Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod

Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod
Joint stock company
Industry Firearms
Predecessor Česká zbrojovka
Founded 1919 (1919) (Jihočeská zbrojovka)
1936 (1936) (Uherský Brod factory)
Founder Karel Bubla
Alois Tomiska
Headquarters Uherský Brod, Moravia, Czech Republic
Area served
 Worldwide
Products
Number of employees
 1800
Subsidiaries
Website

www.czub.cz(Czech)

www.cz-usa.com(USA)

Česká zbrojovka a.s. Uherský Brod (ČZUB) (English: Czech Arms Factory) is a Czech firearms manufacturer.

History

Česká zbrojovka

In 1918, several former members of the Austro-Hungarian military service assumed a controlling interest in the Austro-Hungarian armament shop in Brno, Czechoslovakia, renaming it Státní zbrojovka a strojírna v Brno (State Armament and Engineering Works of Brno). Approximately a year later, the name was changed to Československá Zbrojovka (Czechoslovak Armament Works). The former provinces of Bohemia and Moravia had long been firearms manufacturing centers within their regions. Prior to 1924, this firm was involved mainly with Mauser Model 98-type rifles (both assembly and manufacturing). Around 1923, pistol manufacture was transferred from Brno to Ceská Zbrojovka, located in Strakonice.[1]

Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod, or ČZUB, was first established on 27 June 1936 as a branch of the Česká zbrojovka Strakonice armament firm in the small Moravian town of Uherský Brod in Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. The decision was made in the light of the rising power of Nazi Germany expansionism, especially after the Adolf Hitler's unopposed remilitarization of the Rhineland with the aim of moving the manufacturing of firearms further away from German border. The factory was built within 16 weeks of the initial decision.[2]

After World War II all the firearms manufacturers were managed by a single central agency which required that "any firearm exported will bear the BRNO markings"; this is why many ČZUB firearms, even those made in Uherský Brod or Strakonice, bear BRNO markings.

Firearms principally designed by the famed Czech firearms engineers Frantisek and Josef Koucký bear the ZKK, ZKM, ZKP or ZKR acronyms:[3][4]

  • ZKK — Z for Česká Zbrojovka Brno (manufacturer); K for Koucký (designers); K for Kulovnice (rifle)
  • ZKM — Z for Česká Zbrojovka Brno (manufacturer); K for Koucký (designers); M for Malorážka (rimfire)
  • ZKP — Z for Česká Zbrojovka Brno (manufacturer); K for Koucký (designers); P for Pistole (pistol)
  • ZKR — Z for Česká Zbrojovka Brno (manufacturer); K for Koucký (designers); R for Revolver (revolver)

During 1964-1966, the Czech government transferred the production of long guns from Zbrojovka Brno to Ceská Zbrojovka Uhersky Brod (ČZUB).[1] Throughout the Cold War ČZUB manufactured a wide variety of military small arms including the Sa vz. 58 assault rifle, the Škorpion vz. 61 submachine gun, various .22 caliber training and target rifles and the very successful CZ 75 family of pistols.[1] While many firearm designs originated in Brno, Zbrojovka Brno was not the manufacturer. Because of this, the long guns manufactured in the mid-1960s, including the ZKK 600 and ZKK 602 series and the ZKM rimfires, were actually manufactured by CZ Uhersky Brod (ČZUB).[1] Because of the Czech government's decision to merge manufacture within both companies, the Brno trademark was also used by Ceská Zbrojovka Uhersky Brod.[1] By the early 1980s, firearms production at Zbrojovka Brno accounted for less than 3% of its total capacity,[1] as production was shifted to the manufacture of typewriters, diesel motors, and automatic machine tools.[1]

In 1991 the Czech weapons factories were "de-centralized" and began business as free market companies.[1] In 1992, Česká zbrojovka a.s.(PLC), Uherský Brod became private, moving into the free world economy and eventually establishing a small arms presence in over 90 countries.[1]

In 1997 ČZUB established a permanent presence in the United States with the founding of CZ-USA. ČZUB and CZ-USA continue to market small arms worldwide, with military, police, defensive, sporting and recreational firearms.

The ČZUB factory employs some 1800+ engineers, craftsmen and business personnel, making it one of the largest firearms manufacturers in the world. The company manufactured over 260,000 firearms in 2014 alone.[5]

Notable developments

Over the years Česká zbrojovka has developed several revolutionary or highly influential designs in various fields of small arms, most notably:

Current production

Handguns

CZ 75 SP-01
  • CZ 2075 RAMI
  • CZ 75
    • CZ 75 B Ω
    • CZ 75 Compact (including CZ P-01 and CZ P-06)
    • CZ 75 Tactical Sports Orange
    • CZ 75 SP-01
    • CZ 75 SP-01 Shadow
    • CZ 75 Shadow Line
    • CZ 97B
    • CZ P-07
    • CZ P-09
  • CZ 92
  • CZ P-10 C

