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 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) .
18-571: The ZB-53 was designed as a private venture by Václav Holek and Miroslav Rolčík of the Zbrojovka Brno works as a replacement for the Schwarzlose machine gun of World War I origin. Czechoslovakia purchased 500 for testing giving them the designation Vz.35 ("1935 Model"). Based on these tests some improvements were requested and the improved ZB-53 was adopted by the Czechoslovak Army with
36-599: A rakish new body style for the Z 5 and Z 6 and updated the Z 4 body to a similar style. In parallel with their consumer vehicles, Zbrojovka also produced the Zbrojovka Z 6V from 1927 to 1929. This was a racing car, notable for being the first Czechoslovak car equipped with a supercharger. Zbrojovka ceased production of the Z4 and Z5 in 1936 and the Z6 in 1937. After the Second World War
54-450: 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. Zbrojovka built cars and light commercial vehicles with two-stroke engines . The first model
72-468: 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. 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. The company
90-581: The Besa machine gun (over 60,000 pieces made). During the German occupation of the factory, large numbers were produced for the Waffen-SS until 1942. Czechoslovak Zbrojovka Brno and then Zbrojovka Vsetín [ de ] produced the gun in large quantities until the 1950s. The weapon was a gas-operated, belt-fed, air-cooled machine gun that served both the infantry support and vehicle weapons roles. The machine gun
108-608: 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
126-617: The Mk 47 Striker 40mm Advanced Lightweight Grenade Launcher system from General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS). On July 16, 2024, the Governments of Ukraine and the Czech Republic signed two agreements on the joint production of weapons. Česká zbrojovka will supply Ukraine with all the parts from which the CZ BREN 2 rifles are assembled. This article on a Czech company
144-610: The U.S. market. Česká zbrojovka Group completed the purchase on 24 May 2021 and renamed itself Colt CZ Group SE on 12 April 2022. The company's dividend policy estimates the level of shareholder payout as a third of the company's net profit. In 2020 this constituted a payment of CZK 7.50 per single share, increasing to CZK 25 per s/s in 2021. On December 18, 2023 CZ Group SE announced it executed an agreement with CBC Europe S.à r.l. to purchase 100% interest in Sellier & Bellot a.s. January 3, 2024 Colt CZ Group acquired ownership of
162-472: The Z 9 included a four-door sedan or convertible, two-door, four-seat sedan, two-seat convertible and a commercial light truck. 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). 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
180-550: The company concentrated its vehicle manufacturing on tractors. In 1980's Zbrojovka manufactured 8-bit computers and computer peripherals under brand Consul . Colt CZ Group Colt CZ Group SE (formerly Česká zbrojovka Group - CZG ) is a holding company for the Czech firearms and related industries group based in Prague , Czech Republic. Its principal firearms brands are Česká zbrojovka (CZ), CZ-USA , and Colt . In June 2020,
198-534: The designation TK vz. 37 ("Heavy Machine Gun Mark 1937"). It was introduced as the standard machine gun of Czechoslovak LT-35 and LT-38 tanks. Czechoslovakia exported the gun to Romania, Yugoslavia (1,000 pcs in March-April 1940), Argentina, Afghanistan, Iran and China (large numbers were used during the Second Sino-Japanese War ), while UK bought a licence and started to produce its own version, known as
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#1732851834771216-784: The holding company listed its shares on the Prague Stock Exchange with a view of funding an expansion in the United States. The first trading took place in September of the same year. On 11 February 2021 the European company announced the acquisition of the Colt Holding Company (the parent company to the Colt's Manufacturing Company from the US) for $ 220 million, enabling further expansion into
234-426: The sports coupé version. 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). 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). Zbrojovka designed
252-516: Was delivered in three variants: infantry machine gun (on heavy tripod), heavy bunker machine gun (with heavier barrel, marked "O") and for armoured vehicles (marked "ÚV"). It was designed to withstand five minutes of constant fire, after which time the barrel had to be changed due to wear. Although modern, the weapon was prone to jamming due to a complicated rate of fire selection mechanism. [REDACTED] Media related to ZB vz. 37 at Wikimedia Commons Zbrojovka Brno Zbrojovka Brno, s.r.o
270-406: 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
288-503: Was founded in 1918 as a state-owned factory known as the State Armament and Engineering Works. 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
306-494: 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
324-447: Was the Disk, which was a two-door light car with a four-cylinder, 598cc, 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) engine launched in 1924. 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). This was succeeded in 1929 by the Z 9 , which had a 993cc engine producing 22 horsepower (16 kW). Body options for
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