I found this bit in an article about the new S&W .50 revolver:

"...But Smith & Wesson, long the industry leader, also lost business in recent years after striking a deal with the Clinton administration in 2000 to install safety locks on all its guns and change its marketing practices.
Other gunmakers decided not to follow Smith & Wesson’s lead, and gun advocates accused the company of selling out.
In 2001, the ailing gunmaker was sold by its British owner to an Arizona startup company that all but abandoned the agreement with the government and adopted an aggressive marketing stance..."

Well, Praise The Lord, we got one of our gun companies back, and they are standing tall. It's time to start buying Smith and Wesson again, folks!