I could well be mistaken here, but during the Ruger debacle, several other manufacturers were going step and stride with Ruger and things were done above the table with industry knowledge.
Smith did their bidding behind closed doors and their deal effectively "sold out" the other manufacturers just to save Smith's hide. All was done in secret, disclosing propriatory industry information, with the most destructive political administration the American shooter had ever seen. The agreement put Smith into a preferential "no-bid" contracting arena that pretty much stabbed the rest of the industry in the back.
At this time, I believe Smith still has that preferential contract status because some of their agreement still stands.
I'm not sticking up for Ruger, I really wish they had not done that. The whole industry effectively subjugated themselves to the same thing, though. The deal Smith made, was under the table and behind closed doors, selling out their brothers in arms in the process (along with the shooting public).
I'm not an industry insider, but that has been the research I've been able to dig up. I've never pushed my views on Smith on others and am not trying to that now. It was a personal issue and still is.
