Smith & Wesson says its latest quarter and fiscal year sales climbed sharply, even as national background checks continued sliding away from pandemic highs. The company also plans major investments at its Springfield, Massachusetts, facility before April 2027—
For Smith & Wesson, the quarter ended with a clear message: customers kept buying handguns while the national pace of background checks continued to fall.
The former Springfield-based firearms maker reported that fourth-quarter net sales jumped 27% from a year ago to $178.4 million. The company said the increase was driven by strong demand for handguns and by the rollout of new products.
Its broader year also moved higher. For fiscal year 2026, Smith & Wesson said net sales increased more than 10%, reaching $523.8 million.
That growth arrives against a backdrop of weakening background checks nationwide. Even as firearm background checks remain below the record highs seen during the pandemic, Smith & Wesson’s results show a sharp sales climb.
The company pointed to National Instant Criminal Background Check System activity, saying the total amount of NICS checks continues to slide back down to pre-pandemic levels. Since the peak levels in 2020, it said the number of background checks has decreased by 34% in 2025.
Smith & Wesson’s leaders say that decline hasn’t altered its momentum. Now headquartered in Tennessee, the company announced it will make significant investments in its Springfield facility sometime before the end of April 2027.
During the fourth quarter earnings call, Mark Smith, the company’s president and CEO, said the Springfield workforce is the reason the machining work will remain there. “The machining is planned to be there forever,” he said.
The company’s relationship with Springfield has been shaped by a difficult turn of events before. In a 2021 announcement. Smith & Wesson said it was moving operations due to pending legislation in Massachusetts that would have prohibited the manufacturing of certain firearms that are legal in most other states.
That law was enacted in 2024, banning the manufacturing of ghost guns and adding strict regulations surrounding semi-automatic guns. In 2021. Smith said in a statement that the decision was “extremely difficult and emotional. ” adding that after analyzing the proposed legislation at the time. the company felt it was “left with no other alternative.”.
Even with the shift of headquarters in 2023, the Springfield plant still matters. The facility there, focused on forging, machining, metal finishing, and assembly of revolvers, remains open and employs about 1,000 people.
At the same time, the company’s newer Tennessee setup handles the rest of the manufacturing pipeline—plastic injection molding, pistol and long-gun assembly, and distribution.
Smith & Wesson said the new arrangement is working, with new products rolling out in the hunting and concealed carry gun space. On the earnings call, Smith said, “all of these products are doing very well for us and helping to elevate the brand in general.”
Smith & Wesson firearms sales NICS background checks Mark Smith Springfield facility Tennessee headquarters ghost guns concealed carry earnings