NASDAQ: SWBI

SMITH & WESSON BRANDS, INC.

CIK 0001092796 · Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles)

Mid Revenue $524M Assets $513M as of Jun 18, 2026

We are one of the world’s leading manufacturers and designers of firearms. We manufacture a wide array of handguns (including revolvers and pistols), long guns (including modern sporting rifles, pistol caliber carbines, and lever-action rifles), handcuffs, firearm suppressors, and other… About this business →

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10-K Filed Jun 17, 2026 · Period ending Apr 30, 2026

Smith & Wesson revenue up 10%, debt down $60M; tariff refund uncertainty and new lawsuit disclosed

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8-K Filed Jun 17, 2026 · Period ending Jun 17, 2026

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About SMITH & WESSON BRANDS, INC.

Source: Item 1 (Business) from the 10-K filed June 17, 2026. Description as filed by the company with the SEC.

Item 1. Business

Introduction

General

We are one of the world’s leading manufacturers and designers of firearms. We manufacture a wide array of handguns (including revolvers and pistols), long guns (including modern sporting rifles, pistol caliber carbines, and lever-action rifles), handcuffs, firearm suppressors, and other firearm-related products for sale to a wide variety of customers, including firearm enthusiasts, collectors, hunters, sportsmen, competitive shooters, individuals desiring home and personal protection, law enforcement and security agencies and officers, and military agencies in the United States and throughout the world. We sell our products under the Smith & Wesson and Gemtech brands. We manufacture our products at our facilities in Maryville, Tennessee; Springfield, Massachusetts; and Houlton, Maine. We also sell our manufacturing services under our Smith & Wesson and Smith & Wesson Precision Components brands to other businesses to attempt to level-load our factories.

Smith & Wesson was founded in 1852 by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. Mr. Wesson purchased Mr. Smith’s interest in 1873. The Wesson family sold Smith & Wesson to Bangor Punta Corp. in 1965. Lear Siegler Corporation purchased Bangor Punta in 1984, thereby acquiring ownership of Smith & Wesson. Forstmann Little & Co. purchased Lear Siegler in 1986 and sold Smith & Wesson shortly thereafter to Tomkins Corporation, an affiliate of U.K.-based Tomkins PLC. We purchased Smith & Wesson from Tomkins in 2001 and renamed our company Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation. In 2017, we changed the name of our company from Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation to American Outdoor Brands Corporation. In 2020, in preparation for the spin-off of our outdoor products and accessories business, or the Separation, which was completed on August 24, 2020, we changed our name to Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. In 2021, we announced our plan to move our headquarters and significant elements of our operations to Maryville, Tennessee in 2023, or the Relocation.

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We maintain our principal executive offices at 1852 Proffitt Springs Road, Maryville, Tennessee 37801. Our telephone number is (800) 331-0852. Our website is located at www.smith-wesson.com. Through our website, we make available free of charge our annual reports on Form 10-K, our proxy statements, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, our current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to any of these documents filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. These documents are available as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file them with the SEC. We also post on our website the charters of our Audit, Compensation, and Nominations and Corporate Governance Committees; our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Code of Conduct, and any amendments or waivers thereto; and any other corporate governance materials contemplated by the regulations of the SEC and the Nasdaq Global Select Market. These documents are also available in print by contacting our corporate secretary at our executive offices.

Unless the context indicates otherwise, the terms “we,” “our,” “ours,” “us,” and “our company” refer to Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. “Common stock” refers to the common stock, par value $.001 per share, of our company. Our most recently completed fiscal year ended on April 30, 2026, or fiscal 2026.

Strategy

Our objective is to be the undisputed market leader in the firearm industry. Key elements of our strategy to achieve this objective are as follows:

Drive Organic Growth by Leveraging Brands and Designing Innovative New Products

We are focused on driving organic growth by producing a robust new product pipeline and leveraging our brands to help us to increase market share in the markets in which we participate and to expand into adjacent and complementary markets by (1) capitalizing on the goodwill developed through our historic, more than 170 year old “Smith & Wesson” brand; (2) enhancing our relationships with distributors, key retailers, and buying groups; and (3)

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introducing new products. During the last two fiscal years, we have introduced numerous new products, including variations and product lines around the Smith & Wesson and Gemtech brands. We plan to continue to introduce new products in fiscal 2027.

Design, Produce, and Market High-Quality Products that Drive Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty

We are focused on designing, producing, and marketing high-quality, innovative firearms and related accessories that meet the needs and desires of our consumer and professional customers and that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty. Our research and development, product engineering, product manufacturing, component sourcing, marketing, and distribution activities are critical components of our ability to offer successful products. We believe that by offering high-quality products and services on a timely and cost-effective basis, as well as providing world-class customer service, training, and support, we will drive customer satisfaction and loyalty. We regard our high-quality, innovative products as the most important aspect of our customer satisfaction and loyalty, but we also offer customer service and support with various programs, such as toll-free customer support numbers, e-mail customer question and answer communications, broad service policies, and product warranties.

