The wife and I went to CT and MA last week to visit family and a little vacation. Wednesday I called S&W and asked if I could get a tour of the plant and was told to be there Thursday at 10:00am. We and another couple from Atlanta got a great tour. The guide, his name was Roy, was a retired S&W employee. Roy took us all through the plant and we got to see everything except the test range.

If I remember everything correctly Roy said that S&W employs 900 people and each 24 hour day they produce 900 revolvers, 800 semi-auto pistols, and 250 M&P rifles. The workers we saw all looked happy to be there and the ones we talked to were very nice. They work two 12 hour shifts. Two days on then two days off, then three days on then three days off.

We got to meet Dave. He is S&W's inhouse engraver. Dave showed us what he was currently working on, a mdl. 41, and also showed us the last two he just completed. Beautiful work.

They make everything inhouse except for the polimer parts. Also they do work for other companys. They make shifter forks for Harley-Davidson, saw those. Also saw a rack of single action revolver grip frames that they bead blast for another company.

The security level at the plant was high as one would expect. It took a while to complete everything to gain entry.

I want to thank S&W in this day and age for still having factory tours. If you are ever close to the factory call and set up a tour, it is amazing.

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Big Fred

A bit jealous here. Thanks.

I was lucky enough to tour the plant on my honeymoon in May 1989. It was an interesting tour for sure, I think I was most impressed with the forging, the guys doing that were talented! I did see the whole shebang from forging to rifling to grip making to assembly and test firing. I agree with Big Fred, if the opportunity ever presents itself by all means take advantage of it.

Ok, I have to ask: Did they have a gift shop?

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Rather be outdoors

Pretty neat - I guess that they don't allow pictures?

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Lou

I got the tour a few years ago, it was great!
Since then I read an article in an old "American Rifleman" (early 50's I think) about the "new" S&W factory having just been completed. Went on to say entire production could be moved underground if .......
This is the same facility in use today.
Kevin

Do they give away free samples???

Add me to the jealous group. I was passing through Georgia a few years ago and called Glock about a tour. They weren't allowing tours at the time due to 9/11. I did get a tour of Jack Daniels later on the trip. Highly recommended. We drove the back roads of the south on the trip staying off the interstates as much as possible . It was very interesting and the people were very friendly. I wouldn't mind doing that again.

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I like Ike.

Hobbyist, Yes they have a gift shop. It's about a mile down the road from the factory and it's called the S&W Factory Store and Academy. They carry all of the S&W firearms and shirts, hats, range bags, grips, mags, and ect.

loutent, NO pictures, NO cell phones. You must go through a metal dectector going in and OUT. So no picking up spare parts on the tour!

Kevin, Roy said that construction on the plant was started in 1948 and they moved in and started production in 1950.

Milton, After the tour was over they have a one room Museum to see. It has a lot of nice old S&W's. The guy in there asked if anyone had any questions and I said there was one room I must have missed and he asked what room? I said the room with all the free samples and he told me he was still looking for that room himself.

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Big Fred

Oh well !! That's too bad !!

I was told that the gift shop / store does NOT have all the guns they sell, just saying thats all , and if you want to buy from them you have to have the FFL info, and take 20% off the retail price.

I'm going once they have some more holsters and other items in the store that they ran out of.

Curious did they say whose making the polymer parts for them?

Oamaam, I can't testify to the fact that they have EVERY gun they manufacture in the store, but it sure appeared to me they did. When I was there there was a local man filling out the forms to buy a M&P 15. I have no idea about prices paid. The guide only said that the polymer parts were made by an outside contractor and that everything else was made in house. He didn't say and I didn't ask who the outside contractor was.

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Big Fred