25
Aug
2022
Smith & Wesson, One of Our Industry Partners
While the name UMAREX® is relatively new in the US market, we know you have heard of Smith & Wesson. What you also likely don’t know is that Smith & Wesson has had a long relationship with this family-owned German company. You see, inside the mystery of the name “Umarex” lies a tie to the storied Walther® brand. The very much abbreviated version of the story is that, due to the 1968 Handgun Control Act, the PPK® had to be made stateside or it couldn’t be sold in the US at all. At first, Interarms manufactured the PPK and PPK/S® for Walther, but as that business had some difficulties arise, Smith & Wesson stepped in to help the German manufacturer with distribution, manufacturing, and even developed some joint projects with Walther along the way.