Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1064315
FIREARMS Little bit of history LUVO brand is still almost unknown in Europe, in- formation about there are still pretty limited even in the times of internet. Basically, only during the international trade events you can find their booths with amazingly huge portfolio. Origins of the company reaches back to 1919 when Jihočeská as firearms division of Škoda company was created. At that time, they took over production of .25 ACP (6.35 mm Browning) Fox "pocket pistols" designed by Alois Tomišek from the factory in Pilsen (yep, the same city know of its famous beer), later known as Model 1922. Three years later, the join- stock Česká Zbrojovka v Pradze was created as a result of merging the Vejprcie and Praque plants. It was then when the famous logo with letters „C" and „Z" inside the circle was created. The logo used up to this date. In the interwar time, the plant in Strakonice pro- duced CZ35 air guns, .380 ACP (9 mm Browning Short) CZ 22 pistols (1922-1925) and its modified CZ 24 version (1924-1944), simplified blow-back .32 ACP (7.65 mm Browning) CZ that in the interwar time was issued firearm of Czechoslovakian Army (as pistole vzor 27), .25ACP CZ 36 pocket-sized pis- tol and .380 ACP CZ 38 that was actually last pistol adopted by Czechoslovakia before German occu- pation, but it was never delivered. Before World War Two, CZ Strakonice also produced .380 ACP CZ 38 SMGs that become base for post-war 9 mm Para CZ 247 SMG and 34.4 mm CZ 28 and 26.5 CZ 30 flare guns. In Strakonice the 7.92 mm ZB 26 and ZB 30 machine guns were developed but their produc- tion was later moved to CZ Brno factory. Due the immediate danger of new war and small distance to the Germany and Austria border, the decision to the move factory to the east part of the country, to Uhersky Brod, was taken. It is worth to mention other side of CZ Strakonice history that begins in 1929 when on the world mar- ket for firearms fell down. CZ took over the facto- ry that was manufacturing parts… for bikes. Bikes from CZ were later sold to the countries around the globe. In 1932 they started production of motorcy- cles and not much later, the company became their biggest producer in the country. Unfortunately, in 1938 plant were taken over by Third Reich and until its fall it was used for war supplies production. An- other hit for private company was forced national- FIREARMS