Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod

Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod

Type	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	Pistols Rifles Sub-machine guns Precise components for aircraft engines and automobiles
Number of employees	1800
Subsidiaries	CZ-USA (1997, US market) Zbrojovka Brno (2008, Brno Rifles)
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

ČZUB was 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 German Nazi party, especially after the Hitler's unopposed Remilitarization of the Rhineland with the aim of moving the manufacturing of firearms further from German border. The factory was built within 16 weeks of the initial decision.^[1]

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 bear BRNO markings.

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.

In 1991 the Czech weapons factories were "de-centralized" and began business as free market companies. 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.

In 1997 ČZUB established a permanent presence in the United States with the founding of CZ-USA. ČZUB and CZ-USA continue to expand and dominate the small arms market 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.^[2]

Notable developments

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

• vz. 23/25 submachine gun with overhanging bolt
• vz. 52 roller locked automatic pistol
• vz. 61 Škorpion ultra compact submachine gun with rate reducer
• vz. 75 high-capacity automatic pistol with cam unlocking

Current production

Handguns

CZ 75 SP-01

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

Rimfire rifles

• CZ 455 Jaguar
• CZ 455 Lux II.
• CZ 455 Lux
• CZ 455 Standard
• CZ 455 Long
• CZ 455 Ultramatch
• CZ 455 Supermatch
• CZ 455 FS
• CZ 455 American
• CZ 455 Synthetic
• CZ 455 Varmint
• CZ 455 Evolution
• CZ 455 Thumbhole
• CZ 455 Thumbhole Grey
• CZ 512 - semi-automatic

Centerfire rifles

• CZ 527 Lux
• CZ 527 Carbine
• CZ 527 Youth Carbine
• CZ 527 FS
• CZ 527 Varmint
• CZ 527 Varmint Laminated
• CZ 527 American
• CZ 527 Synthetic
• CZ 527 Exclusive - Ebony Edition

• CZ 557 Lux
• CZ 557 Sporter
• CZ 557 Carbine
• CZ 557 Synthetic

• CZ 550 Standard
• CZ 550 Magnum Standard
• CZ 550 Lux
• CZ 550 Magnum Lux
• CZ 550 FS
• CZ 550 Exclusive - Ebony Edition

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
• CZ Slavia 634
• CZ Slavia 631/630

Military and law enforcement

• CZ 805 BREN A1/A2
• Sa vz. 58
• CZ Scorpion Evo 3 A1
• CZ 750 S1 M1
• CZ 805 G1 - under-barrel grenade launcher

Other

• CZ-805 BREN S1
• CZ Scorpion Evo 3 S1

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 7×57R; 5.6×52R; 6.5×57R; .243Win; .308Win, etc.

Aircraft machine guns

• LK 30
• MG 17

Military rifles

Sa vz. 58

• vz. 24
• vz. 33
• vz. 52
• vz. 52/57
• Sa vz. 58
• ČZ 2000
• CZ S 810 HROM

Submachine guns

Škorpion vz. 61

• Škorpion vz. 61 (7.65×17mm Browning SR)
• vz. 48 (9×19mm Parabellum and 7.62×25mm Tokarev).

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

References

See also

• Česká zbrojovka Strakonice
• Zbrojovka Brno
• Category:Semi-automatic pistols of Czechoslovakia
• Gun politics in the Czech Republic

Literature

• David Pazdera, Ian 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 .

External links

• Česká zbrojovka official website
• CZ-USA official website
• CZ Firearms Factory Tour - The History of CZ, 1934-1945 on YouTube