I did have it apart. There is a recoil lug under the chamber and another screw in the middle of the barrel that attaches to the barrel via a nut that slides in a track. I wondered what this screw was trying to accomplish.
Tell me about this unusual BRNO zkk 600
- Thread starter DominicT
- Start date
I did have it apart. There is a recoil lug under the chamber and another screw in the middle of the barrel that attaches to the barrel via a nut that slides in a track. I wondered what this screw was trying to accomplish.
That fore-end screw and bushing to me is part of the glory of the design (along with the built in scope dovetails and incredible bbls). It stabilizes the front end (in contrast to the free float theory).
I have replaced many of those bushings and front screws in BRNO rifles that someone had discarded long before I obtained it.
I have used BRNOs in all kinds of weather and when the front end cannot move, it does not, and it stays accurate.
The magnums have a front recoil "lug" as well to help dissipate the stress.
I have replaced many of those bushings and front screws in BRNO rifles that someone had discarded long before I obtained it.
I have used BRNOs in all kinds of weather and when the front end cannot move, it does not, and it stays accurate.
The magnums have a front recoil "lug" as well to help dissipate the stress.
I have not shot it yet. The barrel and chamber seem to be in great shape though. I measured the set trigger at 5 ounces, should shoot like a dream.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Jeff Cooper as well, he described the Brno ZKK series rifles as the best of the Mausers. His only complaint was that the safety was backwards, and for an American rifleman, unintuitive. I disagree, anyone who was brought up with a rifle having an exposed hammer need only think, #### to fire." This particular rifle is very nice, given the chambering and the the pop-up peep sight. The only thing I would change is the set trigger, which I'd swap out to the standard, that's just m e though, for those who prefer a set trigger, this one works.
I think all of moderate capacity 9.3 cartridges are excellent. Finn Aagaard, who was a PH in Kenya until hunting was banned there, with respect to the 9.3X62, said there appeared to be no difference whether game was shot with the 9.3 or the .375 H&H. It was reading those words that caused me to reassess my opinion of the 9.3s which until then I considered unremarkable. The 9.3X64 would be more of the same, with a little flatter trajectory. Acquiring that rifle, chambered for that cartridge, is a win. The broad range of 9.3 bullets that are available make the 9.3X64 a versatile and effective big game cartridge.
I completely agree with you Boomer, and that's exactly how I think of it, too: #### to fire. I prefer it so much, I've actually "un-converted" a rifle that had been switched over to the American style. But you're a brave man to say so. The "Ford vs Chevy" feud has nothing on the level of boiling vitriol that gets poured on anyone who publicly praises the Czech safety!
I too like the back to fire safety. I have a 602 and a 600 so both my bolt hunting rifles share the same manual of arms.
I will say that the 600's safety when moved to Fire makes the freaking loudest click of ANY safety that I have ever heard. It's really loud. DeHass says that clipping off some of the spring will improve it but I haven't tried it.
The safeties on the early mid-1960's ZKK 600 models are noticeably quieter and smoother than the later ones from the 1970s and 1980s.
At least this has proven to be the rule with mine. I kept four ZKK 600s from various periods and have owned and handled many more.
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Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Brno factory. A fella could walk in to the front door, tell the receptionist you wanted to buy a rife, and be led to an inside sales desk. They were quite amenable to customizing a factory rifle to your desired specs. Prices were very reasonable, as I recall.
- Location
- Steel Town
Now that would be a dream of mine.
Mumbles Marble Mouth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Lower Mainland
Zbrojovka isn't a factory name the words literal meaning is "armoury". Zbrojovka Brno means Armory of Brno. CZ means Czech Armoury.
A brief overview of the histories of the Brno and CZ arms factories and companies:
( Notes by Alf Smith )
Because of the impositions of language and the isolation of the Warsaw pact countries during the cold war the general American shooting public have a poor understanding of Czech arms manufacture, particularly how Brno and CZ came about.
In order to gain an understanding of the history of ZB
( Zbrojovka Brno) and CZ
( Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka) one would have to go back in history, look at each company separately and try and put each development to a timeline.
This short historical overview is by no means complete and it leaves out much to do with the manufacture of the machine guns and other arms of war. These companies also diversified into other forms of light industry and this has been omitted.
The common starting point in time for both companies starts with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire at the conclusion of WW1 and the founding of the State of Czechoslovakia in 1918. It must be noted that historically the Czechs were very much a nation of gun makers.
Czechoslovakia was founded on the former lands of Moravia and Bohemia.
Under Hapsburg rule numerous small independent gun makers and independent arms and ammunition manufacturing operations existed within the boundaries of what was to become Czechoslovakia.
These companies were mostly owned and funded by banking groups and corporations out of Vienna and were taken up by the new Czechoslovakian State to form the core of the Czechoslovakian arms industry.
ZBROJOVKA BRNO ( Arms factory Brno)
The city of Brno in the former Moravia was home to an arms manufacturing plant controlled by Vienna.
In 1918 this plant would form the basis for the later Zbrojovka Brno or Arms factory Brno abbreviated as ZB.
This company with it’s numerous manufacturing plants and subsidiaries would later be the manufacturer of the sporting rifles we have come to know as the Models 21 H and 22 F , the later Galas rifle or ZG47 as well as the full range of Brno 22 small caliber rifles as designed by the Koucky brothers.
With the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the conclusion of WW 1 in 1918, the new Czechoslovakian state needed to rearm their fledgling army.
In order to achieve this, the State took over the existing armoury at Brno and floating a plan to refurbish German war surplus arms as well as a number of Steyer Mannlicher rifles.
Using the already existing arms factory at Brno, arms procured under the armistice agreements, were refurbished.
Some 100,000 Mauser rifles were procured and refurbished under this agreement.
A further 5,500 Mannlicher rifles were locally produced with expertise procured from the famous arms works of Styer in Austria.
The arms works at Brno formerly part of the Viennese arms manufacturing network was taken over by the new Czechoslovakian state and on March 1, 1919.
It was initially named as “Ceskoslovenska Statni Zbrojovka v. Brno” (Czechoslovakian State Arms Works at Brno).
Tooling and technical expertise was acquired from Mauser Oberndorf in Germany in 1920.
This was done in order to assemble the Mauser rifles for the military, 1921 saw this plan enacted.
Initially the idea was to buy parts sets for 42,000 Mauser rifles directly from Mauser Oberndorf and to assemble the rifles at Brno.
The history is not clear if this saw fruition but in addition to, a home grown Mauser production was started, which in turn ultimately lead to the production of the famous Vz 24 Brno-Mauser rifle.
This ability later played an important role in the hands of the Nazi occupation of the Sudatenland in 1938 , later the whole of Czechoslovakia in 1939 as the Nazi war machine, as we will explore, made good use of the Czech arms industry during the occupation.
In 1922 the company underwent change in name and structure to comply with constitutional legalities needed to do trade on the open, international arms market.
This also means partial privatization of the company with a limited stock holding as indicated in the name change.