Create a Leverageable Infrastructure by Streamlining and Standardizing our Business Operations

We intend to continue to streamline and standardize certain administrative functions of our business with a goal toward driving profitability and improving the ease with which our customers are able to do business with us. A streamlined and standardized approach requires investing in an integrated and configurable technology infrastructure in areas such as enterprise resource planning, or ERP, customer relationship management, and compliance. We intend to continue investing in such systems to further enhance our efficiency, improve information reporting, and strengthen internal controls.

Deploy our Cash Flow in Such a Manner so as to Maximize Return on Invested Capital

During fiscal 2026, we generated a total of $114.2 million in cash from operations. During the same period, we invested $28.2 million in cash to acquire property, equipment, patents, and marketable securities, distributed $23.2 million in dividends, and paid $60.0 million on our revolving line of credit. We intend to continue our focus on developing, growing, and protecting our iconic firearm brands and using our cash flow from operations on actions that will maximize our return on invested capital, including by investing in machinery, equipment, and new product development.

Products

Introduction

Our products combine our legacy of more than 170 years of American manufacturing and engineering expertise with modern technological advances. Driven by the needs of the individual firearm owner, we continually strive to improve the experience of buying, owning, and shooting a firearm. We also strive to leverage our tradition of innovation in materials, performance, and engineering, along with our proven history of reliability, to produce feature-rich, safe, durable, accurate, and high-performing firearms that satisfy the needs of our broad range of customers. Our introduction of new products is intended to enhance our competitive position and broaden our participation in the overall market.

We have always been a leader in the revolver market. We have substantially enhanced the breadth and quality of our portfolio of products over the years. The introduction of our popular M&P pistol in 2005 resulted in us becoming one of the leaders in the polymer pistol market, serving both the consumer sporting goods market and professional law enforcement and military marketplace. The launch of our M&P modern sporting rifle in 2006 enabled us to capture what we estimate is the leading share of the modern sporting rifle market. In 2023, we further expanded and strengthened our position in the broader long-gun market with the introduction of new pistol caliber carbine offerings, the M&P FPC and Response rifles. In 2024, we introduced our first ever lever-action rifle, the Model 1854. We currently participate in three categories of the long gun market: semi-automatic rifles, lever-action rifles, and shotguns, and both core categories of the handgun market: semi-automatic pistols and revolvers. The addition of our Gemtech

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branded firearm suppressor products in 2017 expanded our firearm-related product offerings. Our firearm suppressors are compatible with most pistols and rifles on the market and complement our firearm products.

Product Development

All of our firearms and firearm-related products are sold under our Smith & Wesson and Gemtech brands. Our customers include distributors; federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies and officers; government and military agencies; and retailers.

Our product development strategy is to understand our consumers’ needs and preferences and then design and develop products to uniquely meet those requirements. Throughout this process, we test multiple concepts with firearm owners and potential purchasers. We compare these test results against a growing database of prior concepts to identify those with the greatest market potential. We complete additional market research to optimize the desired features and benefits. While this development process is ongoing, our launch timing for new products depends on market conditions to maximize sales across the entire product portfolio.

In fiscal 2026, we introduced a number of new products, including (i) in the micro handgun conceal carry pistol category, the latest iteration of the BodyGuard 2.0 and the Performance Center BodyGuard 2.0 Carry Comp; (ii) the expansion of our Model 1854 Lever-Action Rifle series in 30-30 and 360 Buckhammer calibers; (iii) the expansion of the M&P FPC in 22LR and 5.7 calibers; (iv) the expansion of our M&P line to include the new steel frame M&P HD and M&P HD Competitor chambered in 9mm, as well as the new M&P 22X; (v) the expansion of our revolver line to include several new no-lock Classic revolvers and our new Mountain Gun and Night Guard revolvers; and (vi) new accessories and ecommerce products, including a range of aftermarket slides, barrels, grips, magazines, and branded merchandise.

Our customers continue to demand premium firearms that provide a competitive edge in sport shooting and hunting. Our Performance Center products are engineered and manufactured to meet this need, and they incorporate many custom features not found in our standard products, such as enhanced triggers for smoother trigger pull, ported barrels for better muzzle control, and specialty sights for quicker target acquisition. In fiscal 2026, we introduced our sixth annual Performance Center Spec Series M&P pistol and our first-ever Spec Series R Revolver. We also introduced several line extensions for our popular Performance Center Carry Comp lineup that offers premium features, including an integrated port and tuned trigger for reduced felt recoil and better on-target performance. New Carry Comp models included the BodyGuard 2.0, the Equalizer 9mm, the Shield X 9mm, and the M&P 10mm 2.0.

In fiscal 2026, we also introduced innovative new products in our Gemtech line of firearm suppressors, including the Nebula 5.7.

