Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

The History of Smith & Wesson

The Smith/Wesson company was originally founded in 1852 in Norwich, Connecticut, by Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. Their initial ambition was to develop the Volcanic rifle which was one of the first firearms to introduce the lever-action repeating system and tubular magazine.

By 1856, as Samuel Colt's revolver patent neared its expiration, Smith and Wesson spotted an opportunity. Collaborating on a new design, they incorporated Rollin White's innovative "bored-through" cylinder. This led to the creation of the Smith & Wesson Model 1 revolver, which gained considerable traction during the Civil War. However, this period also saw the company grappling with multiple patent lawsuits. After the War, responding to the demands of the American market, they shifted their focus to larger caliber firearms.

Towards the end of the 19th century and into the 20th, Smith & Wesson maintained its focus on innovation. The Army adopted their Smith & Wesson Model 3, marking it as the first revolver in American service to fire cartridges. Additionally, their .38 Military & Police revolver, later rebranded as the Smith & Wesson Model 10, became an essential asset for law enforcement agencies across the U.S. However, the 20th century was not without challenges. The company had to navigate a changing market, especially when European semiautomatics became the preference for many police departments in the 1980s. In 1983, they changed the name to Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. The decade that followed was marked by several ownership changes and legal complexities for the company. Though primarily known for handguns, Smith & Wesson also presented some bolt-actions and shotgun models throughout its history, like the models 125 and 1500.

The start of the 21st century brought both advancements and trials for Smith & Wesson. After a controversial agreement with the U.S. government in 2000, Saf-T-Hammer Corporation acquired them in 2001, emphasizing safety features in their firearms. A shift in marketing strategy in 2006 led to an increased presence among big box retailers. In the same year, they began producing long-gun semi-automatic rifles by presenting the M&P15 model.

The company's holding corporation rebranded to "American Outdoor Brands Corporation" in 2016, but this was followed by a challenging period marked by public criticism, sales decline, and workforce reductions. 2020 saw a significant organizational change when American Outdoor Brands separated from Smith & Wesson, with the latter retaining its iconic name. As of 2023, the company is run by CEO Mark P. Smith and offers revolvers, pistols, long guns, and various merchandise on its website.

Smith & Wesson 1500 LA Rifle Review

Despite being primarily known for their handgun firearms, Smith & Wesson also presented some bolt-action rifles over the years. One such example is their Smith & Wesson Model 1500 rifle which was made by Howa Machinery, Ltd., Japan. The rifle was only produced for two years before being discontinued and has become somewhat of a collector’s item nowadays. In addition to the S&W 1500 model, Howa also manufactured actions for Mossberg and continues to produce the Vanguard model for the Weatherby company. All these models are essentially built around the same action design and barrels.

The Smith & Wesson 1500 models were produced in two action lengths, short and long action contrary to the Howa 1500 models that were available in three lengths. This landing page refers to the long action (LA) version of Smith & Wesson 1500. If you are looking for scope mounts to fit onto your Smith & Wesson 1500 SA version, you can find them here:

Apart from the action length and corresponding calibers, the two versions are structurally the same. The action on 1500 models houses a stainless-steel bolt with two large locking lugs that lock up safely with the action’s housing. Should a cartridge case burst, the bolt body's three relief apertures would enable gas to escape downward via the magazine box. The receivers are made from a single piece of forged steel and are drilled and tapped on the top for scope mounting purposes. The trigger assembly features minimal over-travel and combines both the magazine box and the trigger guard which are integrated into a single unit. The internal box magazine can hold up to 5 cartridges and is covered by a steel floorplate. Model 1500 LA has a safety lever positioned on the right side of the receiver, just behind the bolt handle. The safety lever blocks the trigger but allows for the bolt to be opened and removed.

The rifles are available with wooden stocks that have hand-cut checkering, and a raised comb and come with preinstalled sling swivel studs. At the rear end of the stock, there is either a plastic or a rubber recoil pad.

Smith & Wesson 1500 LA, chambered for 7mm Rem. Mag.