The company is now named “Ceskoslovenska Zavodi na Vyrobu Zbrani v. Brno” abbreviated to CSZ (Czechoslovakian Works for military Arms Manufacture at Brno)
In 1923 CSZ is sold to Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Praha. ( Czechoslovakian arms factory Prague) or CZP
With this a new company is formed and is named Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno A.S. or ZB and designated as a Pty Ltd.
The corporate ownership at this point is designated as follows:
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka akc. Spol v Praze acquires 20% of VZB with the state owning 80%
This company was formed to buy out CSZ and it was controlled and owned in part through government shareholding (80%) and in part through the Arms works of Skoda in Prague (20%) as shown by the aforementioned.
This company abbreviated to the designation ZB a.s. was then ultimately to be home to a number of significant number sporting and military weapons.
It amassed through the years the expertise of arguably of the world’s greatest small arms developers and engineers.
The Vz 24 rifle:
Important to the understanding of sporting arms manufacture at Brno is the history as it pertains to the Vz 24 Brno-Mauser rifle. ( VZ = Vzor = Czech for “model” )
This rifle has it’s origins with the submission of a prototype Mauser M98 based rifle by Engineer Rudolf Jelen to the Czechoslovakian military in 1919. ( Pushka Mauser Jelena)
Rudolf was the younger brother to gunmaker Josef Jelen of Vejperty in Bohemia.
Rudolf was born in Bolehost, Bohemia on 27 January 1878 and died in Prague on 10 March 1938.
He was conscripted to the Czech army in 1887, retired from service in 1914 only to join the police. He is however still involved with the military until 1920 and qualifies as an engineer in 1921 having studied from 1918 to 1921.
He now joins the State arms works at Brno where he submits the prototype for what was to be the basis for the very famous Vz 24 rifle.
The forerunner to the Vz 24 is to be known as the Jelen Rifle or Puska Mauser-Jelena.
This rifle is basically a modified Mauser 98 in cal 7x57. The action dimensions differ from the standard M98 Mauser so does the nose cap of the rifle. The nose cap and bayonet bracket design is to be used later in the British SMLE. The Jelen rifle is made in 7.9x57 (150 rifles) and 7x57 (150 rifles)
These are all manufactured by CSZ
( This sharing of technical expertise between British gun makers and the Czechs is not strange as later during the Nazi occupation we see Czech gun makers fleeing their homeland and end up working for the British military arms industry.
Here the relationships see influence on machinegun manufacture such as the BREN but also influences sporting arms manufacture by BSA where we see common design copies in BSA based on the Brno ZKW rifle.)
Now followed the rifle model Vz 98 / 22 which is basically an improved Mexican Mauser but with the Jelen action.
They were built in 1923 – 1924 first by CSZ and then later by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno a.s. from 1924 -1930.
The Vz 98 / 22 is in cal 7.92 X 57
Then followed the VZ 98 / 23
This was also offered in a short rifle and there were variants to the theme in the form of the model Vz 23 and Vz 23 A. The Vz 23 was built on cannibalized Mauser parts, whilst the 23A was built on new parts made in Czechoslovakia. So in effect the Vz 23 A was a wholly Brno built rifle.
The Vz 24 design though essentially a Mauser was like most of the Czech gun making industry products the collaborate work of some of the worlds most famous gun makers ( largely unknown the larger US derived gun loving community)
The VZ 24 came about through the amalgamation of the model 22 and 23 experience as the parts for the 22 and 23 were not fully interchangeable.
The VZ 24 prototypes were built in 1923 by CZS and the VZ 24 proper from 1924-1940 by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno a.s.
Though the Vz 24 is designated as 24 production was actually in 1925
It is claimed that by 1939 some 762,000 Vz 24 rifles and 986,000 Vz 24 bayonets were made by ZB.
What is telling of the success of the VZ24 is the fact that the rifle found it’s way into the armouries of many foreign countries.
Ammunition manufacture:
In conjunction with the establishing of armouries the state needed to have ammunition for the military.
Two ammunition factories were located within the Czechoslovakian state borders at the time of the declaration of the Czechoslovakian state namely G. Roth &co. in Bratislavia, and Sellier &Bellot in Prague.
Both these two entities would, over time prove to be very important to the arms manufacturing industry within Czech lands. Also they became through amalgamation part of the ZB empire.
In 1928 ZB procures a major shareholding in the ammunition manufacturing company of G Roth based in Bratislavia.
The G. Roth company now undergoes a name and corporate ownership change to be named as Ceskoslovenska Manici a Kovodelne Zavodi a.s Bratislavia ( Czechoslovak Ammunition and Metal Works, joint stock company Bratislavia)
A full merger takes place in 1933 and the ammunition plant is moved to Povaske Bystrica.
The Povaske Bytrica plant, Zavod 2 also makes VZ42 rifles as well as bayonets
1937 sees the expansion of ZB with a new gun works at Brno, they also upgrade their old Mauser procured machines to new machines from Oberndorf.
A new plant at Zabrdovice was also started in 1937.
ZB also opens a factory in Vsetin for heavy machine guns ( Zavod3 )
ZB made the model 26 light machinegun from 1927 this was a Holek design from CZP (Zbrojovka Praga)
Nazi occupation 1939-1945:
The Nazi’s take control of the Sudatenland in 1938 and in 1939 take control over the whole of Czechoslovakia.
They immediately enroll all arms manufacture under Nazi control and with usual German precision bring arms manufacture in line with German doctrine.
ZB now becomes Waffenfabrik Brunn Aktiengesellshaft and German Waffenampt markings and proof rules are applied to weapons.
It is claimed that civilian sporting arms manufacture came to an end at this time, however specimens of sporting rifles are to be found dating from the occupation period complete with German proofs and Waffenampt markings.
Some of the factories and what the produced under Nazi control
Zavod 1 Brno and Zabrdovice - Infantry arms
Zavod 2 Povaske bystrica - Infantry arms
Zavod 3 Vsetin - Infantry arms
Zavod 7 Cejl - Rocket powered arms
Zavod 10 Optikotechna prerov - Scopes and rifle optics
It is then also noted that some prominent Czech arms engineers fled the occupation.
One such person was Engineer Otagar Galas the originator of the ZG47 rifle.
He found his way to the UK where during the war he was involved in British arms manufacture. Galas although not the principle designer of the Bren gun had much to do with Bren manufacture in England as well as the Oerlikon antiaircraft gun system.
At the conclusion of the Second World War much of Czechoslovakia was taken from Germany by the Russians whilst the Americans liberated Pilsn and Prague.
This then heralded the post war era for Czechoslovakia and the advent of a new dispensation under communism.
After the war:
With the conclusion of WW2 there is an amalgamation and distribution of German assets:
Under this ZB now procures or gains control over 14 plants included are:
1. The original assets of ZB a.s.
2. Sellier &Bellot
3. Zbrojovka Frans Janecek in Prague
4. The Vsetin plant ( rifle and machine gun manufacture)
5. The Zabrovice plant ( rifle and machine gun manufacture)
Shortly after Zbrojovka Frans Janecek is closed down.
