Česká zbrojovka a.s. is Celebrating its 75th Anniversary

It has been exactly 75 years, 28th July 1936, since the construction of the brand new “machine gun” factory commenced – to become Česká zbrojovka a.s. later on.

The project for construction of the new arms factory developed as a result of the negotiations between the Czechoslovakian Military Administration and Česká zbrojovka, joint-stock company, based in Prague, with the main plant in Strakonice, South Bohemia, which took place in mid 1930’s. The Ministry of National Defence (MND) aimed to relocate strategic Czechoslovakian arms manufacturers as far as possible from the country’s western border, so closely adjacent to the Nazi Germany, starting its open arming after the year 1933. And Česká zbrojovka also needed to address to rising demand from the Czechoslovakian Army and foreign customers by means of extending its production facilities.
The company was looking for a suitable site in the Eastern Moravia and Slovakia, the final candidates also included Vsetín and we would have been a little step away to call the existing company Česká zbrojovka Uherské Hradiště now. The management of Strakonice plant announced the option to place the new factory in Uherský Brod at the beginning of October 1935 to find a very positive response from the authorities of the small town within a purely agricultural area, i.e. the local officials provided for immediate acquisition of the plots needed for construction, besides other.
The very construction of the plant commenced with the first dig on 28th July 1936. The first two workshops, the hardening shop and the shooting range were completed in accordance with the schedule, on 28th November 1936.
Workshops were furnished and fitted with machines in December 1936, when the new factory also received supply of production material and appliances, tools and gauges. The machinery was funded by the MND and the personnel at Česká zbrojovka did their best to obtain the top quality and most advanced equipment. Another fact worth mentioning is that the Czechoslovakian government provided significant support to construction of the arms manufacturing plant in Uherský Brod by means of tax and financial allowances. For example, out of the almost CZK 7.8 million price of machinery, Česká zbrojovka was supposed to repay the funds by means of interest free loans within a period of ten years further reduced with the indirect government subsidy of CZK 3 million.
The very first main product manufactured at the plant of Čeká zbrojovka in Uherský Brod was the aircraft machine guns 30, the most advanced arms of its kind at that time, significant for its versatility as well as substantial technological demands. Thanks to the basic team of 136 experienced employees brought over from Strakonice (including the first boss in Uherský Brod, Mr. František Brejcha), the new “machine gun” factory managed to launch the series production within the first months of 1937. The first minor delivery of 350 machine guns and spare parts left the factory in May 1937.
And that meant the start of uninterrupted and continuing tradition of arms manufacturing in Uherský Brod with Česká zbrojovka a.s. being its carrier since 1992.
The latter is now one of the last heirs from the glorious era of the interwar arms industry in Czechoslovakia to celebrate its anniversary in great style – under the leadership of its General Director, Ing. Lubomír Kovařík, the year 2010 saw, how this company managed to achieve the top income experienced in its entire history, even succeeding to launch series production of the CZ 805 BREN assault rifles and CZ SCORPION EVO 3 A1 submachine guns. These automatic weapons of new generation, the first customer for which are undoubtedly the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, benefit from the lucky interplay of circumstances to enter the product range from the company in Uherský Brod right at the time of 75 years passing since the establishment of the very first factory focused mainly on manufacturing of top automatic weapons for the national army. 

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