Handguns

We manufacture an extensive variety of handgun models that includes revolvers and pistols. A revolver is a handgun with a cylinder that holds the ammunition in a series of rotating chambers that are successively aligned with the barrel of the firearm during each firing cycle. There are two general types of revolvers: single-action and double-action. To fire a single-action revolver, the hammer is pulled back to cock the firearm and align the cylinder before the trigger is pulled. To fire a double-action revolver, a single trigger pull advances the cylinder as it cocks and releases the hammer. A pistol is a handgun in which the ammunition chamber is an integral part of the barrel, which is fed ammunition from a magazine contained in the grip. The firing cycle ejects the spent casings and loads a new round into the chamber.

We have long been known as an innovator and leader in the revolver market and most of our revolvers are currently marketed under the Smith & Wesson brand. We sell a wide range of sizes from small-frame revolvers used primarily for concealed carry and personal protection to large-frame revolvers used primarily for recreational and competitive sport shooting. Our extra-large frame revolvers primarily address the handgun-hunting market.

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Our small-frame revolvers have been carried by law enforcement personnel and personal defense-minded citizens for over 150 years. Our revolvers are available in a variety of models and calibers, with applications in virtually all professional and consumer markets. In fiscal 2025, we expanded our line of revolvers that are designed to enhance the personal carry experience, continuing our innovative leadership in the category. These Ultimate Carry revolvers are chambered in 38 Special and 32 H&R Magnum and feature enhanced grips, sights, and triggers that are designed to enhance the shooting experience.

Our “Classics” department makes it possible to own historic firearms that are manufactured today but modeled after original favorites, such as the Model 29, which was made famous by the movie character Dirty Harry. These firearms are newly crafted with designs that take advantage of some of the most famous and collectible firearms that we have ever made. Our Classics department also makes commemorative firearms and employs master engravers to craft one of a kind custom firearms. These custom-made firearms are intended to reflect the skill and vision of the master engraver and the artistic expression of the owner. We offer a number of catalog variations of Classics and engraved Classics to our customers.

We offer pistols under our Smith & Wesson brand. Our full size and compact M&P line of pistol products have been engineered with input from professional users and are designed to offer performance, safety, and durability that meet the standards of global law enforcement and military personnel, as well as features attractive to consumers. We believe that our M&P branded pistol products are the most ergonomic, feature-rich, and innovative products on the market today. Our range of full-size and compact M&P pistol products are made with a polymer, aluminum, or steel frame, a rigid stainless-steel chassis, and a black, through-hardened corrosion resistant finished stainless-steel barrel and slide for durability. Our M&P pistol products feature patented and easily changed palm swell grips in four sizes, allowing the user to customize grips in a matter of seconds; a passive trigger safety to prevent the pistol from firing if dropped; a flat face trigger for consistent finger placement, an enlarged trigger guard to accommodate gloved hands; a sear lever release that eliminates the need to press the trigger in order to disassemble the firearm; an ambidextrous slide stop and reversible magazine release to accommodate right- and left-handed shooters; an optional internal locking system and magazine safety; and a universal equipment rail to allow the addition of accessories, including lights and lasers.

In fiscal 2012, we entered the growing personal protection and concealed carry market with the launch of the M&P Shield pistol. The M&P Shield features a slim concealable profile, 9mm, 380 Auto, 40 S&W, and 45 Auto calibers, and M&P ergonomics. Since the launch of the M&P Shield, we have introduced several additional models, including the Shield Plus with enhanced features and capacity, and most recently, the award-winning Bodyguard 2.0. In fiscal 2026, we launched our latest Shield innovations, the Shield X and the Performance Center Shield X Carry Comp chambered in 9mm, with improved ergonomics.

Our Performance Center department has been providing specialized products and services for the most demanding shooting sports enthusiasts since 1990. To meet the requirements of law enforcement professionals, competitive shooters, collectors, and discriminating sports enthusiasts who demand superior products, our Performance Center personnel conceptualize, engineer, and craft products to create enhanced versions of our standard products. Our craftsmen are highly skilled and experienced gunsmiths. Performance Center products are typically made in limited production quantities, although we offer a number of catalog variations in order to increase product availability.

Long Guns

Our modern sporting rifles are designed to satisfy the functionality and reliability needs of recreational, personal, defense, and professional users, including global military, law enforcement, and security personnel. These long guns are popular with consumers as hunting, personal protection, and sporting target rifles. We offer two pistol caliber carbines, the M&P FPC chambered in 9mm, 40 S&W, 10mm, 5.7, and 22LR and the Response, chambered in 9mm. We offer the M&P and Volunteer series modern sporting rifles in five different calibers (22LR, 5.56mm NATO (223), 308 Winchester (7.62x51mm), 6.5 Creedmoor, and 6mm ARC). We also offer upper assemblies so firearm owners can easily modify their modern sporting rifles to suit the needs and tasks of the various forms of sport shooting and hunting. Our broad product portfolio of modern sporting rifles includes a .22 caliber model, an opening price-point sport model, a hunting caliber model for longer range effectiveness, and several models designed for professional users.

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In fiscal 2026, we continued to expand our lever-action offerings, building on the success of the Model 1854, which was introduced in fiscal 2024. This expansion included new caliber introductions in 30-30 and 360 Buckhammer.

