Can not believe S&W on M&P

[girphoto]

The Build

Apex Teams With Top Custom Builders On Brownells Dream Gun

DreamGunOWDN-2L

OS OSOS, Calif. – Apex Tactical Specialties has teamed up with three of the most respected custom gun builders on a special Smith & Wesson M&P build for the Brownells Dream Guns® Project. The result of the collaboration, a one-of-a-kind M&P Pro 9mm, will be showcased in the Brownells booth (#13018) during the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

The Brownells Dream Guns® Project was started in 2011 to help feature the wide range of parts and accessories available from Brownells that customers can use to upgrade and customize their own pistols, rifles and shotguns. To date over 100 Dream Guns® have been built and are available for review at Brownells.com.

“When Brownells asked us to participate in their Dream Guns Project by submitting a custom M&P fully equipped with Apex upgrades, we decided to take it a step further and turned to a trio of custom gun builders whose collaborations are some of the most recognized and coveted among custom firearms aficionados,” explained Folk, vice president of Apex.

“To give our M&P Dream Gun its one-of-a-kind look we asked Presson of DP Custom Works, Mike Sigouin of Blowndeadline Custom and Damon Young of SSVI to contribute their expertise. These three have worked together on so many guns, and their work so highly regarded, that we knew they’d be the ideal partners for our Brownells build.”

Apex’s contribution to the build was a suite of key performance parts that have made Apex the go-to company for M&P upgrades. Included in this build are the company’s newly released patent pending Apex Grade Gunsmith Fit Barrel, patented Flat-Faced Forward Set Sear & Trigger Kit, with the “Red Flatty” anodized trigger sold exclusively by Brownells, the Failure Resistant Extractor, patented Reset Assist Mechanism and Apex 10-8 Performance Polymer Base Pads.

Additionally, Apex outfitted the pistol with a Catalyst Extended Magazine Release from 21 Century Gunfighter and a sight package configured of an Ameriglo ProGlo green tritium with bright orange outline front sight and a 10-8 Performance U-Notch rear sight. Also contributing to the build was flashlight and weapon light manufacturer Inforce which supplied one of their popular APL 200 lumen pistol lights.

However, it’s the work of DP Custom Works, Blowndeadline Custom and SSVI that gives the pistol its unique appearance. DP Custom Works machined the slide, lightening it and adding side and top scales. The gray with red accents finish of the slide, frame and Inforce APL light is the result of the Cerakote work of Blowndeadline Custom. The finishing touch is the signature look of SSVI’s 360º texturing, hard edge bordering, undercut and trigger guard texturing, as well as forward reference point texturing.

DreamGun

The upgraded and customized Apex M&P Dream Gun is valued at over $2,700 and will be on display throughout the 2016 SHOT Show in the Brownells booth and is sure to garner a great deal of attention from show attendees.

Apex M&P Dream Gun Features:
– Apex Grade M&P 5.00” Gunsmith Fit Barrel
– Apex Red Flat-Faced Forward Set Sear & Trigger Kit (a Brownells Exclusive)
– Apex Reset Assist Mechanism
– Apex Failure Resistent Extractor
– Apex 10-8 Performance Polymer Base Pads
– Front Sight: Ameriglo ProGlo Green Tritium w/ Bright Orange Outline
– Rear Sight: 10-8 Performance U-Notch
– 21st Century Gunfighter Catalyst Extended Magazine Release
– Inforce APL 200 Lumen Pistol Light
– DP Custom Works Custom Machined Slide
– Blowndeadline Custom Titanium w/ Black Battleworn Cerakote Finish
– SSVI Basic Package Grip & Frame Texturing

For more information on Apex parts and services, visit www.ApexTactical.com, like Apex Tactical on Facebook or follow @ApexTactical on Twitter. Instructional videos on the installation of Apex parts are available on Apex’s YouTube channel.


And NOW S&W


S&W Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Custom Gunsmiths
Recoil Staff
December 22, 2015

103 COMMENTS
SW-letter_featured
Late last week the special Smith & Wesson M&P build for the Brownells Dream Guns Project was announced. Today the parties involved, to include Apex Tactical, Brownells, DP Custom Works, Blowndeadline Custom, and SSvi all received a Cease & Desist letter from a law firm representing Smith and Wesson. In part that letter included this:
It has recently come to Smith & Wesson’s attention that you have developed and are promoting for sale an “M&P Dream Gun,” (the “Infringing Product”). To create this product, you have modified an authentic Smith & Wesson M&P® 9mm pistol by, inter alia, changing the grip texture and shape, machining the slide, and adding numerous accessories and replacement parts, while retaining the S&W® Logo on the product. The December 18, 2015 Apex press release announcing this product and explaining Apex’s intent to exhibit the Infringing Product at the January 2016 SHOT Show exhibition is attached to this correspondence as Exhibit B. The numerous alterations made to the original design of Smith & Wesson’s firearms constitute not only unauthorized modifications to Smith & Wesson’s proprietary designs and misuse of Smith & Wesson’s trademarks, but present significant safety and quality concerns. Indeed, these modifications void the Smith & Wesson factory warranty on these products. Your advertisement and display of the Infringing Product to promote your gunsmithing services, and other products and services, constitutes misuse of Smith & Wesson’s trademarks and must cease.
[Click for full size]
1/2S&W Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Custom Gunsmiths photo2/2S&W Sends Cease and Desist Letter to Custom Gunsmiths photo
The demands are listed thusly:
These intellectual property and safety and quality concerns are extremely serious and demand your immediate attention. Accordingly, we demand that you:
1. Confirm in writing that neither you nor any third party will display the Infringing Product, or any similar product, at the 2016 SHOT Show or make any other commercial display or promotion of such Infringing Product;
2. Cease the sale of any firearm modified by you or any other third party that bears any Smith & Wesson trademark, including, but not limited to the S&W® Marks or the M&P® Marks;
and
3. Turn over to Smith & Wesson your inventory of the Infringing Product, or any Smith & Wesson product modified by you in the first instance that bears any mark owned by Smith & Wesson.
If we do not hear from you by January 5, 2015, Smith & Wesson will pursue its rights and remedies to the fullest extent permitted by law without further notice to you.