Post WW 2 and communist rule:
1945:
At this point all companies local or foreign owned, are taken over by the Czechoslovakian state by virtue of nationalization decrees.
By this all industry is transferred to the auspices of the Department of industry and all manufacture becomes national or “peoples” enterprises or Narodni Podnik in keeping with the communist ideal.
This is reflected in the markings on rifles stating N.P. or Narodni Podnik
Zbrojovka Brno A.S. now becomes Narodni Podnik Zbrojovka Brno and under it is included some 14 other former plants and companies
Ceska Zbrojovka A.S. of Uhersky brod and Straconice remains separate from the ZB congloemerate.
The plant at Povaske Bystryca now becomes NARODNI PODNIK POVAZSKE STROJIRIN. This enterprise consists of 14 plants including Sellier &Bellot as well as the former ZBROJOVKA FRANTICEK JANECEK in Prague.
Under communism all arms manufacture is centralized under the Central directorship of the NPCZIS in Prague. The manufacturing co-operatives were managed but this arrangement but this was short lived as it proved costly and inefficient. (only to once again be dismantled by 1949)
In 1955 Czechoslovakia joins the Warsaw pact and all arms manufacture is brought under Soviet doctrine. This brings about huge increases in production but also significant problems in corporate control.
CESKA ZBROJOVKA (CZ)
The company origins of CZ appears to be much in line with that of ZB in terms of the historical events that surrounded the founding of the State of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
CZ was born out of various company mergers in 1922.
The original founding company was Jihoceska Zbrojovka ssro. (South Bohemian Arms Factory pty ltd ) founded in 1919 in Pilsn.
Jihoceska Zbrojovka a.s acquires Hubertus in 1922 and the company name changes to Ceska Zbrojovka Straconice abbreviated CZ. ( Czechoslovakian arms factory Straconice) with their principle factory in Straconice.
The original plant at Straconice was started by architect Karel Bubla with technical expertise from the Skoda Works of Pilsn in 1919.
Engineer Alois Tomiska of Skoda in Pilsn moves to Straconice to build pistols and production was started in 1921.
This arms works would later due to solvency problems need to diversify.
With the diversification the Straconice plant now builds machine tools and bicycles whilst small arms manufacture is moved to a new plant in the city of Uhersky Brod in 1937.
Under a strategic master plan for arms manufacture in the New State ZB cedes pistol manufacture to CZ in 1923. 1924 sees Franticek Miska producing the VZ 24 pistol a derivative of the original VZ 22 of Josef Nickl.
At this time we also see the founding of another gun works in Prague (1819) Praga Zbrojovka by A Novotny. They build the Praga pistol, a 1910 Browning copy, they get a Government contract in July 1920 for 5000 pistols to be delivered by December 1920
The famous Vaclav Holek one of the Holek brothers is affiliated to this factory
Nazi occupation 1939-1945:
The following factories and what they produced during the war:
ZB: - Waffenfabrik Brunn
Under German occupation the factory still remains as an independent company but the German occupiers rename the company.
Zavod 1 Brno- Zabrovice - Infantry arms
Zavod 2 Povaska Bystrica - Infantry arms
Zavod 3 Vsetin- Infantry arms
Zavod 7 Cejl - Rocket powered arms
Zavod 10 Optikotechna prerov - Scopes and rifle optics
CZ ( Straconice and Udersky brod)
Infantry automatic weapons
Aircraft automatic weapons
Infantry cannons
Zbrojovka Velinksy and Zbrojovka Kyser
Hand grenades
Zbrojovka Frans Janecek:
Anti tank guns
Bomb racks
Pumps
Engines
Zbrojovka Franz Dusek:
Pistols
After the war 1946:
Amalgamation and distribution of German assets:
ZB procures 14 plants in all included are:
1. The Original assets of Zbrojovka Brno a.s.
2. Sellier &Bellot
3. Zbrojovka Frans Janecek of Prague
4. Zavod 3 in Vsetin ( rifle and machine guns)
5. Zavod 1 Zabrovice ( rifle and machine guns)
Zbrojovka Frans Janecek is shut down for a short while only to be reopened later on.
Zavod 2 in Posvaka Bystrica becomes independent and becomes Povsake Strojirny, they made Czech ammo.
1945:
At this point all companies local or foreign owned are taken over by the Czechoslovakian state by virtue of nationalization decrees.
By this all industry is transferred to the auspices of the Department of Industry and all manufacture in accordance with the dictates of communism became “National enterprises” or Narodni Podnik.
A restructuring of the arms factories take place and this is reflected in the markings found on rifles of this period.
Zbrojovka Brno a.s. now becomes Narodni Podnik Zbrojovka Brno and under it is included some 14 other former plants and companies.
Ceska Zbrojovka a.s Uhersky Brod and Straconice remained as separate corporate entities from the Zbrojovka Brno conglomerate although they were all controlled by a central directorate.
In practice this proved to be a poor business model as problems arose with production and marketing of the arms products on an international basis. With time this model was fazed out and control reverted back to the individual factories.
In order to comply with international trading code some of the State control was relinquished and the companies traded as limited shareholding operations. Later marketing was undertaken by trade companies such a Agrocet which marketed the Czech arms products on the international market.
The Rules of Proof:
The premise of the rule of proof is that all small arms have to be proved safe by firing a test load with a charge producing higher (usually 30 to 50%) pressures than the industry standard. This then acts as a safeguard against faulty weapons, thereby protecting the user.
The Czech arms industry though not a signatory to the Brussels Convention on Proof applied rules of proof to all small arms manufactured.
Military proof:
The military Proof and Acceptance in the new State of Czechoslovakia was undertaken by the Arms Technology Authority “Zbrojne Technicke vrady” (ZTU).
This arrangement was brought about in 1922.
ZTU’s were designated by number, assigned to the various arms manufacturing plants in Czechoslovakia.
For example:
ZTU 3 at Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno
ZTU 4 at Povaska Bystrica
ZTU 5 at Sellier &Bellot
ZTU 7 at Ceska Zbrojovka Straconice
ZTU 8 at Zbrojovka Janecek
ZTU 9 at Vsetin
Civilian Proof and Acceptance:
Civilian Proof and Acceptance was undertaken at two locations:
The Government Arms and Ammunition testing Authority in Prague and the Proof house at Vejprty.
The Vejperty Proof house and Authority was closed down in 1945 with the liquidation of the Vejperty Arms Works under the post war government “take over” of arms manufacturing in Czechoslovakia.
The rules of proof used under Hapsburg rule were adopted under the Proof law of 1891 (June 23, 1891) enacted on January 1, 1892.
These rules and marks were in use at the time of the proclamation of the State of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
The Czech proof law (law 207 of 1931) December 17,1931 with supplementary regulations of December 22, 1931 was enacted on January 1, 1932.
