A look through the relevant Wikipedia article shows Smith & Wesson having changed ownership 5 times since 1965 when the Wesson family sold its controlling inter

A look through the relevant Wikipedia article shows Smith & Wesson having changed ownership 5 times since 1965 when the Wesson family sold its controlling interest, presumably to cash out. The last sale was in 2001, for a mere $15 million. The company's current market capitalization is over half a billion dollars.