Zbrojovka Brno

Last updated
Zbrojovka Brno, s.r.o.
Type Private limited company
Industry Firearm
Headquarters
Brno
,
Czech Republic
Parent Colt-CZ Group
Website www.coltczgroup.com
Zbrojovka Brno headquarters and gateway Zbrojovka Brno hedquarters and gateway.jpg
Zbrojovka Brno headquarters and gateway

Zbrojovka Brno, s.r.o is a maker of small arms in Brno, Czech Republic, wholly owned by Colt-CZ Group. In the past it also made light artillery, cars, motorcycles, tractors and various tools, such as typewriters and early computers.

Contents

In 1946, Zbrojovka started manufacturing tractors under the brand Zetor (a combination of the letter "Zet" and the word "tractor"). Zetor continues to make tractors as a separate company.

History

The company was founded in 1918 as a state-owned factory [1] known as the State Armament and Engineering Works. [2] The factory assembled German Gewehr 98 and Austrian Mannlicher M1895 rifles, but later began producing their own. In 1924–1925 a new factory was built, where cars, engines and other machines were produced in addition to rifles and machine guns. In the 1930s, the factory also produced Remington licensed typewriters and Skoda tractors.

During the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, Zbrojovka Brno was renamed to Waffenwerke Brunn and produced weapons for the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS. In 1944, the factory was severely damaged in the bombing of Brno. After liberation and rebuilding, it resumed production. In the second half of the 1940s, it produced engines, weapons and tractors. In November 1945, a prototype of the Zetor Z-25 tractor was produced, the name Zetor, which was maintained to this day, comes from the words "Zet" (the proclaimed first letter of the armory) and "or" (the end of the word tractor).

In the 1980s, the company refocused mainly on communication and computing technologies at the expense of weapons production and repair. In the 1990s, the number of employees began to decrease.

From 2003, the company continued to decline; in June 2006, arms production was discontinued. On 8 August 2006, the last employees were made redundant. Shortly after, at the beginning of September 2006, Zbrojovka Brno auctioned machine equipment at public auction. The machines and intellectual property were purchased by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod. Česká Zbrojovka restarted rifle manufacturing on a smaller scale. Zbrojovka Brno continues to make hunting rifles to this day as a subsidiary of Colt-CZ.

The 22.5 hectare premises in Brno were auctioned at the end of January 2008 for 707 million CZK (~30 million USD) by the investment company J&T. As of 2023 the area is being re-built by a real estate developer with the intention of building apartment and office buildings.

Products

Firearms

History

Bren light machine gun - a modification of ZB vz. 26 Bren1.jpg
Bren light machine gun - a modification of ZB vz. 26

Current line-up

  • BRNO COMBO - rifle, calibers .243 Win. .308 Win. or .30-06 Springfield
  • BRNO STOPPER - double rifle, cal. 458 WinMag
  • BRNO EFFECT - rifle, cal. 30-06

Motor vehicles

1929 Z 18 pick-up truck Classic Show Brno 2011 (103).jpg
1929 Z 18 pick-up truck

Zbrojovka built cars and light commercial vehicles with two-stroke engines. The first model was the Disk, which was a two-door light car with a four-cylinder, 598cc, 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) engine launched in 1924. [3] This was succeeded in 1926 by the Z 18, which was a two-door sedan powered by a two-cylinder, 1005 cc engine producing 18 horsepower (13 kW). [4] This was succeeded in 1929 by the Z 9, [5] which had a 993cc engine producing 22 horsepower (16 kW). [6] Body options for the Z 9 included a four-door sedan or convertible, two-door, four-seat sedan, two-seat convertible and a commercial light truck. [7]

In 1933, Zbrojovka introduced the Z 4, again with a two-cylinder engine. Early versions displaced 905 cc (55.2 cu in) and produced 19 horsepower (14 kW). [8] In 1934, Zbrojovka introduced a 980 cc (60 cu in) version that produced 25 horsepower (19 kW) in standard tune or 35 horsepower (26 kW) in the sports coupé version. [6]

Zbrojovka Z 5 Express two-door sedan Brno, namesti Svobody - XXI. Sraz historickych vozidel Vysocina 2014 - Z 5 Expres obr3.jpg
Zbrojovka Z 5 Express two-door sedan

In 1935, Zbrojovka widened its range with two new models, the Z 6 Hurvínek and Z 5 Express. The Z 6 had a two-cylinder engine that displaced 735 cc (44.9 cu in) and produced 19 horsepower (14 kW). [9] The Z 5 engine was modular with the Z 6: a four-cylinder version that displaced 1,470 cc (90 cu in) and produced 40 horsepower (30 kW). [10] Zbrojovka designed a rakish new body style for the Z 5 and Z 6 [11] and updated the Z 4 body to a similar style. [12]

Zbrojovka Zetor 15 Zetor 15 2 Zetor Gallery.jpg
Zbrojovka Zetor 15

Zbrojovka ceased production of the Z4 and Z5 in 1936 and the Z6 in 1937. After the Second World War the company concentrated its vehicle manufacturing on tractors.

Computers Consul

In 1980's Zbrojovka manufactured 8-bit computers and computer peripherals under brand Consul.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod</span> Firearms manufacturer in the Czech Republic

Česká zbrojovka a.s. Uherský Brod, abbreviated as CZUB or simply CZ, is a Czech armament manufacturer based in Uherský Brod, Uherské Hradiště District, Zlín Region. The company is famous for producing service, hunting and sporting firearms. It is owned by the Czech holding company Colt CZ Group SE, which also owns other brands with related production programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zetor</span> Czech agricultural machinery manufacturer

Zetor is a Czech agricultural machinery manufacturer. It was founded in 1946. The company is based in Brno, Czech Republic. Since June 29, 2002, the only shareholder has been a Slovak company, HTC Holdings. The company manufactures tractors and tractor components.

The vz. 24 rifle is a bolt-action carbine designed and produced in Czechoslovakia from 1924 to 1942. It was developed from the German Mauser Gewehr 98 line, and features a similar bolt design. The rifle was designed in Czechoslovakia shortly after World War I, to replace the Vz. 98/22, also a Czech derivative of the Gewehr 98. The vz. 24 featured a 590 mm (23.2 in) barrel which was shorter and considered more manageable than the 740 mm (29.1 in) Gewehr 98 barrel. The vz. 24 was chambered in 7.92×57mm Mauser like its predecessors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZB vz. 26</span> Light machine gun

The ZB vz. 26 was a Czechoslovak light machine gun developed in the 1920s, which went on to enter service with several countries. It saw its major use during World War II, and spawned the related ZB vz. 27, vz. 30, and vz. 33. The ZB vz. 26 influenced many other light machine gun designs including the British Bren light machine gun and the Japanese Type 97 heavy tank machine gun. The ZB-26 is famous for its reliability, simple components, quick-change barrel and ease of manufacturing. This light machine gun in the Czechoslovak army was marked as the LK vz. 26. ZB vz. 26 is incorrect nomenclature because "ZB-26" is a factory designation, while "vzor 26" or "vz. 26" is an army designation.

vz. 33 Czech rifle

The puška vz. 33 was a Czechoslovak bolt-action carbine that was based on a Mauser-type action, designed and produced in Československá zbrojovka in Brno during the 1930s in order to replace the obsolete Mannlicher vz. 1895 carbines of the Czechoslovak četnictvo (gendarmerie). The manufacturer's designation was vz. 16/33. Another version, the Vz. 12/33, was also produced for the Latin American market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zastava Arms</span> Serbian firearms manufacturer

Zastava Arms is a Serbian manufacturer of firearms and artillery, based in Kragujevac, Serbia. In 1853, it was founded, and cast its first cannon. It is the leading producer of firearms in Serbia and is a large contributor to the local defense industry. Zastava Arms produces and exports a wide variety of products to over forty countries, including the Zastava M70, a Kalashnikov rifle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tatra 80</span> Motor vehicle

The Tatra 80 is a Czechoslovak luxury full-size car built by Tatra between 1931 and 1935.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LT vz. 34</span> Light tank

The LT vz. 34, formally designated as Lehký tank vzor 34 was a Czechoslovak-designed light tank used mainly by Slovakia during World War II. Its suspension was based on that of the Carden-Loyd tankette, of which the Czechs had purchased three, plus a manufacturing license, in 1930. Dissatisfied with the prototypes of the Tančík vz. 33 tankette, the Czech Army decided that it would be easier to design a light tank from scratch rather than modify a tankette's chassis to carry a fully rotating armored turret. 50 were built, the last of which was delivered during 1936, of which the Germans captured 22 - including the prototype, when they occupied Bohemia-Moravia in March 1939, but they promptly scrapped them. The Slovaks seized the remaining 27 when they declared independence from Czechoslovakia at the same time. In Slovak service it only saw combat during the Slovak National Uprising.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AH-IV</span> Chechoslovak tankette/light tank

The AH-IV was a Czechoslovak-designed export armored fighting vehicle, classed as either a tankette or light tank, used by Romania during World War II, but having also been acquired by neutral Sweden and Iran. Modified AH-IV versions were built under license by Romania (R-1) and Sweden. The Romanian vehicles saw action on the Eastern Front from Operation Barbarossa to the Vienna offensive. Twenty vehicles were sold after the war to Ethiopia, who used them until the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZB-53</span> Medium machine gun

The ZB-53 was a Czechoslovak machine gun. A versatile weapon, it was used both as a squad support weapon, as a mounted machine gun for tanks and other armoured vehicles, and on fixed positions inside Czechoslovak border fortifications. Adopted before the World War II by the armies of Czechoslovakia (as Těžký kulomet vz. 37, Heavy machine gun model 37) and Romania, it was also license-built in the United Kingdom as the Besa machine gun. Following the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, large quantities of the weapon were captured by the Wehrmacht and used during the war under the designation of MG 37(t).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Praga Grand</span> Motor vehicle

The Praga Grand was a luxury automobile manufactured by Praga in Libeň, Prague. Production of the first Grand, equipped with a four-cylinder engine, started in the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1912 and continued after the dissolution of Austro-Hungary in the First Czechoslovak Republic. It was used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I as a staff car. The Praga Grand 8 introduced in 1927 had an eight-cylinder engine and was the official state car for the Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. The car also achieved limited success in road racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Škoda Rapid (1935–1947)</span> Motor vehicle

The Škoda Rapid is a mid-size car that was made in Czechoslovakia by Škoda from 1935 to 1947. Škoda had first applied the "Rapid" name to a version of its 1,195 cc Popular Type 920 made in 1934–35. From 1935, however, it transferred the name to a new, larger model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Škoda Popular</span> Motor vehicle

The Škoda Popular is a small family car that was made in Czechoslovakia by Škoda from 1933 to 1946. It was the company's most affordable car at the time.

vz. 98/22 Bolt-action rifle

The Vz. 98/22 is a Czechoslovak-designed, full-sized, bolt-action rifle, designed and produced in Czechoslovakia. It replaced the Gewehr 98 rifles purchased from Germany after the Treaty of Versailles. The rifles were quickly replaced by the shorter Vz. 24, and were sold to various other nations, most notably Iran and Turkey, where they remained in service to World War II era and beyond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zbrojovka Z 5 Express</span> Motor vehicle

The Zbrojovka Z 5 Express was a car produced by Československá Zbrojovka in the 1930s. A more luxurious follow-on to the Z 4, the car was produced as both a sedan and sports car. 357 were produced between 1936 and 1938, including one used by Carol II of Romania and another by Alois Eliáš, Prime Minister of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zbrojovka Z 6 Hurvínek</span> Motor vehicle

The Zbrojovka Z 6 Hurvínek was a car produced by Československá Zbrojovka in the 1930s. Originally developed as a smaller vehicle for sale alongside the Z 4, 400 of the car were sold between 1935 and 1938. The car was of conventional design and powered by liquid-cooled two stroke two cylinder engine, which propelled it to a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph). It had sufficient range to drive between Prague and Brno.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Škoda Favorit (1936–1941)</span> Motor vehicle

The Škoda Favorit is a mid-size car that was made in Czechoslovakia by Škoda from 1936 to 1941. The original Favorit Type 904 has an 1,802 cc sidevalve engine and was built 1936–39. It was succeeded by the Favorit 2000 OHV which has a 2,091 cc overhead valve engine and was built 1938–41.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Praga Alfa</span> Motor vehicle

The Praga Alfa was the name used by Praga in Czechoslovakia for one of its principal car ranges. Production started in 1913 and finished in 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zbrojovka Z 9</span> Motor vehicle

The Zbrojovka Z 9 was a car produced by Československá Zbrojovka in the 1930s. First shown in 1929, the car had a conventional design, with a liquid-cooled two cylinder two stroke mounted at the front driving the rear wheels. In addition to a four door open top phaeton body, the car was also produced as a two-door to order, as both a roadster and a sedan, and a doorless pickup. In 1931, one car was raced 10,255 km (6,372 mi) across Europe, while another participated in the Monte Carlo Rally, although it did not finish. Production ran until 1932, with a total of 850 produced.

The Steyr Model 1912 were Gewehr 98 pattern bolt-action battle rifles produced by Steyr before World War I. They were designed for export market. During the war, they were also used by the Austro-Hungarian Army.

References

  1. "History of the company - ZBROJOVKA BRNO".
  2. Ball, Robert (2 August 2011). Mauser Military Rifles of the World (5th ed.). Gun Digest Books. p. 111. ISBN   978-1-4402-1544-5.
  3. Tuček 2017, p. 89.
  4. Tuček 2017, p. 91.
  5. Tuček 2017, p. 93.
  6. 1 2 Tuček 2017, p. 187.
  7. Tuček 2017, pp. 188–189.
  8. Tuček 2017, p. 189.
  9. Tuček 2017, p. 305.
  10. Tuček 2017, p. 306.
  11. Tuček 2017, pp. 305–307.
  12. Tuček 2017, pp. 303–304.

Bibliography