Firearm manufacturer Smith & Wesson leaves Massachusetts for Tennessee

“From where I stand, the next 170 years of Smith & Wesson are looking pretty good,” Smith & Wesson President and CEO Mark Smith said at the grand opening on Saturday in Tennessee, which has less strict gun laws than Massachusetts.

By Nicholas Ballasy

Published: October 9, 2023 7:57am

Updated: October 9, 2023 12:21pm

Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson formally opened its new Tennessee headquarters over the weekend after moving from its Springfield, Massachusetts headquarters, which was its location since the mid-19th century.

The Maryville, Tennessee headquarters is about 650,000 square feet and the result of a $125 million relocation project.

Massachusetts has much stricter gun laws compared to Tennessee.

“From where I stand, the next 170 years of Smith & Wesson are looking pretty good,” Smith & Wesson President and CEO Mark Smith said at the grand opening on Saturday. “It is something special here in Tennessee.”

The Giffords Law Center, led by the organization founded by former Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, is among the groups that advocate for tougher gun laws. The center ranks Massachusetts an A- and Tennessee an F for gun control laws.