Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation, parent company of Smith & Wesson Corp., announced it has filled an order from the Patrick County (Va.) Sheriff's Department for the company's new Military & Police (M&P) series of polymer pistols. The new pistols, shipped and accepted by the Sheriff's office in December 2005, replaced the department's existing, non-Smith & Wesson pistols.

The M&P series of pistols was specially designed by Smith & Wesson to meet the needs of global military and police personnel. Smith & Wesson began shipments of the M&P 40, the first pistol in the series, in December 2005. The company incorporated feedback throughout the design cycle from more than a dozen law enforcement and military organizations, and specifically engineered the M&P to meet their performance and safety needs.

David Hubbard, Sheriff of Patrick County, Va., says, "The M&P 40 has extremely low recoil, and has already increased our officer shooting qualification scores by at least five points, including scores for those officers we consider our best marksmen. In addition, the M&P 40 conceals well and has a smooth draw, critical for plain-clothes officers. With our selection of the M&P 40, each of our 32 officers, from detectives to road deputies, now carries the same high-quality firearm."

Michael Golden, President and CEO of the Company, says, "We expect to see additional agencies switch from their existing products to the new M&P in the coming months. In addition, we will soon announce additional models in this innovative new family of pistols, including a compact version of the M&P 40, a .357 SIG, as well as a full-size and compact version in 9mm."

For more information visit www.smith-wesson.com.