Figure 1: Smith & Wesson 1500 LA, chambered for 7mm Rem. Mag. (Source: https://adelbridge.com/product/smith-wesson-1500-7mm/)

Smith & Wesson 1500 LA Calibers

The rifle can be chambered for the following calibers:

.270 Win.
.30-06 Spr.
7mm Rem. Mag.
.300 Win. Mag.

Smith & Wesson 1500 LA Variants

The rifle is available in the following variants:

Smith & Wesson 1500 LA Standard
Smith & Wesson 1500 LA Deluxe

The receivers of Smith & Wesson 1500 LA rifles come with four drilled and tapped holes for scope mounting purposes. There are two holes on the front and two on the rear end of the mounting surface.

The receiver of Smith & Wesson 1500 LA, chambered for .270 Win.

Figure 2: The receiver of Smith & Wesson 1500 LA, chambered for .270 Win. (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/smith---wesson-rifles/smith---wesson---model-1500----270-win.cfm?gun_id=101340400)

Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

A: 21.9 mm

B: 113.91 mm

C: 15.3 mm

BHU: 3 mm

Ø: 6-48

R1: R60

R2: R17

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension. Rifles that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Smith & Wesson 1500 LA are the following:

Bergara B14 SA
Bergara Premier SA
Remington 700 LA
Remington 721
Remington 725
Remington 40x LA
Haenel Jaeger 10 Pro
Haenel Jaeger 10 (Up from Series-Nr. JX-000920)
Sauer 101
Sauer 100
Mauser M18
Howa 1500 LA
Remington 78 LA
Mauser M12 (2019-onward)
CZ 600 Range (Long)
CZ 600 Lux (Long)
McMillan G30 LA
BSA Repetierer
HS Precision LA
Weatherby Europa
Weatherby Mark V Magnum
Weatherby Vanguard LA

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Smith & Wesson 1500 LA are the following:

Bergara B14 SA
Bergara Premier SA
Bergara B14 LA
Bergara Premier LA
BSA Repetierer
McMillan G30 LA
CZ 600 Lux (Medium)
CZ 600 Range (Medium)
Churchill Highlander
HS Precision LA
Remington 700 LA
Remington 700 SA
Remington 78 LA
Remington 78 SA
Remington 721
Remington 725
Remington 40x SA
Remington 40x LA
Remington 722
Remington 40-XB
Weatherby Mark V
Weatherby Vanguard SA
Weatherby Vanguard LA
Sauer 100
Sauer 101
Mauser M18
Mauser M12 (2019-onward)
CZ 550 Scandinavia
CZ 600 Lux (Long)
CZ 600 Range (Long)
CZ 600 Lux (Mini)
CZ 600 Range (Mini)
Mauser M94 (1994)
Mauser M1996 (Serial number < 12000)
Sabatti Tactical SA
Sabatti Compact Scout SA (pre-2017)
Sabatti Rover 600
Sabatti Tactical LA
Sabatti Compact Scout LA (pre-2017)
Sabatti Rover 870
Sabatti TLD
Sabatti Tactical EVO
Sabatti Rover Traqueur
Brno Scandinavian
Haenel Jaeger 10 Pro
Haenel Jaeger 10 (Up from Series-Nr. JX-000920)
Howa 1500 LA
Howa 1500 SA
Howa 1500 Mini

Best Scope Mounts for Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

Fixed Scope Mounts for Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

If you are planning on using one scope on the same rifle, this two-piece aluminum mounting solution manufactured by the American company Talley is one of the most suitable choices for your Smith & Wesson 1500 LA. The mount is durable and can stand up to the most powerful cartridges.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

If you are looking for a detachable repeatable scope mount to install on your Smith & Wesson 1500 rifle, you might consider this two-piece pivot mount manufactured by the German company EAW. It is made of high-quality steel and comes with a 30-year warranty.

Picatinny Rails for Smith & Wesson 1500 LA

This high-quality aluminum rail, manufactured by the renowned American company EGW, is not only compatible with the Howa 1500 LA rifles but also perfectly fits the Smith & Wesson 1500 LA models.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu