About Us
Dear Customers, Business Partners and Supporters of the CZ brand,
Welcome to the website of Ceska zbrojovka, a member of Colt CZ Group. I believe that you‘ll find our website interesting and will find the information you require about the products for which you’re searching.
Our website is clearly structured according to specific user groups, i.e. if you‘re a hunter, sport shooter, member of the armed forces or need a weapon for self-defense. Just select the appropriate tab and you’ll be taken to the products you’re looking for and be provided with all information you require.
We‘re constantly striving to bring new and better products to market. We collaborate with leading experts in the field. We also pay close attention to user comments, which are a source of extremely valuable information when upgrading or further developing our products.
I‘m confident that you‘ll be delighted with our products and will find something that perfectly fulfills your wants and needs. Thank you for your support and I wish you luck in choosing your new CZ firearm. And if you’re buying your first CZ gun, I‘m honored to welcome you to the worldwide club of CZ customers and supporters!
Establishment of the arms factory in Uherský Brod
Today’s Česká zbrojovka a.s. was built as part of a large-scale transfer of strategically important production capacities of the former Czechoslovakia as far as possible from the western borders threatened by Nazi Germany. In Uherský Brod in the south-east of Moravia, a brand new arms factory was established, which was one of the most modern and most efficient factory worldwide, and which, in the first years of its existence, was successfully engaged primarily in the highly demanding production of aircraft machine guns.
Start of the production of model 48 submachine guns
After World War II, the joint-stock company Česká zbrojovka was nationalized and its branch factory in Uherský Brod, which became independent in 1950, gradually became the main Czechoslovak manufacturer of small firearms. Its most famous products from the immediate postwar period were model 48 submachine guns (renamed in 1950 to 23/25 submachine guns) firing 9 mm Parabellum ammunition. These models with a magazine in the pistol grip and slide partially surrounding the barrel at that time were the most advanced guns of their category. By 1953, 545,000 were produced in Uherský Brod, 345,000 of which were in the 7.62 mm Tokarev calibre (24/26 submachine gun).
Start of the production of model 58 submachine guns
The model 58 submachine gun in the 7.62×39 mm calibre, now classified as an assault rifle, was a Czechoslovak alternative to the Soviet Avtomat Kalashnikova with an original design. This exceptionally well-designed firearm was produced in Uherský Brod for the national armed forces as well as for export until 1984 and the total production volume reached almost 1,000,000 units.
Start of the production of the model 61 Škorpion submachine gun
The legendary compact submachine gun model 61 Škorpion was an ingenious and very successful attempt to fill the gap between classic submachine guns and service pistols. More than 207,000 pieces of this submachine gun in the basic calibre 7.65 mm Browning were produced in Uherský Brod till 2000, and small volumes of the firearm in the 9 mm Browning version were produced in 1990s.
Founding of Česká zbrojovka, a.s., Uherský Brod
Privatization of the state enterprise Česká zbrojovka resulted in founding of the incorporated company, which concentrates its activities in its main plant in Uherský Brod on development and production of high-quality firearms, while utilizing its remaining capacity for production of high-precision components for the automotive and aerospace industry. It is a Czech company owned by Czech shareholders.
Founding of the CZ-USA subsidiary company
The position of Česká zbrojovka, a.s. on the world’s most prestigious firearms market has significantly strengthened by the establishment of the subsidiary distribution and service company CZ-USA. This subsidiary started its activities in California, but in 1998 it relocated to Kansas City, Kansas, where it still operates. Within the creation of Česká zbrojovka Group, CZ-USA became an independent business entity.
Acquisition of the Dan Wesson Firearms brand
Česká zbrojovka, a.s., through its subsidiary CZ-USA became the owner of one of renowned American arms brands – Dan Wesson Firearms. This company, originally a revolver maker founded in 1968 by a grandson of well-known Daniel B. Wesson, with its Czech-American management soon became one of the most distinguished manufacturers of modern clones of the famous pistol M1911.
Start of the production of the CZ 75 pistol
The CZ 75 pistol, revolutionary in a number of aspects, was the work of the legendary designer František Koucký, who worked on its development based on an assignment of today’s Česká zbrojovka a.s since 1969. This firearm with perfect ergonomics and unique double-action trigger mechanism co-defined the category of “Wonder Nines”, i.e. large capacity SA/DA pistols in the 9 mm Luger calibre, and has long been one of the most popular of them.
Founding of the CZ-USA subsidiary company
The position of Česká zbrojovka, a.s. on the world’s most prestigious firearms market has significantly strengthened by the establishment of the subsidiary distribution and service company CZ-USA. This subsidiary started its activities in California, but in 1998 it relocated to Kansas City, Kansas, where it still operates. Within the creation of Česká zbrojovka Group, CZ-USA became an independent business entity.
Acquisition of the firearms production of Zbrojovka Brno
In order to preserve the famous tradition of firearms production in Brno, Česká zbrojovka a.s began preparing to take over the Firearms division of Zbrojovka Brno, a.s. The newly created company, originally named BRNO RIFLES, started its activities at the turn of 2006 and its domain was the production and development of break action firearms. In 2008 it became a subsidiary company of Česká zbrojovka a.s. In 2010 the company was renamed to ZBROJOVKA BRNO, s.r.o.
A new management and the beginning of the development of a new generation of CZ service firearms
In 2006, Lubomír Kovařík became the CEO of Česká zbrojovka a.s. and immediately began extensive modernization and development of a new generation of CZ firearms. Ladislav Britaňák became the Sales Manager of the company. One of the key strategic decision of the new management was the start of the development of completely new automatic CZ weapons. After a long break caused by unfavourable political and economic conditions after 1989, Česká zbrojovka a.s. returned to the traditional important part of its product range.