Smith & Wesson had numerous issues with patent infringement, enforcement lawsuits, and contract cancellations throughout the 1800s. The company's lawsuits relating to unauthorized production of the Smith & Wesson Model 1 during the American Civil War led to resentment among military officials and claims that it held back the war effort and the development of the firearms industry in the United States. This is despite the fact that inventor Rollin White (who fortunately for Smith & Wesson was unaffiliated with the company) saw little profit from his patents due to spending his royalties filing infringement lawsuits. The Smith & Wesson Model 3 and its .44 Russian cartridge almost led to the company's ruin as well when Imperial Russia reverse engineered them for production in Russia and Europe and refused to accept delivery or pay for revolvers it already produced under contract by Smith & Wesson. What if these issues had led to bankruptcy for the company, especially around the 1870s? How would the firearms industry and it's development have been impacted?