In fiscal 2025, we introduced the M&P 4 select-fire rifle, chambered in 5.56mm NATO, which is our first such offering to our law enforcement and military customers.

Other Products and Manufacturing Services

Our other products and manufacturing services include the following:

Parts: We sell parts to support our firearm business, including barrels and magazines that are manufactured at our facilities or purchased from third parties.

Handcuffs: We are one of the largest manufacturers of handcuffs and restraints in the United States. We fabricate these products from the highest-grade carbon or stainless steel. Our patented Lever Lock cuffs offer a double-locking system for added security and comfort, without extra tools or keys. Internal locks help prevent tampering and smooth ratchets allow for swift cuffing and an extra measure of safety. We are able to customize handcuffs to fit customer specifications.

Firearm Suppressors: We are one of the nation’s oldest firearm suppressor manufacturers and an active participant in the firearm suppressor market around the world. We believe our Gemtech branded firearm suppressors have been involved in setting standards used by the military in suppressor testing, implementation, and safety. Our firearm suppressors are constructed from high grade aluminum, steel, or titanium and are compatible with every major type of rimfire and centerfire pistol and centerfire rifle caliber currently on the market.

Manufacturing Services: We utilize our substantial manufacturing capabilities to provide services to third-party customers. Our manufacturing services include forging, heat treating, rapid prototyping, tooling, finishing, plating, and machining. We believe our manufacturing services provide us with increased flexibility and reduced supply chain risk. We also believe that business-to-business sales provide profitable revenue stream diversification and enable us to maximize capacity utilization of our manufacturing assets. We market our manufacturing services under the Smith & Wesson and Smith & Wesson Precision Components brand names.

Marketing, Sales, and Distribution

General

We go to market in a variety of ways, including two-step distribution, strategic retailers, and buying groups consisting of certain large, regional retailers, utilizing direct sales employees to service these customers. We also sell firearms directly to law enforcement agencies and manufacturing services directly to other businesses. We sell internationally, primarily through distributors, which, in turn, sell to retail stores and government agencies. We also sell aftermarket accessories and branded merchandise direct to consumers on our ecommerce website.

Our top five commercial distributors in the United States accounted for a total of 46%, 45%, and 46% of our net sales for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2026, 2025, and 2024, respectively. Those commercial distributors are not regionally exclusive and have many of the same dealer customers. Therefore, we believe that the loss of one or more of these distributors would not materially impact sales as the remaining distributors would be allocated additional sales.

We sell our products worldwide. International sales accounted for approximately 4%, 5%, and 5% of our net sales for the fiscal years ended April 30, 2026, 2025, and 2024, respectively. We own tooling that is located at various suppliers in Asia and North America.

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For the fiscal years ended April 30, 2026, 2025, and 2024, marketing, advertising, and promotion expenses were $13.7 million, $15.2 million, and $14.7 million, respectively, excluding the cost of rebates and promotions reflected in gross profit.

We market our products using a multi-faceted approach to consumers through independent dealers, large retailers, in-store retail channels, direct to consumer, and range operations using focused marketing and promotional campaigns, which include print, broadcast, and digital advertising campaigns; social and electronic media; and in-store retail merchandising strategies. We are prominently featured in vertical print media, including editorial coverage in an extensive list of leading firearms and outdoor magazines, including Guns & Ammo, American Rifleman, Shooting Times, American Handgunner, Shooting Illustrated, American Hunter, Outdoor Life, and Field & Stream. We also sponsor many outdoor television, internet, and online programs that generate significant editorial exposure. We sponsor a number of firearm safety, shooting, and hunting events and organizations.

We print various product marketing collateral that are distributed to our dealers and mailed directly, on a limited basis, to consumers. We also attend various trade shows and expositions, such as the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade, or SHOT Show, the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers Annual Expo, the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference & Expo, the Association of the United States Army, or AUSA, Annual Meeting & Exposition, the IWA OutdoorClassics/EnforceTac international trade fair in Europe, and various distributor, buying group, and consumer shows.

Digital Marketing

We utilize our websites, including www.smith-wesson.com and www.gemtech.com, to market our products and services and to provide a wide range of information regarding our company to customers, consumers, dealers, distributors, investors, and government and law enforcement agencies worldwide. Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter), are effective ways for us to communicate the features and benefits of our products. Our direct-to-consumer e-mail marketing helps us to further engage our consumers and communicate the value of our brands. We continue to invest in new digital marketing capabilities to provide best-in-class customer experiences. Our websites are designed to inform, inspire, and prepare our customers for the next step in their firearms journey. We believe our digital platforms support future sales growth and profitability. In fiscal 2025, we introduced a direct-to-consumer e-commerce website to offer non-serialized parts, accessories, and branded goods.