This law called for obligatory proof of all small arms manufactured within the borders of Czechoslovakia.
German occupation, 1939 to 1945 brought about changes in Proof law as all arms manufactured under German occupation were placed under German acceptance rules. We see examples of this in rare occupation sporting rifles bearing the same military German Waffenampt codes as found in Mauser military rifles.
After 1945 the 1931 Czech law was once again used until 1962 when a new and current used law was enacted. (May 31,1962)
( Notes by Alf Smith )
Because of the impositions of language and the isolation of the Warsaw pact countries during the cold war the general American shooting public have a poor understanding of Czech arms manufacture, particularly how Brno and CZ came about.
In order to gain an understanding of the history of ZB
( Zbrojovka Brno) and CZ
( Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka) one would have to go back in history, look at each company separately and try and put each development to a timeline.
This short historical overview is by no means complete and it leaves out much to do with the manufacture of the machine guns and other arms of war. These companies also diversified into other forms of light industry and this has been omitted.
The common starting point in time for both companies starts with the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire at the conclusion of WW1 and the founding of the State of Czechoslovakia in 1918. It must be noted that historically the Czechs were very much a nation of gun makers.
Czechoslovakia was founded on the former lands of Moravia and Bohemia.
Under Hapsburg rule numerous small independent gun makers and independent arms and ammunition manufacturing operations existed within the boundaries of what was to become Czechoslovakia.
These companies were mostly owned and funded by banking groups and corporations out of Vienna and were taken up by the new Czechoslovakian State to form the core of the Czechoslovakian arms industry.
ZBROJOVKA BRNO ( Arms factory Brno)
The city of Brno in the former Moravia was home to an arms manufacturing plant controlled by Vienna.
In 1918 this plant would form the basis for the later Zbrojovka Brno or Arms factory Brno abbreviated as ZB.
This company with it’s numerous manufacturing plants and subsidiaries would later be the manufacturer of the sporting rifles we have come to know as the Models 21 H and 22 F , the later Galas rifle or ZG47 as well as the full range of Brno 22 small caliber rifles as designed by the Koucky brothers.
With the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the conclusion of WW 1 in 1918, the new Czechoslovakian state needed to rearm their fledgling army.
In order to achieve this, the State took over the existing armoury at Brno and floating a plan to refurbish German war surplus arms as well as a number of Steyer Mannlicher rifles.
Using the already existing arms factory at Brno, arms procured under the armistice agreements, were refurbished.
Some 100,000 Mauser rifles were procured and refurbished under this agreement.
A further 5,500 Mannlicher rifles were locally produced with expertise procured from the famous arms works of Styer in Austria.
The arms works at Brno formerly part of the Viennese arms manufacturing network was taken over by the new Czechoslovakian state and on March 1, 1919.
It was initially named as “Ceskoslovenska Statni Zbrojovka v. Brno” (Czechoslovakian State Arms Works at Brno).
Tooling and technical expertise was acquired from Mauser Oberndorf in Germany in 1920.
This was done in order to assemble the Mauser rifles for the military, 1921 saw this plan enacted.
Initially the idea was to buy parts sets for 42,000 Mauser rifles directly from Mauser Oberndorf and to assemble the rifles at Brno.
The history is not clear if this saw fruition but in addition to, a home grown Mauser production was started, which in turn ultimately lead to the production of the famous Vz 24 Brno-Mauser rifle.
This ability later played an important role in the hands of the Nazi occupation of the Sudatenland in 1938 , later the whole of Czechoslovakia in 1939 as the Nazi war machine, as we will explore, made good use of the Czech arms industry during the occupation.
In 1922 the company underwent change in name and structure to comply with constitutional legalities needed to do trade on the open, international arms market.
This also means partial privatization of the company with a limited stock holding as indicated in the name change.
The company is now named “Ceskoslovenska Zavodi na Vyrobu Zbrani v. Brno” abbreviated to CSZ (Czechoslovakian Works for military Arms Manufacture at Brno)
In 1923 CSZ is sold to Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Praha. ( Czechoslovakian arms factory Prague) or CZP
With this a new company is formed and is named Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno A.S. or ZB and designated as a Pty Ltd.
The corporate ownership at this point is designated as follows:
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka akc. Spol v Praze acquires 20% of VZB with the state owning 80%
This company was formed to buy out CSZ and it was controlled and owned in part through government shareholding (80%) and in part through the Arms works of Skoda in Prague (20%) as shown by the aforementioned.
This company abbreviated to the designation ZB a.s. was then ultimately to be home to a number of significant number sporting and military weapons.
It amassed through the years the expertise of arguably of the world’s greatest small arms developers and engineers.
The Vz 24 rifle:
Important to the understanding of sporting arms manufacture at Brno is the history as it pertains to the Vz 24 Brno-Mauser rifle. ( VZ = Vzor = Czech for “model” )
This rifle has it’s origins with the submission of a prototype Mauser M98 based rifle by Engineer Rudolf Jelen to the Czechoslovakian military in 1919. ( Pushka Mauser Jelena)
Rudolf was the younger brother to gunmaker Josef Jelen of Vejperty in Bohemia.
Rudolf was born in Bolehost, Bohemia on 27 January 1878 and died in Prague on 10 March 1938.
He was conscripted to the Czech army in 1887, retired from service in 1914 only to join the police. He is however still involved with the military until 1920 and qualifies as an engineer in 1921 having studied from 1918 to 1921.
He now joins the State arms works at Brno where he submits the prototype for what was to be the basis for the very famous Vz 24 rifle.
The forerunner to the Vz 24 is to be known as the Jelen Rifle or Puska Mauser-Jelena.
This rifle is basically a modified Mauser 98 in cal 7x57. The action dimensions differ from the standard M98 Mauser so does the nose cap of the rifle. The nose cap and bayonet bracket design is to be used later in the British SMLE. The Jelen rifle is made in 7.9x57 (150 rifles) and 7x57 (150 rifles)
These are all manufactured by CSZ
( This sharing of technical expertise between British gun makers and the Czechs is not strange as later during the Nazi occupation we see Czech gun makers fleeing their homeland and end up working for the British military arms industry.
Here the relationships see influence on machinegun manufacture such as the BREN but also influences sporting arms manufacture by BSA where we see common design copies in BSA based on the Brno ZKW rifle.)
Now followed the rifle model Vz 98 / 22 which is basically an improved Mexican Mauser but with the Jelen action.
They were built in 1923 – 1924 first by CSZ and then later by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno a.s. from 1924 -1930.
The Vz 98 / 22 is in cal 7.92 X 57
Then followed the VZ 98 / 23
This was also offered in a short rifle and there were variants to the theme in the form of the model Vz 23 and Vz 23 A. The Vz 23 was built on cannibalized Mauser parts, whilst the 23A was built on new parts made in Czechoslovakia. So in effect the Vz 23 A was a wholly Brno built rifle.
