[Stockupticks.com] [Image] [Image] Welcome to Stockupticks.com Newsletter Issue #13 - October 26, 2001 [Image] [Image][Image] [Image] e-Blast [Image] *** Important News *** [Image] MA Union News Reports New Smith & Wesson Super-Light Guns Could Be Carried By Flight Crews On Commercial Airliners In the Spring of this year, Stockupticks brought you the story of a small-cap company that produced firearm safety and security products. That company, Saf-T-Hammer (OTC BB: SAFH) later acquired legendary gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson. One of the products in development at that time was a gun made from a new, lightweight, exotic-metal alloy making the gun easier to carry and conceal. Due to interest in using this weapon for arming flight crews on commercial airliners, the dealer response has been tremendous. [Image] (see article below) ----------------------------------------------------- [Image] Business News Lightweight revolvers hot item for S&W Wednesday, October 24, 2001 By WILLIAM FREEBAIRN A new line of ultra-light revolvers in stores this month is proving a success for Smith & Wesson, which can't keep up with demand. The new guns are among the first in the world to use scandium, a metal that has been used in Russian fighter jets and baseball bats. They are being marketed under the AirLite Sc label and all are capable of firing a powerful .357-caliber Magnum round that had been previously unavailable in such a lightweight gun. The smaller revolvers, which weight just over 11 ounces, have been shipping for several weeks; larger guns should reach dealers in the coming days. "It's a hot item," said Herb A. Belin, handgun product manager for Smith & Wesson. "Our constraint is our production rate." The guns are more expensive than stainless-steel revolvers. New guns carry a suggested price of between $700 and $800 each. The lighter guns are likely to be purchased by people who want them for personal defense, especially those with permits to carry concealed weapons, Belin said. Officials said developing the guns using the new metal took longer than expected and taught them some lessons in metallurgy. In high-speed video footage of the gun firing, the frame and barrel moved dramatically due to the scandium alloy's flexibility. "That gun does the rumba," Belin said. Designers increased the size of some parts of the gun to reduce flexing. Titanium was used in the cylinder for strength, but testing showed it was also needed in the center pin and other parts of the weapon. Steel is used for the hammer and trigger. "This taught us to make even stronger, tougher guns," Belin said. Scandium is a little-known metal that occupies a place on the periodic table immediately before titanium. Discovered in the late 1800s, it found use in the former Soviet Union, which had a virtual monopoly on the supply from the Ukraine. The Soviets used it in fighter jets and missile parts. When the Soviet Union broke up, the metal began to see more widespread use, for example in aluminum baseball bats and mountain bike frames. Although scandium costs about $7,000 a pound, the amount needed to mix with aluminum and other alloying agents is small. Adding a little scandium to aluminum strengthens the material more than twofold, Belin said. Its weight will increase the number of people willing to carry it, Belin said. "You don't need a holster. You can carry it in your pocket." The lightest of the scandium guns is less than half of the weight of the lightest .357-caliber Magnum the company made before. Because of their light weight and flexible scandium-aluminum alloy frame, the guns deliver a rapid "kick" to the hands of the person firing them. "Recoil is an issue," Belin said. The gun can fire less-powerful rounds than the .357 magnum, for example the .38 special, that can reduce recoil. "You really have to work at not flinching (when firing,)" Belin said. Smith & Wesson officials believe there may be another market for the super-light guns. They have developed a prototype scandium alloy gun that could be carried by flight crews on commercial airliners. There have been calls for flight crews to be armed, although no steps have been taken by the government in that direction. The Smith & Wesson prototypes are black with an internal hammer, so they could be carried in a trouser or jacket pocket without catching on the fabric. The guns could be modified to fire a lower-velocity round, which is less likely to cause damage to an aircraft, officials said. The prototype air crew guns have not been publicly revealed before, Belin said. A spokesman said the prototypes are simply a design concept and will not necessarily be produced or be shared with people outside the company. © 2001 UNION-NEWS. ABOUT SAF-T-HAMMER (OTC BB: SAFH) [Image] Saf-T-Hammer Corporation is a firearm safety company focused on preventing unauthorized gun use and unintentional firearm accidents. Saf-T-Hammer customers include sporting goods distributors, law enforcement distributors, law enforcement retailers, law enforcement agencies and gunsmiths. Saf-T-Hammer acquired Smith & Wesson, one of the worlds leading producers of quality handguns and law enforcement products, in May of this year. Law enforcement personnel, military personnel, target shooters, hunters, collectors and firearms enthusiasts throughout the world have used the companys products with confidence for nearly 150 years. [Image] Links [Image] For more information, visit the companys Web sites at: http://www.saf-t-hammer.com http://www.smith-wesson.com For the latest news regarding Saf-T-Hammer click here ----------------------------------------------------- Safe Harbor Statement: Statements contained in this document, including those pertaining to estimates and related plans other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements subject to a number of uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made. Disclaimer: StockUpTicks.com is a property of Market Pathways Financial Relations Incorporated (MP). The information, opinions and analysis contained herein are based on sources believed to be reliable but no representation, expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. This report is for information purposes only and should not be used as the basis for any investment decision. MP has been retained by Saf-T-Hammer to assist in its on-going investor relations efforts. MP owns 180,000 shares of Saf-T-Hammer restricted common stock and receives monthly compensation of $4,000 for continuing financial public relations services. The compensation received by MP for producing this newsletter constitutes a conflict of interest as to MPs ability to remain objective in its communication regarding the subject company. Write or call MP for detailed disclosure as required by Rule 17b of the Securities Act of 1933/1934. MP is not an investment advisor and this report is not investment advice. This information is neither a solicitation to buy nor an offer to sell securities. Information contained herein contains forward-looking statements and is subject to significant risks and uncertainties, which will affect the results. The opinions contained herein reflect our current judgment and are subject to change without notice. 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