Service and Support

We utilize a variety of methods for supporting our consumers and dealers. We have a toll-free customer service number, e-mail, and social media messaging to answer questions and resolve issues regarding our products. In addition, we offer a limited one-year warranty program and a lifetime service policy under which we repair defects in material or workmanship in our products, without charge, for as long as the original purchaser owns the firearm. We also maintain a number of authorized warranty centers throughout the world and provide both warranty and charge repair services at our facilities. In fiscal 2026, we launched the Smith & Wesson Academy, or the Academy, complete with a pistol range, shoot house, and 300-yard rifle range in Maryville, TN. The Academy services the civilian and professional market with world class firearms training and instruction. The Academy has become instrumental in product testing and business development. Additionally, we intend that the Academy will serve as a hub for industry shooting competitions and hospitality events for our customers and partners.

Suppliers

We manufacture most of the components for our firearms, but purchase certain components and parts, including bolt carriers, rifle receivers, magazines, small parts, and rifle stocks, from third parties. We also purchase ammunition for product testing. Most of our major suppliers are U.S. based and provide materials, components, and parts, such as steel, polymer components, and metal-injected-molded components. The costs of these materials, components, and parts are at competitive rates. We have become less dependent on any particular supplier by strategically sourcing parts and raw material from multiple suppliers based on quality, cost, and risk. Whenever appropriate, we ensure that we have primary and secondary sources of supply for critical parts and components. We are also able to leverage our supply base to supplement our internal capacity and provide flexibility in our response to changes in market conditions.

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We use numerous raw materials, such as steel, wood, lead, brass, and plastics, in producing and testing our products. We have alternative sources for these raw materials.

Facilities

We have four manufacturing facilities at which we produce our products: a 645,000 square-foot facility located in Maryville, Tennessee; a 575,000 square-foot facility located in Springfield, Massachusetts; and two facilities totaling 44,000 square-feet located in Houlton, Maine. We conduct plastic injection molding, assembly, and distribution services from our Maryville facility. We conduct certain machining, assembly, and manufacturing services at our Springfield facility. We machine non-serialized firearm parts and manufacture handcuffs and other restraint devices in our Houlton facilities. All of these facilities are ISO 9001 certified.

We perform most of the machining and all of the assembly, inspection, and testing of the firearms that we sell in our own facilities. We produce our major firearm components utilizing computer-assisted machines. Our skilled employees use sophisticated automated testing equipment to ensure the proper functioning of our firearms. Every firearm is test fired before shipment. Our Maryville facility operates primarily on three shift patterns: a five-day, 8-hour shift schedule. Our Springfield facility operates primarily on two shift patterns: a seven day, 12-hour rotating shift schedule and a five day, 8-hour shift schedule. Our Houlton facilities operate primarily on three shift patterns: a seven day, 12-hour shift schedule, a five day, 8-hour shift, and a four day, 10-hour shift schedule.

We are party to a lease agreement, dated October 26, 2017, between us and Ryan Boone County, LLC, or the Original Missouri Landlord, concerning certain real property located in Boone County, Missouri on which we had been operating our distribution center, or the Missouri Lease, as well as a related payment and performance guaranty, dated October 26, 2017, in favor of the Original Missouri Landlord. As part of the Relocation, on January 31, 2023, we entered into (i) an assignment and assumption agreement with American Outdoor Brands, Inc., our former wholly owned subsidiary, or AOUT (which became effective on January 1, 2024), pursuant to which AOUT assumed all of our rights, entitlement, and obligations in, to, and under the Missouri Lease, or the Assignment and Assumption Agreement, and (ii) an amended and restated guaranty in favor of RCS-S&W Facility, LLC, as successor in interest to the Original Missouri Landlord, pursuant to which Smith & Wesson Sales Company was added as a guarantor, or the Amended and Restated Guaranty. Because of the Amended and Restated Guaranty, we continue to account for this lease as we have since prior to the Relocation. Effective January 1, 2024, we vacated the Missouri distribution center. Assets from the Missouri distribution center that we could no longer use were sold to AOUT, and we relocated all remaining assets to our Maryville facility.

We seek to minimize inventory costs through an integrated planning and production system. All facilities operate utilizing SAP, a fully integrated ERP system.

Research and Development

Through our advanced products engineering departments, we enhance existing products and develop new products for our business. Through our research and development personnel, we conceive, design, and develop potential products that we believe will be attractive to our customers and help address the needs, wants, and desires of our target consumer base. In so doing, we must seek to anticipate and respond to trends and shifts in consumer preferences by continually adjusting our product mix with innovative features and designs and marketing them in an effective manner. Prior to introducing any product, we assess its cost of production and delivery, estimate its potential sales volume and margin, and conduct vigorous prototype and production-quality sample testing. In fiscal 2026, 2025, and 2024, our gross spending on research activities relating to the development of new products was $10.3 million, $9.6 million, and $7.3 million, respectively. As of April 30, 2026, we had 46 employees at our various facilities engaged in ongoing research and development activities for all of our brands.

Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights

We recognize the importance of innovation and protecting our intellectual property. Accordingly, we own numerous patents related to our products. We apply for patents whenever we develop innovative new products, unique designs, or processes of commercial importance. We do not believe that our business is materially dependent on any single patent.