The Vz 24 design though essentially a Mauser was like most of the Czech gun making industry products the collaborate work of some of the worlds most famous gun makers ( largely unknown the larger US derived gun loving community)
The VZ 24 came about through the amalgamation of the model 22 and 23 experience as the parts for the 22 and 23 were not fully interchangeable.
The VZ 24 prototypes were built in 1923 by CZS and the VZ 24 proper from 1924-1940 by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno a.s.
Though the Vz 24 is designated as 24 production was actually in 1925
It is claimed that by 1939 some 762,000 Vz 24 rifles and 986,000 Vz 24 bayonets were made by ZB.
What is telling of the success of the VZ24 is the fact that the rifle found it’s way into the armouries of many foreign countries.
Ammunition manufacture:
In conjunction with the establishing of armouries the state needed to have ammunition for the military.
Two ammunition factories were located within the Czechoslovakian state borders at the time of the declaration of the Czechoslovakian state namely G. Roth &co. in Bratislavia, and Sellier &Bellot in Prague.
Both these two entities would, over time prove to be very important to the arms manufacturing industry within Czech lands. Also they became through amalgamation part of the ZB empire.
In 1928 ZB procures a major shareholding in the ammunition manufacturing company of G Roth based in Bratislavia.
The G. Roth company now undergoes a name and corporate ownership change to be named as Ceskoslovenska Manici a Kovodelne Zavodi a.s Bratislavia ( Czechoslovak Ammunition and Metal Works, joint stock company Bratislavia)
A full merger takes place in 1933 and the ammunition plant is moved to Povaske Bystrica.
The Povaske Bytrica plant, Zavod 2 also makes VZ42 rifles as well as bayonets
1937 sees the expansion of ZB with a new gun works at Brno, they also upgrade their old Mauser procured machines to new machines from Oberndorf.
A new plant at Zabrdovice was also started in 1937.
ZB also opens a factory in Vsetin for heavy machine guns ( Zavod3 )
ZB made the model 26 light machinegun from 1927 this was a Holek design from CZP (Zbrojovka Praga)
Nazi occupation 1939-1945:
The Nazi’s take control of the Sudatenland in 1938 and in 1939 take control over the whole of Czechoslovakia.
They immediately enroll all arms manufacture under Nazi control and with usual German precision bring arms manufacture in line with German doctrine.
ZB now becomes Waffenfabrik Brunn Aktiengesellshaft and German Waffenampt markings and proof rules are applied to weapons.
It is claimed that civilian sporting arms manufacture came to an end at this time, however specimens of sporting rifles are to be found dating from the occupation period complete with German proofs and Waffenampt markings.
Some of the factories and what the produced under Nazi control
Zavod 1 Brno and Zabrdovice - Infantry arms
Zavod 2 Povaske bystrica - Infantry arms
Zavod 3 Vsetin - Infantry arms
Zavod 7 Cejl - Rocket powered arms
Zavod 10 Optikotechna prerov - Scopes and rifle optics
It is then also noted that some prominent Czech arms engineers fled the occupation.
One such person was Engineer Otagar Galas the originator of the ZG47 rifle.
He found his way to the UK where during the war he was involved in British arms manufacture. Galas although not the principle designer of the Bren gun had much to do with Bren manufacture in England as well as the Oerlikon antiaircraft gun system.
At the conclusion of the Second World War much of Czechoslovakia was taken from Germany by the Russians whilst the Americans liberated Pilsn and Prague.
This then heralded the post war era for Czechoslovakia and the advent of a new dispensation under communism.
After the war:
With the conclusion of WW2 there is an amalgamation and distribution of German assets:
Under this ZB now procures or gains control over 14 plants included are:
1. The original assets of ZB a.s.
2. Sellier &Bellot
3. Zbrojovka Frans Janecek in Prague
4. The Vsetin plant ( rifle and machine gun manufacture)
5. The Zabrovice plant ( rifle and machine gun manufacture)
Shortly after Zbrojovka Frans Janecek is closed down.
Post WW 2 and communist rule:
1945:
At this point all companies local or foreign owned, are taken over by the Czechoslovakian state by virtue of nationalization decrees.
By this all industry is transferred to the auspices of the Department of industry and all manufacture becomes national or “peoples” enterprises or Narodni Podnik in keeping with the communist ideal.
This is reflected in the markings on rifles stating N.P. or Narodni Podnik
Zbrojovka Brno A.S. now becomes Narodni Podnik Zbrojovka Brno and under it is included some 14 other former plants and companies
Ceska Zbrojovka A.S. of Uhersky brod and Straconice remains separate from the ZB congloemerate.
The plant at Povaske Bystryca now becomes NARODNI PODNIK POVAZSKE STROJIRIN. This enterprise consists of 14 plants including Sellier &Bellot as well as the former ZBROJOVKA FRANTICEK JANECEK in Prague.
Under communism all arms manufacture is centralized under the Central directorship of the NPCZIS in Prague. The manufacturing co-operatives were managed but this arrangement but this was short lived as it proved costly and inefficient. (only to once again be dismantled by 1949)
In 1955 Czechoslovakia joins the Warsaw pact and all arms manufacture is brought under Soviet doctrine. This brings about huge increases in production but also significant problems in corporate control.
CESKA ZBROJOVKA (CZ)
The company origins of CZ appears to be much in line with that of ZB in terms of the historical events that surrounded the founding of the State of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
CZ was born out of various company mergers in 1922.
The original founding company was Jihoceska Zbrojovka ssro. (South Bohemian Arms Factory pty ltd ) founded in 1919 in Pilsn.
Jihoceska Zbrojovka a.s acquires Hubertus in 1922 and the company name changes to Ceska Zbrojovka Straconice abbreviated CZ. ( Czechoslovakian arms factory Straconice) with their principle factory in Straconice.
The original plant at Straconice was started by architect Karel Bubla with technical expertise from the Skoda Works of Pilsn in 1919.
Engineer Alois Tomiska of Skoda in Pilsn moves to Straconice to build pistols and production was started in 1921.
This arms works would later due to solvency problems need to diversify.
With the diversification the Straconice plant now builds machine tools and bicycles whilst small arms manufacture is moved to a new plant in the city of Uhersky Brod in 1937.
Under a strategic master plan for arms manufacture in the New State ZB cedes pistol manufacture to CZ in 1923. 1924 sees Franticek Miska producing the VZ 24 pistol a derivative of the original VZ 22 of Josef Nickl.
At this time we also see the founding of another gun works in Prague (1819) Praga Zbrojovka by A Novotny. They build the Praga pistol, a 1910 Browning copy, they get a Government contract in July 1920 for 5000 pistols to be delivered by December 1920
The famous Vaclav Holek one of the Holek brothers is affiliated to this factory
Nazi occupation 1939-1945:
The following factories and what they produced during the war:
ZB: - Waffenfabrik Brunn
Under German occupation the factory still remains as an independent company but the German occupiers rename the company.
