all unvested stock-based compensation held by Mr. Smith in his capacity as an employee on the effective date of the termination will vest as of the effective date of such termination.

The employment agreement includes non-competition and non-solicitation provisions that apply for 18 months following termination.

Severance Plan Benefits

The Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. Executive Severance Pay Plan (the “Executive Severance Plan”) is intended to provide severance pay to certain eligible executives whose employment is terminated under certain circumstances. All of our NEOs participated in the Executive Severance Plan during fiscal 2023, except Mr. Smith, whose severance eligibility is covered under other agreements.

Subject to certain conditions, if we terminate a participating executive without good cause (other than due to death or disability) or a participating executive resigns for good reason (each as defined therein), he or she will receive certain payments and benefits, subject to the terms and conditions set out in the Executive Severance Plan. These payments and benefits include continuation of base salary for six months, a lump sum cash payment equal to the average of the cash incentive bonuses paid to the executive for each of the preceding two fiscal years, vesting of all stock-based compensation granted to the executive in his or her capacity as an employee, and reimbursement for the cost of healthcare continuation coverage for the participating executive and his or her eligible dependents for six months. See “Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control.”

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE REPORT

The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis included in this Proxy Statement and, based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.

Compensation Committee: Barry M. Monheit, Chairman; Anita D. Britt; Fred M. Diaz; John B. Furman; and Michelle J. Lohmeier

COMPENSATION COMMITTEE INTERLOCKS AND INSIDER PARTICIPATION

During fiscal 2023, Messrs. Diaz, Furman, and Monheit and Ms. Britt served on the Compensation Committee. None of these individuals had any material contractual or other relationships with us during the fiscal year, except as directors. During fiscal 2023, none of our executive officers served on the compensation committee or board of directors of any entity whose executive officers serve as a member of the Board or Compensation Committee.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

FISCAL 2023 SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

The following table sets forth, for fiscal 2023, 2022, and 2021, information with respect to compensation for services in all capacities to us and our subsidiaries earned by our NEOs.