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Stockupticks.com =09[IMAGE]=09 =09[IMAGE]=09 Welcome to Stockupticks.com Newsletter =09Issue #13 - October 26, 2001 =09 =09[IMAGE]=09 =20 [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] e-Blast [IMAGE] *** Important News *** [IMA= GE] MA Union News Reports New Smith & Wesson Super-Light Guns Could Be C= arried By Flight Crews On Commercial Airliners In the Spring of this year,= Stockupticks brought you the story of a small-cap company that produced fi= rearm safety and security products. That company, Saf-T-Hammer (OTC BB: SA= FH) later acquired legendary gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson. One of the pr= oducts 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 inter= est in using this weapon for arming flight crews on commercial airliners, t= he dealer response has been tremendous. [IMAGE] (see article below) = [IMAGE] Business News Lightweight revolvers hot item for S&W Wednes= day, October 24, 2001 By WILLIAM FREEBAIRN A new line of ultra-light re= volvers 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 t= o use scandium, a metal that has been used in Russian fighter jets and base= ball bats. They are being marketed under the AirLite Sc label and all are c= apable of firing a powerful .357-caliber Magnum round that had been previou= sly unavailable in such a lightweight gun. The smaller revolvers, which = weight just over 11 ounces, have been shipping for several weeks; larger gu= ns 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 ou= r production rate." The guns are more expensive than stainless-steel revolv= ers. 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 person= al defense, especially those with permits to carry concealed weapons, Belin= said. Officials said developing the guns using the new metal took longer t= han expected and taught them some lessons in metallurgy. In high-speed vide= o 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 a= lso needed in the center pin and other parts of the weapon. Steel is used f= or the hammer and trigger. "This taught us to make even stronger, tougher g= uns," 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 monopol= y on the supply from the Ukraine. The Soviets used it in fighter jets and m= issile parts. When the Soviet Union broke up, the metal began to see more w= idespread use, for example in aluminum baseball bats and mountain bike fram= es. Although scandium costs about $7,000 a pound, the amount needed to m= ix with aluminum and other alloying agents is small. Adding a little scandi= um to aluminum strengthens the material more than twofold, Belin said. I= ts weight will increase the number of people willing to carry it, Belin sai= d. "You don't need a holster. You can carry it in your pocket." The ligh= test 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 a= nd 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 t= he .38 special, that can reduce recoil. "You really have to work at not fli= nching (when firing,)" Belin said. Smith & Wesson officials believe ther= e may be another market for the super-light guns. They have developed a pro= totype scandium alloy gun that could be carried by flight crews on commerci= al 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 car= ried 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 p= rototypes are simply a design concept and will not necessarily be produced = or be shared with people outside the company. ? 2001 UNION-NEWS. ABOU= T SAF-T-HAMMER (OTC BB: SAFH) [IMAGE] Saf-T-Hammer Corporation is a firea= rm safety company focused on preventing unauthorized gun use and unintentio= nal firearm accidents. Saf-T-Hammer customers include sporting goods distri= butors, law enforcement distributors, law enforcement retailers, law enforc= ement agencies and gunsmiths. Saf-T-Hammer acquired Smith & Wesson, one of = the world's leading producers of quality handguns and law enforcement produ= cts, in May of this year. Law enforcement personnel, military personnel, ta= rget shooters, hunters, collectors and firearms enthusiasts throughout the = world have used the company's products with confidence for nearly 150 years= . [IMAGE] Links [IMAGE] For more information, visit the company's We= b 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 State= ment: Statements contained in this document, including those pertaining to = estimates and related plans other than statements of historical fact, are f= orward-looking statements subject to a number of uncertainties that could c= ause actual results to differ materially from statements made. Disclaime= r: StockUpTicks.com is a property of Market Pathways Financial Relations In= corporated (MP). The information, opinions and analysis contained herein a= re based on sources believed to be reliable but no representation, expresse= d or implied, is made as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. Thi= s report is for information purposes only and should not be used as the bas= is for any investment decision. MP has been retained by Saf-T-Hammer to ass= ist in its on-going investor relation's 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 inte= rest as to MP's 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 ad= visor and this report is not investment advice. This information is neithe= r a solicitation to buy nor an offer to sell securities. Information conta= ined herein contains forward-looking statements and is subject to significa= nt risks and uncertainties, which will affect the results. The opinions co= ntained herein reflect our current judgment and are subject to change witho= ut notice. MP and/or its affiliates, associates and employees from time to= time may have either a long or short position in securities mentioned. In= formation contained herein may not be reproduced in whole or in part withou= t the express written consent of Market Pathways Financial Relations Incorp= orated. [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] ? Stockupticks 2001, Al= l rights reserved [IMAGE] =09 =20 --- You are currently subscribed to stocknight as: sneal@ei.enron.com To = unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-stocknight-306006P@lyris.stocknight= .com
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