Zavod 1 Brno- Zabrovice - Infantry arms
Zavod 2 Povaska Bystrica - Infantry arms
Zavod 3 Vsetin- Infantry arms
Zavod 7 Cejl - Rocket powered arms
Zavod 10 Optikotechna prerov - Scopes and rifle optics
CZ ( Straconice and Udersky brod)
Infantry automatic weapons
Aircraft automatic weapons
Infantry cannons
Zbrojovka Velinksy and Zbrojovka Kyser
Hand grenades
Zbrojovka Frans Janecek:
Anti tank guns
Bomb racks
Pumps
Engines
Zbrojovka Franz Dusek:
Pistols
After the war 1946:
Amalgamation and distribution of German assets:
ZB procures 14 plants in all included are:
1. The Original assets of Zbrojovka Brno a.s.
2. Sellier &Bellot
3. Zbrojovka Frans Janecek of Prague
4. Zavod 3 in Vsetin ( rifle and machine guns)
5. Zavod 1 Zabrovice ( rifle and machine guns)
Zbrojovka Frans Janecek is shut down for a short while only to be reopened later on.
Zavod 2 in Posvaka Bystrica becomes independent and becomes Povsake Strojirny, they made Czech ammo.
1945:
At this point all companies local or foreign owned are taken over by the Czechoslovakian state by virtue of nationalization decrees.
By this all industry is transferred to the auspices of the Department of Industry and all manufacture in accordance with the dictates of communism became “National enterprises” or Narodni Podnik.
A restructuring of the arms factories take place and this is reflected in the markings found on rifles of this period.
Zbrojovka Brno a.s. now becomes Narodni Podnik Zbrojovka Brno and under it is included some 14 other former plants and companies.
Ceska Zbrojovka a.s Uhersky Brod and Straconice remained as separate corporate entities from the Zbrojovka Brno conglomerate although they were all controlled by a central directorate.
In practice this proved to be a poor business model as problems arose with production and marketing of the arms products on an international basis. With time this model was fazed out and control reverted back to the individual factories.
In order to comply with international trading code some of the State control was relinquished and the companies traded as limited shareholding operations. Later marketing was undertaken by trade companies such a Agrocet which marketed the Czech arms products on the international market.
The Rules of Proof:
The premise of the rule of proof is that all small arms have to be proved safe by firing a test load with a charge producing higher (usually 30 to 50%) pressures than the industry standard. This then acts as a safeguard against faulty weapons, thereby protecting the user.
The Czech arms industry though not a signatory to the Brussels Convention on Proof applied rules of proof to all small arms manufactured.
Military proof:
The military Proof and Acceptance in the new State of Czechoslovakia was undertaken by the Arms Technology Authority “Zbrojne Technicke vrady” (ZTU).
This arrangement was brought about in 1922.
ZTU’s were designated by number, assigned to the various arms manufacturing plants in Czechoslovakia.
For example:
ZTU 3 at Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka Brno
ZTU 4 at Povaska Bystrica
ZTU 5 at Sellier &Bellot
ZTU 7 at Ceska Zbrojovka Straconice
ZTU 8 at Zbrojovka Janecek
ZTU 9 at Vsetin
Civilian Proof and Acceptance:
Civilian Proof and Acceptance was undertaken at two locations:
The Government Arms and Ammunition testing Authority in Prague and the Proof house at Vejprty.
The Vejperty Proof house and Authority was closed down in 1945 with the liquidation of the Vejperty Arms Works under the post war government “take over” of arms manufacturing in Czechoslovakia.
The rules of proof used under Hapsburg rule were adopted under the Proof law of 1891 (June 23, 1891) enacted on January 1, 1892.
These rules and marks were in use at the time of the proclamation of the State of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
The Czech proof law (law 207 of 1931) December 17,1931 with supplementary regulations of December 22, 1931 was enacted on January 1, 1932.
This law called for obligatory proof of all small arms manufactured within the borders of Czechoslovakia.
German occupation, 1939 to 1945 brought about changes in Proof law as all arms manufactured under German occupation were placed under German acceptance rules. We see examples of this in rare occupation sporting rifles bearing the same military German Waffenampt codes as found in Mauser military rifles.
After 1945 the 1931 Czech law was once again used until 1962 when a new and current used law was enacted. (May 31,1962)
A bit of the history of Ceska Zbrojovka and Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka. With a mention of Ceska Zavody Motocyklove, and Crvena Zastava for anyone interested in arcane trivia.
Ceska Zbrojovka
The company we know as Ceska Zbrojovka was founded in 1919 in Pilsin, as the Jihoceska Zbrojovka (South Bohemian Arms Factory). It moved in 1921 to a new factory in Strakonice, and in 1922 it merged with the Hubertus Factory and changed its name to Ceska Zbrojovka (Bohemian Arms Factory). Its trademark is "CZ", where the "Z" is inside the loop of the "C" and the "C" is in a circle. Ceska Zbrojovka was the sole supplier of handguns to the Czech military from 1926 to 1954 (and possibly beyond). Among the military pistols produced by Ceska Zbrojovka are the Vz-24, V-27, Vz-36/45, Vz-38, Vz-50 & Vz-70, and the Vz-52. (Note: "Vz" is the abbreviation for "Vzor", or "Model").
[A note here on the nomenclature “CZ” and “VZ”. CZ was employed by Ceska Zbrojovka as a model prefix for firearms under development, or finished firearms sold commercially. An example of this may be found in the history of the Czech pistol chambered for the 7.62x25 cartridge we know as the “VZ 52”.
This pistol grew out of the perceived need of post WW II Czechoslovakia for a domestically produced military sidearm. This resulted in the requirement for a Czech designed and produced military sidearm chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 1948 Ceska Zbrojovka submitted the CZ 482 chambered for the M48 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, and this pistol seemed to hold promise. Perceived deficiencies were noted and solved by Ceska Zbrojovka, resulting in the CZ 491 (also chambered for the M48 9 mm Parabellum cartridge). However, by this point in time the Czech Republic had essentially been taken over by a Socialist government and that government was under great pressure from the Soviet Union to adopt the Soviet M30 7.62x25 pistol cartridge as the Czech standard pistol/sub-machinegun cartridge. Ceska Zbrojovka was directed to redesign the CZ 491 to fire the Soviet M30 cartridge and did so during the period 1950 - 1952, resulting in the CZ 513. The CZ 513 was adopted in 1952 as the Vz.52.
In summary, what we know as the “VZ 52” was initially developed as the CZ 482, redeveloped as the CZ491, adopted by the Czech government as the VZ 52, and many were sold in the United States as the “CZ 52”.
