www.smith-wesson.com/misc/dealdrop.htmlSaturday, April 13, 2002 By WILLIAM FREEBAIRN
A deal between Smith & Wesson Corp. and the city of Boston that was
described as a landmark gun control agreement has been quietly
dropped by both sides. The city asked a court this week to vacate the
consent decree, which was the only specific deal to emerge following
a high-profile 2000 deal between the gun company and the Clinton
administration.
Although the Boston deal was different in many ways from the federal
agreement, it was described at the time as a model for future accords
between cities and gun companies. The end of the consent decree frees
Smith & Wesson from the requirements that it add internal locking
devices to all of its weapons by December, and spend two percent of
its revenues on research into technology that would allow a gun to be
used only by an authorized user. However, Smith & Wesson said it will
continue to devote money to making safety improvements to its
products.
"We're going to continue to work with Boston; it's a better situation
than litigation," said Kenneth W. Jorgensen, a spokesman for the
Springfield-based gun company.
The deal to drop Smith & Wesson from the requirements of the December
2000 deal generated some of the most conciliatory language in recent
memory from the weapons industry. Lawrence G. Keane, general counsel
for a gun manufacturers' trade organization, welcomed Boston's
decision to drop its lawsuit against other major gunmakers last month
and then abandon the Smith & Wesson consent decree this week. "It's
another bold and courageous step by Boston and the Boston Public
Health Commission," he said.