Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1173894
countries around the globe. In 1932 they started produc- tion of motorcycles and not much later, the company be- came 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. Another hit for private company was forced nationalization in 1946 and end of firearms manufacturing, due to the political and safety reasons. Whole factory was once again moved back to Uhersky Brod. As a result of geopolitical changes in 1989 plant in Uher- sky Brod was back again in private hands and until 1992 it used Česka Zbrojovka name to be finally renamed to Česka Zbrojovka Uhersky Brod. Modern history of firearms production in Strakoncice begins in the early 1990s when CZ Strakoncice divides into couple independent companies. Firearms goes to CZ Strojirna that begins production from CZ 001 Junior air guns, .22LR CZ 150 .22LR rifles and 7.62 TT CZ 52 pistols. Addition- ally, the company launches spare parts production for rifles (mainly Mauser 98 and CZ 98) and at some point becomes sub-contractor of US Springfield Armory. In the 1993-2001 spare parts for 50,000 two-barreled M6 Scout USAF survival rifles for downed pilots and crew members were made in Czech factory. In 2006 rights to firearms manufacturing, designs and original CZ logo were bought from CZ Strojirna by LUVO Prague Ltd. Company. Initially, they launched production of CZ TT pistols with polymer frames, the updated design of Czechoslovakian export smasher, the famous CZ 75. LUVO manufactured also conversion kits for CZ TT, vz. 59 machine guns, vz. 58 assault rifles and Skorpion vz. 61 SMGs (also as CZ ST 765 semi-automatic gun). In 2010 the most interesting part of LUVO history begins. The company started the production of AR-10 and AR-15 style rifles that are almost completely, including barrels, manufactured in Czech Republic. For very long time LUVO firearms remained unknown due to contracts and agreements signed by company (they were quite of- ten and OEM supplier for other brands) and basically can be seen only on the firearms expos. ARS BY LUVO LUVO offers enormous variety of carbines and rifles that are based on trusted designs AR-15 and AR-10. Number of configurations taking into consideration calibers, barrel lengths and gas systems are not infinite, but listing them here might take few pages, especially when final product might be tailored for customer almost every wish. LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY LUVO brand is still almost unknown in Europe, information about there are still pretty limited even in the times of the 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 known for its famous beer), later known as Model 1922. Three years later, the joint-stock Česká Zbrojovka v Pradze was created as a result of merging the Vejpr- cie 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 produced 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 pistol and .380 ACP CZ 38 that was actually last pistol adopted by Czechoslovakia before German occupation, 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 production was later moved to CZ Brno factory. Due the immediate danger of a new war and small dis- tance to Germany and Austria border, the decision to 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 market for firearms fell down. CZ took over the factory that was manufactur- ing parts… for bikes. Bikes from CZ were later sold to the FIREARMS