There is no such thing as a ‘CZ 52’ pistol. This is a name made up by the importers, and combines the ‘CZ’ from the factory designation of this pistol (‘CZ 513’) with the year designator from the military designation for this pistol (‘Vz.52’) to create a historically meaningless name. Moving on…]
Ceska Zbrojovka was preparing to move from Strakonice to Uhersky Brod in 1939 when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and seized the factory. During the Occupation, Ceska Zbrojovka was owned by (read "expropriated to”) the Reichswerke Herman Goring (RWGH) and their production was dedicated to the Third Reich. During WWII, Ceska Zbrojovka remained at in Strakonice and continued to make pistols for the Third Reich. Germany used a number of Czech Vz-24's, Vz-27's (as the "Pistole Modell 27") and Vz-38's (as the model "P.39(t)"). Pistols made during the Occupation can be found marked "Bohmische Waffenfabrik A. G. Prag". Ceska Zbrojovka also produced parts for the Walther P.38, and such parts will have the code "fnh" and the Waffenamt "WaA 76". Ceska Zbrojovka was considered for production of the P.38 during WWII, but whether they actually produced any complete pistols is a matter of dispute. This subject is clouded by the post-war (1946) production of some P.38’s by Ceska Zbrojovka using parts and salvaged pistols, and P.38’s marked “Vz-46” are known to exist.
In 1955 Ceska Zbrojovka finally moved to Uhersky Brod and the Strakonice factory was turned over to the Ceska Zavody Motocyklove to produce motorcycles. Today, Ceska Zbrojovka is still in operation and produces pistols such as the Vz-75, Vz-82, and Vz83 and sub-machineguns like the Vz-61 (Scorpion) and the Vz-83. It now also appears to produce sporting rifles, and has a net site at CZUB - Česká zbrojovka a.s..
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was founded in 1918 in the city of Brno, acquired Erfurt’s tooling to produce Model 98 rifles [just after the Great War], and began production of M98 Mauser rifles. Its trademark was the letter "Z", inside a rifled bore. This trademark originally belonged to the Praga Zbrojovka whose assets were purchased by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka in 1926. As Ceska Zbrojovka had the "lock" on Czech military pistol contracts, so Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was the sole supplier of long arms to the Czech military. Probably the most well-known rifle produced by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka is the Vz-24. With Germany in general and Mauser in particular banned from producing military arms, Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka moved into the void and became one of the major exporters of small arms during the inter-War years.
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was also occupied during WWII, and was expropriated to the Reichswerke Herman Goring (RWGH) and their production was also dedicated to the Third Reich. Rifles produced by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka for the Third Reich will be found with the manufacturer's codes “dot” (Brunn plant), “dou” (Bystrica plant), and “dov” (Vsetin plant). One often ignored fact is the British BREN light machinegun is a Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka design, and was produced by the Royal [Enfield] Arms factory in England under license from Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka. [Hence the name BR(no)EN(field).]
Folks frequently confuse the trademarks of these companies - a situation not helped by the fact the country code for Czechoslovakia is also "CZ". The place name "Brno" is also frequently misused as a company identifier for Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka, possibly because few non-Czech speakers want to attempt to pronounce "Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka".
[This can be further complicated by the originally Yugoslav, and now Serbian, company named Crvena Zastava, which also produces and exports arms and uses “CZ” as a trade mark.]
But be that as it may, the name "Brno" came into such common usage that it was utilized as a product name after the Communist take-over of Czechoslovakia. Speaking of which…
With the Communist take-over in the late 1940's both Ceska Zbrojovka and Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka ceased to exist, at least as we think of them as companies. Rather they became State owned manufacturing facilities ("Narodni Podnik", or "National Enterprise"). At his point it becomes unclear the degree to which commercial firearm markings indicate what factory was involved in the production of the firearm. At some point the manufacturing facility in Brno was renamed to Zbrojovka Brno (Brno Arms). The manufacturing facility in Uhersky Brod became a member of the Zbrojovka Brno Narodni Podnik in 1965. At this point the firearms produced at Uhersky Brod were also marked (I won't say "used the trademark") “Brno".
I think it's important to note here that while these were still physically different manufacturing facilities, both were a part of the same National Enterprise. That's an important distinction since what we, in a capitalistic society, think of as "companies" and "trade marks" either do not exist or have different meanings in a Socialist State.
With the deterioration and eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union private enterprise again came to Czechoslovakia. The National Enterprise located at Uhersky Brod is once more "Ceska Zbrojovka", and appears to be well on the road to private ownership. It even has a new trademark; the outline of a pistol in a circle. Ceska Zbrojovka has an Internet site at CZUB - Česká zbrojovka a.s., and an office here in the States. The last address I have for their US office is:
CZ USA
Building B, Unit 119
1401 Fairfax Trafficway
Kansas City, KS 66115
800/955-4486
913/321-1811
913/321-2251 Fax
email: czusa@gvi.net
Following the Second World War, Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka produced few arms - it began the manufacture of information and communications devices. In 1989, it was restructured and reorganized. The change reached a head in 1995 when it emerged as Zbrojovka Brno (a joint stock company) and resumed larger scale production of sporting rifles and shotguns. Which brings us to the second trademark of the reformed Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka - “ZB”.
As of 18 May 1995, Zbrojovka Brno/Brno Arms was still in operation and producing fine shotguns, rifles, pistols, and airguns. Individual shareholders held 50.43% of its stock, with the remainder of its capitalization provided by governmental entities. Reportedly, 40% of its production goes to 52 countries worldwide. Zbrojovka Brno uses “ZB”, the letter "Z" inside a rifled bore, “Brno Arms”, and “Arms Brno” among its trademarks. To the best of my knowledge, Zbrojovka Brno does not have a US office, but does have an internet site at Zbrojovka.com
[Zbrojovka Brno/Brno ceased production and closed its doors in the late 1990s. Ceska Zbrojovka acquired the rights to the trademarks Zbrojovka Brno/Brno Arms and began production of rifles that were so trademarked.]
Ceska Zbrojovka
The company we know as Ceska Zbrojovka was founded in 1919 in Pilsin, as the Jihoceska Zbrojovka (South Bohemian Arms Factory). It moved in 1921 to a new factory in Strakonice, and in 1922 it merged with the Hubertus Factory and changed its name to Ceska Zbrojovka (Bohemian Arms Factory). Its trademark is "CZ", where the "Z" is inside the loop of the "C" and the "C" is in a circle. Ceska Zbrojovka was the sole supplier of handguns to the Czech military from 1926 to 1954 (and possibly beyond). Among the military pistols produced by Ceska Zbrojovka are the Vz-24, V-27, Vz-36/45, Vz-38, Vz-50 & Vz-70, and the Vz-52. (Note: "Vz" is the abbreviation for "Vzor", or "Model").
[A note here on the nomenclature “CZ” and “VZ”. CZ was employed by Ceska Zbrojovka as a model prefix for firearms under development, or finished firearms sold commercially. An example of this may be found in the history of the Czech pistol chambered for the 7.62x25 cartridge we know as the “VZ 52”.
This pistol grew out of the perceived need of post WW II Czechoslovakia for a domestically produced military sidearm. This resulted in the requirement for a Czech designed and produced military sidearm chambered for the 9 mm Parabellum cartridge.
