SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (September 9, 2009) - Smith & Wesson Corp., the legendary 157-year old firearms maker, announced today that it has commenced shipments of its M&P15 tactical rifles to Mexico's Secretary of National Defense. The duty firearms will be distributed to police agencies including the Commission Federal de Electricidad (Federal Commission of Energy) and El Gobierno del Distrito Federal (Police of Federal District of Mexico).

Smith & Wesson has supplied 820 of its M&P15 tactical rifles to the Police of the Federal District of Mexico, as well as 1,500 of its M&P15 rifles to Mexico's Department of Energy. The company has commenced armourer's training for each agency, as well as range training for those specialized officers who will be authorized to carry the new patrol rifles.

As long standing customers of Smith & Wesson, both the Police of the Federal District of Mexico and Mexico's Department of Energy have historically purchased the company's revolvers, pistols and handcuffs.

Leland Nichols, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Smith & Wesson Corp., said, "We have continued to build upon our global customer base, supported by our broad offering of M&P firearm products. Our entire line of M&P tactical rifles and pistols has been designed and manufactured with the exacting requirements of our law enforcement customers in mind. We are proud to continue our successful relationship with the Police of the Federal District of Mexico and Mexico's Department of Energy, as well as a number of other law enforcement agencies throughout Mexico."

The M&P Rifle Series is based upon a combat-proven design and incorporates standard features designed to enhance ease of use and accuracy while in the field. The M&P15 is a rugged, lightweight, semi-automatic rifle with a 16-inch barrel, or a 14.5-inch barrel for law enforcement applications. The rifle is chambered for 5.56mm NATO (.223) ammunition and features a single-stage trigger with a 7-pound trigger pull. Both the upper and lower receivers on the rifles are constructed with a tough 7071 T6 aluminum and each rifle is furnished with an A2 military flash suppressor. Reliability features of the gas-operated rifles include a chrome-lined gas key, bolt carrier and barrel. The M&P15 rifle is designed to accommodate a variety of shooting positions through the use of a six-position adjustable stock and each rifle features a barrel twist of 1 in 9 inches. The M&P15 incorporates a traditional AR-15 design featuring a removable carry-handle and adjustable rear and front post sights, allowing for quick target acquisition and convenient handling. The black anodized rifle measures 35 inches in length when fully extended and a compact 32 inches with the stock collapsed. The M&P15 has an unloaded weight of 6.74 pounds.

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