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Because of the significance of our brand names, our trademarks, service marks, trade dress, and copyrights are also important to our business. We have an active global program of trademark registration, monitoring, and enforcement. We believe that our Smith & Wesson and Gemtech brands, including our S&W monogram trademarks, are known and recognized by the public worldwide and are important to our firearm business.

We intend to vigorously pursue and challenge infringements of our patents, trademarks, service marks, trade dress, and copyrights, as we believe the goodwill associated with them is a cornerstone of our branding strategy.

Competition

We encounter rigorous competition in the firearms industry from both domestic and foreign manufacturers. Although some competitors manufacture as wide a variety of firearms as we do, most of our competitors manufacture only certain types of firearms. We are one of the largest manufacturers of handguns, rifles, and handcuffs in the United States. We compete primarily based upon innovation, quality, reliability, durability, price, performance, consumer brand awareness, and customer service and support. Our customer service organization is proactive in offering timely responses to customer inquiries. We believe we can effectively compete with all our present competitors. Our primary competitors are Colt, Ruger, and Taurus in the revolver market; Glock, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Springfield Armory, and Taurus in the pistol market; Daniel Defense, Diamondback, Ruger, Sig Sauer, and Springfield Armory in the semi-automatic rifle market; and Ruger and Henry in the lever-action rifle market.

Customers

We sell our products through a variety of federally licensed distribution channels. Depending upon the product or service, our customers include distributors; federal, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies and officers; government and military agencies; and retailers. We also sell non-serialized parts, accessories, and apparel to retail consumers through our new e-commerce platform.

We grant payment terms to most commercial customers ranging from 20 to 60 days. However, in some instances, we provide longer payment terms.

During fiscal 2026, sales into our professional channel accounted for approximately 7.0% of our net sales, which included state and local law enforcement agencies, the federal government, and international customers. The remaining 93.0% of our net sales was through federal firearm licensees to domestic consumers.

Seasonality

Our business is seasonal with sales generally peaking in our fourth fiscal quarter, which ends April 30, because most industry events and distributor shows are normally scheduled during the early spring months. In addition, because of our operating schedule, which includes a summer and a winter shutdown of our manufacturing facilities, we have an increased number of operating days in our fourth fiscal quarter, which allows our shipping and production volumes to exceed other quarters. Seasonality, however, can be disrupted by external events, such as results of federal, state, and local elections and periodic social and political unrest, crime, and other factors that may drive sales or impact channel inventories.

Governmental Regulations of Firearms

Our business is primarily regulated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, which licenses the manufacture, sale, and import of firearms and firearm suppressors in the United States. The ATF conducts periodic audits of our facilities that hold federal firearms licenses.

There are also various state laws, regulations, and local ordinances relating to firearm characteristics, features, sales, and firearm magazine capacities. Firearm industry members must comply with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances pertaining to firearm, firearm suppressor, magazine, parts, and accessory sales within their jurisdictions. We manufacture several firearm models and magazines in various capacities that comply with those laws, regulations, and ordinances for sales in those states and localities. In Massachusetts, for example, there are

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regulations related to the weight of the trigger pull, barrel length, material strength, and independent testing of handguns. California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, as well as other states, the District of Columbia, and other localities, have similar laws, ordinances, and restrictions. In addition, certain states and the District of Columbia have implemented laws related to microstamping. Generally, these laws require any new pistols to contain a microstamping mechanism, which must be able to etch or imprint an array of characters that identify the make, model, and serial number of a pistol onto each cartridge case when the pistol is fired. No commercially produced firearm has utilized the microstamping process, which many consider to be infeasible, and we have no plans to utilize any microstamping feature in our firearms. While these microstamping laws do not currently restrict our product offerings because of ongoing viability studies or legal challenges, in the future, they may restrict our ability to sell our products into these jurisdictions.

Warnings and instructions concerning the safe operation of our firearms and firearm suppressors are contained in the safety and instruction manuals included in all boxes in which firearms and firearm suppressors are shipped and are also available for download from our Smith & Wesson and Gemtech websites.

Environmental Health and Safety

We are subject to numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations that regulate the health and safety of our workforce, including those regulations monitored by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or OSHA, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Department of Public Health. Though not exhaustive, examples of applicable regulations include confined space safety, walking and working surfaces, machine guarding, and life safety.

We are also subject to numerous federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations concerning, among other things, emissions to the air; discharges to land, surface, subsurface strata and water; and the generation, handling, storage, transportation, treatment, and disposal of hazardous waste and other materials. These laws require us to make significant expenditures of both a capital and expense nature. Several of the more significant federal laws applicable to our operations include the Clean Air Act; the Clean Water Act; the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA; and the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA.

We are required to remediate hazardous waste at our facilities. Currently, we own a designated site in Springfield, Massachusetts that contains two release areas, which are the focus of remediation projects as part of the Massachusetts Contingency Plan, or MCP. The MCP provides a structured environment for the voluntary remediation of regulated releases. We may be required to remove hazardous waste or remediate the alleged effects of hazardous substances on the environment associated with past disposal practices at sites not owned by us. We have received notice that we are a potentially responsible party from the Environmental Protection Agency and/or individual states under CERCLA or a state equivalent at two sites.

