Smith & Wesson Centennial Smith & Wesson Centennial S&W Centennial is a family of revolvers made by Smith & Wesson on the "J-Frame". Depending upon caliber, the cylinder holds either 5 (9mm, .38 spl, .357 magnum), 6 (.32 magnum), 7 (.22 magnum), or 8 (.22 LR), cartridges. Centennials feature a fully enclosed (internal) hammer, which makes them Double Action Only (DAO) firearms. Like all other "J-frame" Smith & Wesson revolvers, they have a swing-out cylinder. Centennial models have been made in different versions like PD "Personal Defense", LS "Lady Smith", and M&P "Military & Police" The original Centennial Model 40 was introduced in 1952,
Smith & Wesson for law enforcement officers. The Model 27 started the "Magnum Era" of handguns. The high point was in 1955 when the company created the Smith & Wesson Model 29 in .44 Magnum. Two decades later the Dirty Harry movies made this gun a cultural icon. In 1965 the Wesson family sold its controlling interest in Smith and Wesson to Bangor Punta, a large American conglomerate. Over the next decade Bangor Punta diversified the company's civilian sales to include related gun products (such as holsters) as well as offering additional police equipment (such as handcuffs and breathalyzers). By the late 1970s