Smith & Wesson® Unveils the M&P® M2.0™ Pistol

SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Smith & Wesson Corp. today announced the debut of the M&P M2.0 pistol, the latest innovation from the iconic firearms company.  Designed for personal, sporting, and professional use, the M&P M2.0 pistol delivers an entirely new platform, introducing innovative features in nearly every aspect of the pistol, including the trigger, grip, frame, and finish.

James Debney, President and CEO of American Outdoor Brands Corporation, the parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., said, "When we launched the first M&P polymer pistols over 10 years ago, they were a game changer for the company.  Since that time, we have clearly established M&P as a leading firearm brand and built an incredibly strong family of products around it, including the market leading M&P Shield® pistols. Now, with a decade of experience under our belts, we are very excited and proud to reveal our next generation M&P pistol – the M&P M2.0. We expect this completely new product platform to clearly differentiate us from the competition and take significant share in the handgun market.  Today, we are launching the 9mm, 40S&W and .45 Auto versions of our full-size design, but stay tuned for multiple new product additions and line extensions in 2017 that will establish a completely new family based on this platform. This is a key strategic milestone in achieving our vision for the Firearms Division, which is 'To be the leading firearms manufacturer'."

Matt Buckingham, President of the Firearms Division, said, "Our goal is to continually strengthen and grow our leadership position in firearms by meeting and then exceeding the needs, wants, and desires of the consumer. With this goal always in our minds, the new product development team at Smith & Wesson tapped into more than a decade of M&P experience, performance data, and candid feedback from professional users when designing the M&P M2.0 Pistol – and it shows.   When you pick up this pistol, the first thing you'll notice is an extraordinary grip that feels great in the hand – and that's just the beginning.  From the grip, to the new aggressive texture, to the crisp trigger and audible reset, this pistol feels and fires like a next-generation model should – and more. This is clearly one of the most advanced production pistols on the market today, and we believe it is the pistol that consumers have been waiting for.  The M&P M2.0 in 9mm and 40 caliber versions is in stock at our distributor partners and is shipping today."

Highlights of the M&P M2.0 pistol include an extended stainless-steel chassis and high grip to barrel bore axis ratio for reduced muzzle rise and faster aim recovery.  The M&P M2.0 pistol further improves performance with a fine-tuned, crisper trigger, lighter pull, and a tactile and audible reset. The pistol, available in three calibers, includes an aggressively-textured grip and four interchangeable palmswell inserts for optimal hand-fit and trigger reach.  The M&P M2.0 is an ideal pistol for all shooters in all conditions. 

M&P M2.0 pistol Advanced by Design™

Superior Ergonomic Design

• M&P pistol's optimal 18-degree grip angle, providing a natural point of aim
• M&P pistol high grip-to-barrel bore axis – more comfortable to shoot, faster aim recovery
• Four interchangeable dimensional palmswell grips for best-in-class fit: S,M,ML,L
• New aggressive M2.0 textured grip for enhanced control
• New front cocking serrations

Superior Performance

• New M2.0 crisp trigger with lighter trigger pull
• Tactile and audible trigger reset
• Accurate 1 in 10" twist 9mm and 40S&W, and 1 in 15" twist .45 Auto M&P M2.0 barrels
• Extended rigid embedded stainless steel chassis to reduce flex and torque when firing
• Tactical white 3-dot steel sights for quick target acquisition

Superior Controls

• Ambidextrous slide stop, reversible magazine release, and optional ambidextrous thumb safety
• Simple M&P take-down lever, for easy disassembly and maintenance
• M&P pistol sear deactivation lever – safe take-down without having to pull the trigger

Superior Finish

• Armornite® - hardened nitride durable corrosion resistant finish on barrel and slide
• Cerakote® FDE finish over Armornite® on Flat Dark Earth M2.0 slides

The M&P M2.0 pistol base model is priced within reach, at an MSRP of $599.  It is available in the three most popular pistol calibers: 9mm, 40S&W and .45 Auto.   The striker-fire, semi-automatic polymer pistol is available in matte black or FDE – Flat Dark Earth – finishes and includes two magazines, a limited lifetime warranty, and a lifetime service policy.