In our efforts to satisfy our environmental responsibilities and to comply with environmental laws and regulations, we have established, and periodically update, policies relating to the environmental standards of performance for our operations. We have in place programs that monitor compliance with various federal, state, and local environmental regulations. However, in the normal course of our manufacturing operations, we are subject to governmental proceedings and orders pertaining to waste disposal, air emissions, and water discharges from our operations into the environment. We regularly incur substantial capital and operating costs to comply with environmental laws, including remediation of known environmental conditions which we fund through cash flows from operations. We spent $1.9 million, $1.7 million, and $1.5 million in fiscal 2026, 2025 and 2024, respectively, on environmental compliance, primarily related to disposal fees and containers.

In the normal course of our business, we may become involved in various proceedings relating to environmental health and safety matters, and we are currently engaged in an environmental investigation and remediation. Our manufacturing facilities are located on properties with long histories of industrial use, including the use of hazardous substances. We have identified soil and groundwater contamination at our Springfield facility that we continue to monitor and remediate, as appropriate. Based on the situation, an environmental reserve may be recorded based upon currently enacted laws and regulations, currently available facts, experience in remediation efforts, existing technology, and the ability of other potentially responsible parties or contractually liable parties to pay the allocated portions of any environmental obligations. As of April 30, 2026, we did not have an open environmental reserve recorded in our consolidated balance sheet.

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Based on information known to us, we do not expect current environmental regulations or environmental proceedings and claims to have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. However, it is not possible to predict with certainty the impact on us of future environmental compliance requirements or of the cost of resolution of future environmental health and safety proceedings and claims, in part because the scope of the remedies that may be required is not certain, liability under federal environmental laws is joint and several in nature, and environmental laws and regulations are subject to modification and changes in interpretation. Additional or changing environmental regulation may become more burdensome in the future, and any such development could materially and adversely affect us.

Human Capital

Creating a positive work environment for our employees is critical to our ability to successfully execute our strategy. We are committed to a strong, healthy culture focused on respect for all employees, creating and sustaining a family atmosphere united under a clear vision, with the understanding of each function and individual’s responsibility for team results, collective pride in our company and our industry, and shared rewards for results. In order to ensure that we embody our values and that our culture remains healthy and strong, we place significant focus on our human resources.

Training & Development

Attraction, development, and retention of employees is critical to our success. We offer training and development programs to encourage advancement from within, including the following:


tuition reimbursement for undergraduate or advanced degrees;


computer numerical control, or CNC, machine training in conjunction with a local community college;


wastewater treatment operator training leading to licensure;


reimbursement for continuing professional education for our professionally licensed employees;


other in-house and cross-functional training to aid with career advancement; and


an intern program for college students.

We believe that this training and development leads to more valuable contributions and satisfaction for our employees within their existing roles and also positions employees for roles they aspire to attain. The intern program serves as a talent pipeline for future hires, as well as an opportunity for us to receive fresh perspectives and ideas, to introduce college students to our brand and increase positive employer branding, and to contribute to beneficial community engagement. Finally, we conduct periodic compliance and industry training for employees on various topics that are important to our business, including sexual harassment, anti-corruption, and cybersecurity, among others.

Talent Acquisition

Our Talent Acquisition team focuses on ensuring that our workforce is representative of the local communities in which we operate and that our business is open and welcoming to everyone. This commitment extends to all levels of our organization, including within senior management and our Board of Directors. We are committed to hiring qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, national origin, disability, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, military status, or any other protected category under applicable law.

Our Talent Acquisition team emphasizes recruiting and retaining a talented workforce with special focus on hiring veterans, whenever possible. Annual voluntary turnover for fiscal 2026, 2025, and 2024 was approximately 13%, 15%, and 16%, respectively.

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We utilize third-party tools and databases to review compensation practices on an annual basis to ensure we pay all employees fairly. We engage the services of benefit consultants to provide expert advice on the development of benefit designs and offerings, current market trends, exposure to loss, and various contract provisions. We also partner with various recruiting services to expand our ability to attract a qualified workforce, as needed.

Health and Safety

Our employee assistance program is supplemented by Cigna behavioral health tools in order to support employees’ mental, as well as physical health, needs.

We have a documented education and training plan to ensure employees are well trained on safety measures throughout the organization. We offer more than 55 different types of training, including lecture, classroom setting, and hands-on training to ensure our employees have the knowledge needed to ensure their safety, as well as the safety of others. The success of our training program has allowed us to maintain a relatively low level of safety claims and reduce lost work hours. Our calendar year 2025 and 2024 total recordable incident rate, or TRIR, of 1.88 and 2.3, respectively, and lost time incident rate, or LTIR, of 0.32 and 0.6, respectively, compares favorably to the latest OSHA industry data. According to OSHA, for our NAICS industry code, the calendar year 2024 and 2023 TRIR was 1.9 and 2.3, and the LTIR was 0.6 and 0.6, respectively. Our calendar year 2025 and 2024 near miss frequency rate was 2.85 and 1.9, respectively, and we did not have any fatalities in either year.

