Smith & Wesson Buys Savage Arms: 130 Years of Bolt Guns and $160 Million in Annual Sales
Key Takeaways
- Smith & Wesson Brands announced on October 21, 2026 that it has acquired Savage Arms from an indirect subsidiary of JDH Capital I, L.P.
- Savage Arms has been producing firearms for more than 130 years and generates approximately $160 million in annual net sales.
- JDH Capital will become Smith & Wesson's largest stockholder and gain board representation as part of the deal structure.
- Smith & Wesson expects the acquisition to deliver approximately $18 million of incremental EBITDAS on a full year basis.
- No purchase price or plans for Savage's existing product lines, facilities, or staffing were disclosed in the announcement.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
MARYVILLE, TN — Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. announced on October 21, 2026 that it has acquired the Savage Arms business by merger from an indirect subsidiary of JDH Capital I, L.P., bringing two of the oldest names in American firearm manufacturing under one roof.
Savage has been producing firearms for more than 130 years and is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hunting, competition and target shooting centerfire and rimfire rifles and shotguns. The company most recently sat inside the former Vista Outdoor portfolio, picked up by what was then ATK in 2013 and spun off in 2019, as reported by Shooting News Weekly.
The announcement frames the fit in plain terms. Savage’s strength in hunting and bolt-action rifles is complementary to Smith & Wesson’s leadership in handguns and its growing presence across other long gun categories, creating a broader product portfolio across a wide range of shooting disciplines.
“The acquisition of Savage is a transformative step for Smith & Wesson and an important milestone in our strategy to be the undisputed market leader in the firearm industry,” said Mark Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Wesson. “Savage’s brand heritage, culture, and longstanding reputation for performance and innovation align closely with our own, and the business meaningfully expands our presence in the hunting category. By bringing these two companies together, we have created a broader, stronger platform with significant opportunities to better serve our customers, accelerate innovation, realize operating efficiencies and drive long-term value for our stockholders.”
Michael Fertitta, Managing Director of JDH, said Savage “has a storied history spanning more than 132 years, and we are incredibly proud of the business and brand the Savage team has built.” He called Smith & Wesson “a natural partner for Savage given the complementary strengths of the two companies and their shared commitment to quality, innovation and serving the firearms community,” and said JDH looks forward “to participating in its continued success as a significant Smith & Wesson stockholder.”
That last point is the structural piece of this deal. JDH Capital does not simply cash out and walk away. The announcement states that the transaction aligns JDH Capital with SWBI stockholders, with JDH becoming Smith & Wesson’s largest stockholder and gaining board representation.
On the numbers, Savage generated approximately $160 million in net sales for the twelve-month period ending September 30, 2026. Smith & Wesson expects the transaction to immediately deliver approximately $18 million of incremental EBITDAS on a full year basis, with additional upside after synergy realization. Excluding acquisition-related accounting and transaction costs, the company expects the deal to be immediately accretive to fully diluted earnings per share by approximately $0.04 for the remainder of fiscal 2027.
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For the person buying the rifle rather than the stock, the practical read is a catalog question. Smith & Wesson has been a handgun company first for a very long time, with long guns as the secondary line. Savage brings bolt-action rifles and a shotgun line that Smith & Wesson did not have in any serious volume. One company now covers the carry gun, the deer rifle and the bird gun.
Neither the purchase price nor any plans for Savage’s existing product lines, facilities or staffing were disclosed in the announcement.
Read the original story: Smith & Wesson Buys Savage Arms: 130 Years of Bolt Guns and $160 Million in Annual Sales