When Smith & Wesson was owned by the British conglomerate Tomkins PLC, the company signed a March 17, 2000 agreement with the Clinton Administration, HUD, Treasury, and several cities that had sued firearms manufacturers. In exchange, governments agreed to drop or limit certain lawsuits against Smith & Wesson.   The Clinton extortion inspired agreement included several major commitments: Built-in locking devices on firearms. Smith & Wesson agreed to incorporate locking devices and other safety features into its firearms. This is one of the roots of the later internal lock controversy.   “Smart gun” development. The company agreed to pursue personalized firearm technology that would limit use to authorized users. Many gun owners viewed this as a potential stepping stone to government mandates.   Dealer restrictions. Dealers selling Smith & Wesson products would have to follow a code of conduct that went beyond existing federal law. Critics argued this...