Did a Spanish company own S&W during the 1970's?

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Bangor Punta was the name of some girl who worked at the bar on the border. Marcas Registradas Was her pimp!
That's MY contribution to the internet drivel. I too have heard the stories about the Bangor Punta thing-but I came of age in the 70's with regard to my awakening interest in S&W and didn't know any better. You heard the things like Lear Sigler was an English plumbing supply company and they would be the death of S&W, yada yada yada. Big difference back then is that this stuff traveled a lot slower due to lack of internet. Word of mouth was through your buddy and gun rags so misinformation usually took months to spread from coast to coast rather than mere seconds. Plus you had to actually buy your porn in magazines from the dirty bookstore. But I digest.....

 

[jack the toad]

After a little thought (very little), I've probably owned as many if not more BP Smiths as any other Smith. I can't see a trend or pattern as to their poor quality or shoddy workmanship over any other era.
IMO, the experts perpetrating this info can't even provide the exact years of BP or any other parent company but will re-hash old trash... Just my opinion.

 

[rwsmith]

Bangor Punta.......

Somehow to me it sounds like an Eastern Indian company. Like Bangalore Punjab or something. Probably the Bangor they are talking about is in Maine.

o/' Third boxcar midnight train... o/'

o/' ...destination Bangor, Maine o/'

o/' Old worn out suit and shoes o/'

o/' I don't pay no union dues.... o/'

 

[elm_creek_smith]

Then there was the evil little troll behind the table at a gun show telling a young couple that Taurus "now makes all the Smith & Wesson revolvers in Brazil, so you can just buy a Taurus and get the same gun." No, it wasn't a private sale; the troll works for a gun store! He must be a family member or something.

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

 

[jimmyj]

IIRC (?) during this era S&W had repair centers in various parts of the U.S.A. to correct issues of Q.C. The nearest one to me was Tampa, Florida run by S&W employee Jim Fish.

 

[rwsmith]

You MIGHT be able to........

...correlate this point in time with company ownership but there was a point, I guess in the early 70's, where engineering changes went from bug fixes and improvements to cost cutting measures and the trend continues to this day. But they still make great guns.

That "Brazilian/Taurus-is-just-like-S&W" connection probably did more to throw shavings in the finish works than anything.

 

[Road Rat]

FYI: A British company; In June 1987 Tomkins plc paid $112.5 million to purchase Smith & Wesson.
Then: Slick Willy got involved - On March 17, 2000, Smith & Wesson made an agreement with U.S. President Bill Clinton under which it would implement changes in the design and distribution of its firearms in return for "preferred buying program" to offset the loss of revenue as a result of the anticipated boycott.
Then the deal of the century: On May 11, 2001, Saf-T-Hammer Corporation acquired Smith & Wesson Corp. from Tomkins plc for US$15 million

 

[Sistema1927]

I knew a guy who said that he would never own a "Bang or Puta" (his words, not mine) S&W.

I found it strange that he really, really liked a Rossi revolver.

 

[iskra]

With majority of my Smiths centered in the late forties to late seventies, and of those mostly "N" frames, my view as BP era simply coinciding with "slippery slope". Belt tightening across the gun industry as others. Such simply coinciding with the BP era. High blue finish and even ordinary blue simply a click or so nicer in the 'pre' model number guns. Exceptions of course, but my opinion as a generalization.
I don't attribute this to any sinister plot. Rather just newer concepts of cost containment/corporate shareholder concerns. Perhaps refocusing on these fine guns a bit more as 'tools'/LE market. Management decisions as moving from that postwar 'glow' of 'in the marketplace again', to realities of foreign competition on American soil.
I understand likely more 'opinion' that desired here, but corporate focus was raising its head as America shook off prewar practices and refocused on whole new ball game. Don't blame BP rather than new culture arising.
Apologies for 'expounding'... But the question asked and...
My take