But most people forget that 13 years ago Smith & Wesson tried to do something that, in hindsight, seems radical: reach a compromise with the federal government by accepting some sort of gun control, in return for permission to stay in business, albeit with more strict regulation.  

It's also important to note this this was the first-ever compromise in which a major gun manufacturer committed to fundamentally changing the way guns are made, distributed and sold.

The company also believed the move had PR value: It hoped to burnish its brand by becoming the foremost firearms company that cared about safety.