CONTENTS INCLUDE:

• Smith & Wesson 100 years of Gunmaking 1852 – 1952
• Carl R. Hellstrom President of Smith & Wesson
• for the American Newcomen Society at Smith & Wesson
• Introduction about Carl Hellstrom
• Native of Sweden
• Shakey Start
• Smith and Wesson both work at Allen & Luther gunshope
• New engineering
• Henry Rifle uses volcanic action
• 1856 Wesson joins Horace Smith
• Model #1 first breech loading rimfire
• Expanding shop in Springfield
• Russian army asks for Military Revolvers
• The .44 Russian model was invented
• 1874 Horace Smith sells his interest To Daniel Wesson
• All brothers join the company
• By 1911 500,000 + .38 double actions made
• 1907 Invention of the Triple Lock .44
• New Military model adapted
• Over 300,000 made
• Government takes over plant in 1918
• New Leadership and less sales after the war
• Foreign imports flood the market
• Trying to make a British Military Rifle
• Supplying revolvers not rifles to the British
• World War II 1,311,000 revolvers used by the Allied forces
• 1942 expanding factory – even underground
• Money Problems after the war
• Each gun – 2,000 separate operations, 500 inspections!
• Underground safe in case of bombing

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