Read more: http://www.recoilweb.com/sw-sends-ce...#ixzz3v6u45hcc


I think that
1-S&W should re think what they are saying.....
I have 4 PC guns that had to be reworked to run correctly

Second....Gun folks like to customize their guns


Third they should get lawyers that now that next year is 2016 not 2015.

[Caleb]

Looks like the deadline was missed. Oops..lol

They are just mad that they were not involved ($$$$) in this project. So, does this mean every S&W product out there that has been modded needs to be ceased? Yeah, not gonna happen.

[skosh69]

Wow, just wow. Obviously S&W big wigs have their heads in "rectal defilade".

I love the worn look of that slide.

[girphoto]

And I truly believe thatch ever does custom work or has customer work done (LIKE ME) really care about the factory warrantee.

WE do these things to make the guns OURS and in MOST cases better.
Improve performance and you better bet, that Pro-shooters that work for the LOGO Companies, are running custom insides in their guns.
They might be great shooters, but they are not shooting those times with 6.5# triggers.
Even JM has said that he works with Magna Port to cut ports in his Revos and even some of his early M&P's

Go figure.........

[DrHenley]

This almost certainly originated with the legal department, worried about liability issues with "modified" guns with a S&W logo. But to demand that the guns be turned over to S&W? WTF????

Shakespeare had the right idea "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers"

[7.62Kolectr]

I think if they had removed the S&W markings and called it an Apex pistol thereby transferring liability to themselves and removing it from S&W it may have been ok?

If not than how does Salient get away with their highly modified Glocks?
Or is Glock just ok with the Salient mods?


Somebody got pissed.....

[girphoto]

Yep,
S&W president backs off and throws the Lawyer under the bus.


Smith & Wesson “Did Not Fully Understand” Dream Gun Project, Apologizes

Posted by Bob Owens on December 23, 2015 at 9:40 am


This one-off display gun is at the center of a tempest in a teacup of epic proportions. Image Via Apex Tactical.
This one-off display gun is at the center of a tempest in a teacup of epic proportions. Image Via Apex Tactical.
Smith & Wesson has just issued a groveling apology for their overzealous intellectual property (IP) attorney’s cease and desist letters sent out to the companies that worked on the 2016 Brownells Dream Gun for SHOT Show 2016 (line breaks added for readability).

James Debney, President and CEO of Smith & Wesson, said, “I would like to clarify that we fully support the Brownells Dream Guns® Project and we appreciate that it showcases the many ways in which our customers – loyal fans of our M&P brand – can choose to customize their M&P firearms.

Our decision to contact the companies that worked on the project was intended to protect the trademarks that support the M&P brand. When a product bears the Smith & Wesson and M&P trademarks and is purchased new with our lifetime service policy, we want to be sure that the consumer knows it has passed our demanding quality standards.

In our efforts to protect that promise and to preserve the brand that we and our customers cherish, we did not fully understand the intent of the Dream Guns® Project and we overlooked the opportunity to convey our enthusiasm for the creativity and innovation that Brownells and all of the companies involved have demonstrated. We look forward to seeing the firearm on display at the upcoming SHOT Show in January and at the NRA in May.”

Matt Buckingham, Brownells president, has also issued a statement that graciously offered Smith & Wesson a way down off the ledge.

“I have spoken with James Debney, President of Smith & Wesson, who called me regarding the M&P® Brownells/Apex Dream Gun™,” said Matt Buckingham, Brownells President. “It was a simple misunderstanding about the intention of the project. He made it clear that Smith & Wesson is excited to have their product featured in this fun and unique way. For our part, we are honored to include it in our Dream Gun lineup. Smith & Wesson is a legendary brand in this industry and we continue to be proud partners with them.”

An attorney for the law firm of Ballard Spahr is apparently the person who got Smith & Wesson in hot water with this frankly stupid C&D letter that has caused hundreds if not thousands of gun owners to swear off the company again.

Smith & Wesson earned the ire of American gun owners in 2000 for colluding with President Bill Clinton to push “smart guns” that were (and remain) unreliable, immature, and dangerous.

Update: I reached out to Smith & Wesson’s Liz Sharp, Vice President of Investor Relations, in order to get a better idea of precisely who was responsible for the letters going out. Here is her reply.

Thank you for your inquiry, Bob. First and foremost, we at Smith & Wesson take full responsibility for the letters that were sent and we apologize. We value our customers, our peers within the industry, and our reputation. The letters originated at a lower level within our organization in an attempt to protect our brand. However, the letters were clearly a mistake and we are taking the necessary steps to insure that this type of mistake does not occur again and that we have better oversight in the future. I’d like to share that when our President and CEO, James Debney, was made aware of the situation, he immediately got on the phone with Pete Brownell and also with Matt Buckingham, both of Brownells, to explain what had occurred and to apologize. They were both very understanding and we are pleased that our relationship with them remains strong. James is now in the process of reaching out to each of the recipients of the letter to extend a personal apology.

[RKP]

^ ... Good news indeed !!

[skosh69]

Awesome news.

[Caleb]

Back steppin' . Lol.... No, really good on the boss to rectify this dumb mistake. I would of hated to turn my back on S&W because of this. ....as I'm looking to ad a M&P to my collection again.