Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation (SWHC) is the parent company of subsidiary Smith & Wesson Corp. (S&W), the largest handgun manufacturer in the United States (Answers.com). SWHC is a diversified global aerospace and defense company that has overcome frequent obstacles to achieve success. In addition to manufacturing firearms, SWHC offers metalworking services and professional training to law enforcement at the Smith & Wesson Academy (BusinessWeek). S&W evolved from the company founded in 1852 by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson, the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company. In 1856 Smith and Wesson left Volcanic to start a new company based on the previously established patent for a centerfire revolver and associated cartridge. Smith & Wesson, with the outbreak of the Civil War five years later, realized a dramatic increase in demand for their products. (Wikipedia). U.S. military adoption of S&W products led to a workforce expansion from 25 to 600 employees (Answers.com). With the end of the war, the demand for weapons plummeted. S&W responded by expanding globally, exhibiting its product line at the Paris International Exposition in 1867 (Answers.com). After the exhibition many European, South American and Asian countries became customers, "[T]he Russian government alone placed an order for 200,000 revolvers" (Answers.com). Despite S&W's growing success, Smith retired in 1873, selling his interest in the company, and died without issue twenty years later. Wesson remained sole proprietor for a decade until he was joined by his two sons as partners in 1883 (Answers.com). In 1887 Wesson obtained a patent for a pistol designed to prevent unintentional firing, introducing the arm in 1889. The pistol, the .38 Military and police revolver became the... center of paper... most current, a ERISA class action arising out of allegations that SWHC violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Since its humble beginning, SWHC has evolved into a profitable conglomerate, despite its incessant legal and ethical tribulations, embodying both the virtues and failures of multinationals America.Works CitedAnswers.com. May 11, 2010 .BusinessWeek. May 12, 2010 .Chinese analyst. April 30, 2010. May 11, 2010 .Smith & Wesson Corporate. January 31, 2010. May 19, 2010. Office of the White House Press Secretary. March 17, 2000. May 19, 2010. Wikipedia. May 7, 2010. May 11 2010 .