Former Smith & Wesson CEO: "No Regrets" Over Gun Control Agreement

When Smith & Wesson announced a couple of weeks ago that it’s moving its headquarters from Massachusetts to Tennessee, in large part because of the anti-gun hostility by lawmakers in Boston, the decision conjured up memories of the last time the company faced an existential threat to its existence; a wave of lawsuits filed against the corporation by anti-gun politicians and their allies in the gun control lobby, the Clinton administration’s effort to impose new restrictions on firearms manufacturers, and the company’s adoption of those standards in exchange for seeing those lawsuits disappear.

That was more than 20 years ago, and the resulting firestorm of controversy ended up with Smith & Wesson’s CEO being ousted, followed by the company’s sale and years of PR efforts from the new owners to undo the damage to the company’s reputation. Amazingly, however, that former CEO says he doesn’t have any regrets about his decision to work with the Clinton administration on voluntary gun control measures.