In 1948 Ceska Zbrojovka submitted the CZ 482 chambered for the M48 9 mm Parabellum cartridge, and this pistol seemed to hold promise. Perceived deficiencies were noted and solved by Ceska Zbrojovka, resulting in the CZ 491 (also chambered for the M48 9 mm Parabellum cartridge). However, by this point in time the Czech Republic had essentially been taken over by a Socialist government and that government was under great pressure from the Soviet Union to adopt the Soviet M30 7.62x25 pistol cartridge as the Czech standard pistol/sub-machinegun cartridge. Ceska Zbrojovka was directed to redesign the CZ 491 to fire the Soviet M30 cartridge and did so during the period 1950 - 1952, resulting in the CZ 513. The CZ 513 was adopted in 1952 as the Vz.52.
In summary, what we know as the “VZ 52” was initially developed as the CZ 482, redeveloped as the CZ491, adopted by the Czech government as the VZ 52, and many were sold in the United States as the “CZ 52”.
There is no such thing as a ‘CZ 52’ pistol. This is a name made up by the importers, and combines the ‘CZ’ from the factory designation of this pistol (‘CZ 513’) with the year designator from the military designation for this pistol (‘Vz.52’) to create a historically meaningless name. Moving on…]
Ceska Zbrojovka was preparing to move from Strakonice to Uhersky Brod in 1939 when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and seized the factory. During the Occupation, Ceska Zbrojovka was owned by (read "expropriated to”) the Reichswerke Herman Goring (RWGH) and their production was dedicated to the Third Reich. During WWII, Ceska Zbrojovka remained at in Strakonice and continued to make pistols for the Third Reich. Germany used a number of Czech Vz-24's, Vz-27's (as the "Pistole Modell 27") and Vz-38's (as the model "P.39(t)"). Pistols made during the Occupation can be found marked "Bohmische Waffenfabrik A. G. Prag". Ceska Zbrojovka also produced parts for the Walther P.38, and such parts will have the code "fnh" and the Waffenamt "WaA 76". Ceska Zbrojovka was considered for production of the P.38 during WWII, but whether they actually produced any complete pistols is a matter of dispute. This subject is clouded by the post-war (1946) production of some P.38’s by Ceska Zbrojovka using parts and salvaged pistols, and P.38’s marked “Vz-46” are known to exist.
In 1955 Ceska Zbrojovka finally moved to Uhersky Brod and the Strakonice factory was turned over to the Ceska Zavody Motocyklove to produce motorcycles. Today, Ceska Zbrojovka is still in operation and produces pistols such as the Vz-75, Vz-82, and Vz83 and sub-machineguns like the Vz-61 (Scorpion) and the Vz-83. It now also appears to produce sporting rifles, and has a net site at CZUB - Česká zbrojovka a.s..
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was founded in 1918 in the city of Brno, acquired Erfurt’s tooling to produce Model 98 rifles [just after the Great War], and began production of M98 Mauser rifles. Its trademark was the letter "Z", inside a rifled bore. This trademark originally belonged to the Praga Zbrojovka whose assets were purchased by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka in 1926. As Ceska Zbrojovka had the "lock" on Czech military pistol contracts, so Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was the sole supplier of long arms to the Czech military. Probably the most well-known rifle produced by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka is the Vz-24. With Germany in general and Mauser in particular banned from producing military arms, Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka moved into the void and became one of the major exporters of small arms during the inter-War years.
Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka was also occupied during WWII, and was expropriated to the Reichswerke Herman Goring (RWGH) and their production was also dedicated to the Third Reich. Rifles produced by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka for the Third Reich will be found with the manufacturer's codes “dot” (Brunn plant), “dou” (Bystrica plant), and “dov” (Vsetin plant). One often ignored fact is the British BREN light machinegun is a Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka design, and was produced by the Royal [Enfield] Arms factory in England under license from Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka. [Hence the name BR(no)EN(field).]
Folks frequently confuse the trademarks of these companies - a situation not helped by the fact the country code for Czechoslovakia is also "CZ". The place name "Brno" is also frequently misused as a company identifier for Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka, possibly because few non-Czech speakers want to attempt to pronounce "Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka".
[This can be further complicated by the originally Yugoslav, and now Serbian, company named Crvena Zastava, which also produces and exports arms and uses “CZ” as a trade mark.]
But be that as it may, the name "Brno" came into such common usage that it was utilized as a product name after the Communist take-over of Czechoslovakia. Speaking of which…
With the Communist take-over in the late 1940's both Ceska Zbrojovka and Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka ceased to exist, at least as we think of them as companies. Rather they became State owned manufacturing facilities ("Narodni Podnik", or "National Enterprise"). At his point it becomes unclear the degree to which commercial firearm markings indicate what factory was involved in the production of the firearm. At some point the manufacturing facility in Brno was renamed to Zbrojovka Brno (Brno Arms). The manufacturing facility in Uhersky Brod became a member of the Zbrojovka Brno Narodni Podnik in 1965. At this point the firearms produced at Uhersky Brod were also marked (I won't say "used the trademark") “Brno".
I think it's important to note here that while these were still physically different manufacturing facilities, both were a part of the same National Enterprise. That's an important distinction since what we, in a capitalistic society, think of as "companies" and "trade marks" either do not exist or have different meanings in a Socialist State.
With the deterioration and eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union private enterprise again came to Czechoslovakia. The National Enterprise located at Uhersky Brod is once more "Ceska Zbrojovka", and appears to be well on the road to private ownership. It even has a new trademark; the outline of a pistol in a circle. Ceska Zbrojovka has an Internet site at CZUB - Česká zbrojovka a.s., and an office here in the States. The last address I have for their US office is:
CZ USA
Building B, Unit 119
1401 Fairfax Trafficway
Kansas City, KS 66115
800/955-4486
913/321-1811
913/321-2251 Fax
email: czusa@gvi.net
Following the Second World War, Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka produced few arms - it began the manufacture of information and communications devices. In 1989, it was restructured and reorganized. The change reached a head in 1995 when it emerged as Zbrojovka Brno (a joint stock company) and resumed larger scale production of sporting rifles and shotguns. Which brings us to the second trademark of the reformed Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka - “ZB”.
As of 18 May 1995, Zbrojovka Brno/Brno Arms was still in operation and producing fine shotguns, rifles, pistols, and airguns. Individual shareholders held 50.43% of its stock, with the remainder of its capitalization provided by governmental entities. Reportedly, 40% of its production goes to 52 countries worldwide. Zbrojovka Brno uses “ZB”, the letter "Z" inside a rifled bore, “Brno Arms”, and “Arms Brno” among its trademarks. To the best of my knowledge, Zbrojovka Brno does not have a US office, but does have an internet site at Zbrojovka.com
[Zbrojovka Brno/Brno ceased production and closed its doors in the late 1990s. Ceska Zbrojovka acquired the rights to the trademarks Zbrojovka Brno/Brno Arms and began production of rifles that were so trademarked.]
- Location
- Steel Town
Incredible amount of detail and history. I learned alot. I hope this could find its way into a sticky.