Rimfire rifles

Centerfire rifles

Shotguns

  • Brno Combo
  • Brno Effect
  • Brno Competition
  • CZ-USA 712
  • CZ-USA Hammer Coach
  • CZ-USA Canvasback
  • CZ-USA Ringneck
  • CZ-USA Woodcock
  • CZ-USA Redhead
  • CZ-USA Bobwhite
  • CZ-USA Mallard

Air rifles

  • CZ 200 T
  • CZ 200 S Hunter
  • Slavia 610
  • Slavia 612
  • Slavia 614
  • Slavia 624
  • Slavia 630
  • Slavia 631
  • Slavia 634

Military and law enforcement

Other

Older products

Handguns

CZ 92
  • ČZ pistol, Modell 27 Kal,7.65 mm
  • ČZ pistol, caliber 7.65 mm
  • ČZ pistol, caliber 6.35 mm
  • Model LK 38 pistol, 9 mm caliber
  • DUO pistol, caliber 6.35 mm
  • Target pistol, Model ZKP 493
  • CZ 40P (Limited run, no longer in production)
  • CZ 45
  • CZ 50
  • CZ 52
  • CZ 70
  • CZ 82 and CZ 83
  • CZ 100
  • CZ 110
  • CZ 122
  • ZKR 590 Grand revolver, in calibers .38 and .22 and 7.62 Nagant short
  • CZ 40B Joint venture with Colt

Smallbore rifles

  • Model 242
  • Model 243
  • Model 244
Model 244
  • Model 245
  • Model 246
  • Model 247
  • ZKM 452 2E
  • CZ 452
  • CZ 453
  • CZ 455
  • CZ 511
  • CZ 513
  • CZ 527, caliber .17 Hornet; .204 Ruger; .223 Rem; 7.62x39, etc.

Bigbore rifles

  • CZ 550
  • CZ 557
  • CZ 584, calibre 7x65R; 7×57R; 5.6×52R; 6.5×57R; .243Win; .308Win, etc.

Aircraft machine guns

  • LK 30
  • MG 17

Military rifles

Sa vz. 58

Submachine guns

Škorpion vz. 61

Shotguns

  • The CZ 581 Over and under shotgun, 12/12 bore;
  • The CZ 585 Over and under shotgun; the over and under rifle/shotgun; the CZ 582 prepared for SKEET shooting

Miscellaneous

  • Signal / Flare pistol
  • Components for the infantry fire-support machine gun models MG 34, MG 81, and the K 35 anti-aircraft cannon
  • The UB 070 and 071 Alarm/Starting Pistols
  • Signal pistols, models 44/67. Produced between 1981–1983
  • Model ZKP 493 target pistol
  • Air-rifle models Z 47, 235, 236, 237,612, 614, 618, 620, 624, 630, 631, 632, 634, 800, 801 and 802
  • Air-rifles. Models 802, 803, 603, 608, 612, 615, 618, 620, 622 and 624, mainly calibre 5.5 mm
  • Slavia air-rifles - the 603, 608, 612, 620 and 622
  • Air-pistol, Model ZVP, calibre 4.5 mm
  • The APP Automatic Gas-fired pistol
  • The Tex 086
  • The Tex, Model 3 - a break-barrelled air pistol
  • Model CZ 75D Compact 4.5mm Calibre CO2 pistol
  • Three-shot automatic shotgun - CZ 241, in 12, 16 and 20 gauge
  • Over and under shotguns, calibres 12,16 and 20
  • Over and under ČZ models 581 and 584 - 586
  • The ZKK 600, 601 and 602 hunting rifles(calibers ranging from .243Win-.248Win)
  • The ZKW 465 Hornet rifle and the ZKW 465 Fox rifle
  • The ZKM 452, 561, 573 and 581 small-bore rifles
  • The ZKW 465, 680
  • The CZ 537 rifle

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Manufacturers - Brno Arms Zbrojovka Brno, www.bluebookofgunvalues.com, retrieved 30 Aug. 2016
  2. ↑ http://www.dotyk.cz/09-2015/15_budu-li-ohrozen-vystrelim-
  3. ↑ Zveřejněno 29.4.2010, Kalendárium: 29. dubna 1969 – Počátek Unikátní české zbraně CZ 75, vložil admin, www.svornost.com
  4. ↑ Fencl, Jiří, Zbraňaři par excellence - Bratři Josef a František Koučtí (2. díl), http://www.valka.cz, 31 Jan. 2015
  5. ↑ http://zpravy.aktualne.cz/ekonomika/ceska-ekonomika/idet-z-ceska-se-opet-stava-zbrojarska-mocnost/r~923d8bb6fe0e11e4a43f002590604f2e/

Literature

  • David Pazdera, Jan Skramoušský: Česká zbrojovka. Historie výroby zbraní v Uherském Brodě [Česká zbrojovka. History of weapon manufacturing in Uherský Brod], 2006, ISBN 80-903450-9-3. Two chapters online and .
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