To see the M&P M2.0 pistol in action, please visit https://www.smith-wesson.com/brands/mp

For more information on Smith & Wesson's M&P family of products, including the new M&P M2.0 pistols, please visit www.smith-wesson.com.

About American Outdoor Brands Corporation
American Outdoor Brands Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select: AOBC) is a provider of quality products for shooting, hunting, and rugged outdoor enthusiasts in the global consumer and professional markets. The Company reports two segments: Firearms and Outdoor Products & Accessories.  Firearms manufactures handgun and long gun products sold under the Smith & Wesson®, M&P®, and Thompson/Center Arms™ brands as well as provides forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services. Outdoor Products & Accessories provides shooting, hunting, and outdoor accessories, including reloading, gunsmithing, and gun cleaning supplies, tree saws, vault accessories, knives, laser sighting systems, tactical lighting products, and survival and camping equipment. Brands in Outdoor Products & Accessories include Smith & Wesson®, M&P®, Thompson/Center Arms™, Crimson Trace®, Caldwell® Shooting Supplies, Wheeler® Engineering, Tipton® Gun Cleaning Supplies, Frankford Arsenal® Reloading Tools, Lockdown® Vault Accessories, Hooyman® Premium Tree Saws, BOG POD®, Golden Rod® Moisture Control, Schrade®, Old Timer®, Uncle Henry®, UST™, and Imperial™.  For more information on American Outdoor Brands Corporation, call (844) 363-5386 or log on to www.aob.com.  

About Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson Corp. is a provider of quality firearms for personnel protection, target shooting, and hunting in the global consumer and professional markets. Smith & Wesson is world famous for its handguns and long guns sold under the Smith & Wesson®, M&P®, and Thompson/Center Arms™ brands.  Through its Manufacturing Services Division, Smith & Wesson Corp. also provides forging, machining, and precision plastic injection molding services to a wide variety of consumer goods companies. For more information on Smith & Wesson, call (800) 331-0852 or log on to www.smith-wesson.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements under federal securities laws, and we intend that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe-harbor created thereby.  Such forward-looking statements include our expectation that our new product platform will clearly differentiate us from the competition and take significant share in the handgun market; our expectation for multiple new product additions and line extensions in 2017 that will establish a completely new family based on this platform; our belief that this is a key strategic milestone in achieving our vision for the Firearms Division, which is "To be the leading firearms manufacturer"; our goal to continually strengthen and grow our leadership position in firearms by meeting and then exceeding the needs, wants, and desires of the consumer; and our belief that the M&P M2.0 is clearly one of the most advanced production pistols on the market today, and our belief it is the pistol that consumers have been waiting for.  We caution that these statements are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by such forward-looking statements.  Such factors include the demand for our products; the costs and ultimate conclusion of certain legal matters; the state of the U.S. economy in general and the firearm industry in particular; general economic conditions and consumer spending patterns; the potential for increased regulation of firearms and firearm-related products; speculation surrounding fears of terrorism and crime; our growth opportunities; our anticipated growth; our ability to increase demand for our products in various markets, including consumer, law enforcement, and military channels, domestically and internationally; the position of our hunting products in the consumer discretionary marketplace and distribution channel; our penetration rates in new and existing markets; our strategies; our ability to introduce new products; the success of new products; our ability to expand our markets; our ability to integrate acquired businesses in a successful manner; the general growth of our outdoor products and accessories business; the potential for cancellation of orders from our backlog; and other risks detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2016.

Contacts:
Shaun Phelan, Smith & Wesson Corp. 
1-844-772-5159
media@smith-wesson.com

Liz Sharp, American Outdoor Brands Corporation
1-413-747-6284
lsharp@aob.com

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SOURCE Smith & Wesson Corp.