Total Rewards

Competitive pay and benefits have always been a highlight of our employee experience. We offer comprehensive benefit programs to our employees that allow them flexibility of choice through our total rewards framework of pay and service recognition, health and wellness, financial well-being, work/life balance, culture and community, and learning and development.

We are committed to ensuring that all of our employees are paid a fair wage. To that end, we offer generous wages and benefits to our employees, including the following:


a comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plan for our employees and their families, for which we pay between 87% and 93% of the total cost;


a 401(k) plan with a company match of up to 3% of the first 6% contributed by the employee;


a profit-sharing plan in which employees can earn up to 15% of their eligible earnings based on company profits;


individual financial planning sessions with a certified financial planner;


twelve annual holidays and a paid time off program;


paid and unpaid leaves of absence, including paid family and medical leave for employees working in qualified states;


flexible spending and health savings accounts;


life and disability insurance coverage;


employee stock purchase plan;


on-site fitness center;


employee assistance programs;


product discounts; and


license-to-carry subsidies and reimbursement for range membership fees.

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Annual increases and incentive compensation for salaried and non-operations hourly employees are based on merit, which is communicated to employees upon hire and documented through our talent management program as part of the annual performance review process. Annual increases for hourly operations employees are based on a yearly market analysis for comparable jobs.

Headcount

As of April 30, 2026, we had 1,386 employees, including eight part-time employees. None of our employees are represented by a union in collective bargaining with us. Of our employees, 34% have 10 or more years of service with our company and 2% have greater than 25 years of service with our company. We believe that our employee relations are good and that the high quality of our employee base is instrumental to our success.

Information About our Executive Officers

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our executive officers:

Name

Age

Position

Mark P. Smith

50

President and Chief Executive Officer

Deana L. McPherson

55

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary

Kevin A. Maxwell

50

Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary

Kyle O. Tengwall

54

Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Corporate Strategy

Mark P. Smith has served as President and Chief Executive Officer since 2020. Mr. Smith served as Co-President and Co-Chief Executive Officer from January 2020 to August 2020. Mr. Smith served as President, Manufacturing Services of our company and as President of Manufacturing Services for Smith & Wesson Sales Company (formerly known as American Outdoor Brands Sales Company and Smith & Wesson Corp.), a subsidiary of our company, from 2016 until 2020. Mr. Smith served as Vice President of Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management from 2011 until 2016 and served as Vice President of Supply Chain Management from 2010 until 2011. He was Director Supply Chain Solutions for Alvarez & Marsal Business Consulting, LLC from 2007 until 2010. Mr. Smith held various positions for Ecolab, Inc., a developer and marketer of programs, products, and services for the hospitality, foodservice, healthcare, industrial, and energy markets, from 2001 until 2007, including Program Manager, Acquisition Integration Manager, Senior Manufacturing Planner, Plant Engineer, and Senior Production / Quality Supervisor. Mr. Smith was a Production Supervisor for Bell Aromatics, a manufacturer of flavors and fragrances, from 1999 until 2001.

Deana L. McPherson has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary since 2020. Ms. McPherson served as Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, Corporate Controller, and Assistant Treasurer from 2017 to 2020. Ms. McPherson served as Vice President, Corporate Controller, and Assistant Treasurer from 2009 to 2017. Ms. McPherson served as Corporate Controller from 2007 to 2009. From 2001 to 2007, Ms. McPherson held a number of increasingly responsible positions for Wood Group PLC, a $5.0 billion international energy services company, including, at her departure, Vice President of Finance for the Heavy Industrial Turbines division. From 1995 to 2001, she served as Accounting Manager of FiberMark DSI, Inc. (formerly Rexam DSI, Inc.), a producer of specialty fiber-based materials in the paper and packaging industry. From 1992 to 1995 she was employed as an auditor at Deloitte & Touche LLP. Ms. McPherson is a Certified Public Accountant registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Kevin A. Maxwell has served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, and Secretary since 2021. From 2016 to 2021, he served in leadership positions within the legal department of WestRock Company, a publicly traded paper and packaging company, including as Vice President – Associate General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. From 2010 to 2016, Mr. Maxwell held a number of increasingly responsible positions with Mueller Water Products, Inc., a publicly traded water infrastructure company, including, Vice President – Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. From 2004 to 2010, he served as a corporate associate in the London and Washington, DC offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

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Kyle O. Tengwall has served as Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Corporate Strategy since August 2025. Mr. Tengwall served as Vice President of Marketing from 2020 to August 2025. Prior to joining our company, he served as Chief Marketing Officer and General Manager of the Consumer Division at United Tactical Systems, Inc. from 2017 to 2020 and Vice President and General Manager at Duck Commander Inc. (from the TV show Duck Dynasty) from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Tengwall previously held several roles of increasing responsibility from 1999 to 2013 for Vista Outdoors (formerly AlliantTechsystems), a market leader in ammunition, firearms, and accessories and served as an Analytics Consultant for ACNielsen from 1996 to 1998.

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