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http://www.msnbc.com/news/502079.asp?0na=3D2303130-&cp1=3D1



BOSTON, Dec. 11 - Smith & Wesson, the country's oldest gun maker, agreed =
Monday to make far-reaching changes in the way it makes and sells =
weapons as part of a settlement with the city of Boston.

THE AGREEMENT IS nearly identical to one that Smith & Wesson reached in =
March with federal authorities and the governments of other =
municipalities and several states.=20
       It preserves Smith & Wesson's track record of more aggressively =
seeking settlements of lawsuits and may expose the company, a unit of =
British conglomerate Tomkins Plc., to criticism from other gun makers.
       After its March settlement, the company came in for blistering =
attacks from rivals in the industry, the National Rifle Association and =
gun owners, some of whom boycotted Smith & Wesson products. The =
agreement was hailed by President Clinton and gun control advocates.
       No one from either the Boston mayor's office or Smith & Wesson =
could be reached for comment on Monday's settlement.=20
         "This document is not about conditions that make it impossible =
to do business in the firearms industry or to keep a legitimate =
purchaser from buying a handgun," the company said in a statement.
       "It is about insuring that those that obtain Smith & Wesson =
firearms do so in compliance with the law and that those that buy and =
sell our products as part of the distribution process follow the letter =
of the law."
      =20
AGREEMENT COVERS LOCKS
       Under the agreement, which still has to be approved by a judge, =
Smith & Wesson agreed to immediately start selling all its guns with =
external locks and to equip them with internal locks within two years.
       It also agreed to devote 2 percent of its revenues to developing =
safety technology, including smart-gun systems to prevent anyone but the =
authorized user from firing a specific gun.
       The company agreed to improve child safety features within three =
years to effectively preclude a typical 5-year-old from firing any of =
its guns.
       Smith & Wesson agreed to require background checks at all its =
dealers and at gun shows; to include a second, hidden serial number on =
each weapon; and to work with federal authorities to test every gun and =
enter the results on a database to aid in tracing used cartridges found =
at crime scenes.
       After Smith & Wesson settled the suit in March, sales slumped and =
the company laid off workers. Tomkins has said it wants to sell the =
firm, but no progress has been announced on that front.
      =20
       =A9 2000 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or =
redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the =
prior written consent of Reuters.=20
"This document is not about conditions that make it impossible to do =
business in the firearms industry or to keep a legitimate purchaser from =
buying a handgun," the company said in a statement.
       "It is about insuring that those that obtain Smith & Wesson =
firearms do so in compliance with the law and that those that buy and =
sell our products as part of the distribution process follow the letter =
of the law."


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<DIV><FONT size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.msnbc.com/news/502079.asp?0na=3D2303130-&amp;cp1=3D1">=
http://www.msnbc.com/news/502079.asp?0na=3D2303130-&amp;cp1=3D1</A></FONT=
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>BOSTON, Dec. 11 &#8212; Smith &amp; Wesson, the =
country&#8217;s oldest gun=20
maker, agreed Monday to make far-reaching changes in the way it makes =
and sells=20
weapons as part of a settlement with the city of Boston.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>THE AGREEMENT IS nearly identical to one that Smith =
&amp;=20
Wesson reached in March with federal authorities and the governments of =
other=20
municipalities and several states. =
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It=20
preserves Smith &amp; Wesson&#8217;s track record of more aggressively =
seeking=20
settlements of lawsuits and may expose the company, a unit of British=20
conglomerate Tomkins Plc., to criticism from other gun=20
makers.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After its March =
settlement, the=20
company came in for blistering attacks from rivals in the industry, the =
National=20
Rifle Association and gun owners, some of whom boycotted Smith &amp; =
Wesson=20
products. The agreement was hailed by President Clinton and gun control=20
advocates.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No one from either =
the Boston=20
mayor&#8217;s office or Smith &amp; Wesson could be reached for comment =
on Monday&#8217;s=20
settlement. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =
&#8220;This document=20
is not about conditions that make it impossible to do business in the =
firearms=20
industry or to keep a legitimate purchaser from buying a handgun,&#8221; =
the company=20
said in a statement.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &#8220;It =
is about=20
insuring that those that obtain Smith &amp; Wesson firearms do so in =
compliance=20
with the law and that those that buy and sell our products as part of =
the=20
distribution process follow the letter of the=20
law.&#8221;<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <BR>AGREEMENT COVERS =

LOCKS<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Under the agreement, which =
still=20
has to be approved by a judge, Smith &amp; Wesson agreed to immediately =
start=20
selling all its guns with external locks and to equip them with internal =
locks=20
within two years.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It also agreed =
to=20
devote 2 percent of its revenues to developing safety technology, =
including=20
smart-gun systems to prevent anyone but the authorized user from firing =
a=20
specific gun.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The company agreed =
to=20
improve child safety features within three years to effectively preclude =
a=20
typical 5-year-old from firing any of its=20
guns.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Smith &amp; Wesson agreed =
to=20
require background checks at all its dealers and at gun shows; to =
include a=20
second, hidden serial number on each weapon; and to work with federal=20
authorities to test every gun and enter the results on a database to aid =
in=20
tracing used cartridges found at crime=20
scenes.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After Smith &amp; Wesson =
settled=20
the suit in March, sales slumped and the company laid off workers. =
Tomkins has=20
said it wants to sell the firm, but no progress has been announced on =
that=20
front.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; =A9 2000 Reuters Limited. All =
rights=20
reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is =
expressly=20
prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. <BR>&#8220;This =
document is=20
not about conditions that make it impossible to do business in the =
firearms=20
industry or to keep a legitimate purchaser from buying a handgun,&#8221; =
the company=20
said in a statement.<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &#8220;It =
is about=20
insuring that those that obtain Smith &amp; Wesson firearms do so in =
compliance=20
with the law and that those that buy and sell our products as part of =
the=20
distribution process follow the letter of the law.&#8221;</FONT></DIV>
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