Colt Manufacturing LLC, the legendary American gun-maker, is being sold to CZ, the Czech firearms manufacturer. Česká zbrojovka Group SE (“CZG”) has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding equity in Colt Holding Company LLC (“Colt”), the parent of U.S. firearms manufacturer Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC as well as its Canadian subsidiary, Colt Canada Corporation.
CZG will acquire a 100% stake in Colt for $220 million in cash plus 1,098,620 shares of newly-issued CZG common stock. The deal will close in Q2 2021. After the merger, the combined group will become a global gun-making powerhouse with revenues in excess of $600 million USD.
CZG President/Chairman Lubomír Kovařík stated: “This merger is a strategic step for both companies. The acquisition of Colt, an iconic brand and a benchmark for the military, law enforcement and commercial markets globally, fits perfectly in our strategy to become the leader in the firearms manufacturing industry and a key partner for the armed forces. We are proud to include Colt, which has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the U.S. Army for over 175 years, in our portfolio. We believe in the successful connection of our corporate cultures, the proven track record of the current management team and the complementary nature of the CZ and Colt brands.”
Dennis Veilleux, President/CEO of Colt, agreed: Having completed a historic turn-around of the operations and financial performance at Colt over the past five years, this important next step with CZG positions the company to take advantage of significant growth opportunities. We are excited to join forces with CZG which will be a powerful combination for both brands and for our customers.”
With this strategic move, CZG will acquire significant production capacity in the United States and Canada and substantially expand its global customer base. Colt is a traditional supplier to global military and law enforcement customers. Colt is a long-term supplier to the U.S. Army and, through its Canadian subsidiary, Colt is a designated exclusive supplier of AR-type small arms to the Canadian military.
About Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC
Colt’s Manufacturing Company, LLC (formerly Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company) is an American firearms manufacturer founded in 1855 by Samuel Colt. It is the successor corporation to Samuel Colt’s earlier firearms-making efforts started in 1836. For over 175 years, Colt Mfg. has supplied civilian, military and law enforcement customers in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Colt is a supplier to the U.S. military, a primary supplier to the Canadian military* and it also supplies its products to other armed forces around the world. Colt firearms enjoy a reputation throughout the world for accuracy and quality. Colt pistols are carried by military and law enforcement personnel in numerous countries, and Colt handguns are popular with private gunowners throughout the world. In 2020 Colt released a new version of its vaunted .357 Magnum Python Revolver.
About CZG – Česká zbrojovka Group SE
Česká zbrojovka Group SE (CZG), together with its subsidiaries, is one of the leading European producers of firearms for military and law enforcement, personal defense, hunting, sport shooting and other civilian use. CZG markets and sells its products mainly under the CZ (Česká zbrojovka), CZ-USA, Dan Wesson, Brno Rifles and 4M Systems brands. CZG’s subsidiaries include Česká zbrojovka, CZ-USA, 4M Systems and CZ Export Praha. CZG owns a minority stake in Spuhr i Dalby, a Swedish manufacturer of optical mounting solutions for weapons.
Headquartered in the Czech Republic, CZG has production facilities in the Czech Republic and in the USA. CZG employs around 1,650 people in the Czech Republic, the USA and Germany.
*Colt Canada is an exclusive supplier of primary issue rifles for the Canadian military. Cadex and PGW Defense supply some bolt-action and sniper-type rifles.
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The Czech Republic could add the right to armed self-defense to its document of fundamental rights. (Photo: Self-defense class in Czech Republic, Wikimedia commons)
The U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of the right to keep and bear arms is unique on the world stage. And while courts and legislators routinely ignore or warp the words of the Second Amendment, it has stood as a bulwark against the worst kinds of anti-gun policies in places like Canada, Australia, and Europe.
This year, one of those European counties may be taking a step towards what Americans have enjoyed since 1789 [When the Bill of Rights was created].
For several years, conservatives in the Czech Republic’s parliament have been pushing to add the right to armed self-defense as one of the “fundamental human rights and freedoms”, according to David Harsanyi writing in National Review.
The proposed Amendment reads: “The right to defend one’s own life or the life of another person with a weapon is guaranteed under the conditions laid down by law.”
Conservatives passed the amendment through the lower house of parliament, but it failed in the upper house. But now they’ve earned a majority in the senate, and the Czech government unexpectedly announced it would endorse the plan to add the language.
The Czech Republic was the only European country to challenge the draconian European Firearms Directive passed by the European Union in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo terror attack in 2015. As GunsAmerica reported at the time, the Directive banned most types of semi-automatic firearms even in countries with high rates of firearm ownership and low rates of crime.
The Czech Republic lost its challenge to the directive in the European Court of Justice, but the Czech Senate first proposed a right to firearms several years ago after it had received a petition with more than 100,000 signatures. It’s unclear whether the pro-gun amendment will pass or if it will be able to override the EU’s Firearm Directive if it does. The amendment requires a 60% majority of both chambers of Parliament to join the country’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, but the center-right Civic Democratic Party may not be able to reach that threshold.
Czech Republic Firearms History
The Czech Republic ranks in the middle of the pack on the rankings of firearm ownership among European countries, but the country has a long history of firearm use and manufacturing. Rates of ownership have been increasing, and of course, the Czech Republic is also the home of the legendary firearms maker CZ.
The Czech Republic remains one of the safest countries in Europe and Prague remains one of the safest cities in the world. No doubt it would become even safer if every law-abiding citizen had protected right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.
Powder Valley Inc. (PVI) is now carrying Shooters World-branded powders produced by the Czech enterprise Explosia A.S., which has produced propellants since 1920. Powder Valley will initially be offering four new Shooters World propellants: Clean Shot, Heavy Pistol, Match Rifle, and Blackout. These are canister-packaged forms of the popular Lovex propellants sold in Europe. These powders are very affordable — they cost just $19.95 per pound at PVI. For other pricing and ordering information go to PowderValleyInc.com. Match Rifle, Blackout, and Clean Shot are all currently in stock at PVI.
Shooters World says: “We have received nothing but praise about the quality of these [Lovex] propellants. Because of this, we are very confident in how our canister propellants will fare in the reloading market. We have had many competitive shooters using our product[.]”
The following descriptions of Shooters World propellants have been provided by the manufacturer. Since AccurateShooter.com has not tested any of these powders yet, we cannot verify any particular claims:
Shooters World Powders — Manufacturer’s Product Descriptions
Match Rifle propellant is our canister form of Lovex D0 73-06 propellant. It is similar in burn speed to Accurate® 2520 and CFE™223. It holds the broadest utility across all moderate rifle propellants. The propellant gas generation rate is appropriate for cartridges of the light to heavy sectional density .223 Remington and .308 Winchester. It can load the 55 grain .223 Rem, as well as the 77 grain .223 Rem. It loads the 150, 168, and 175 grain .308 Winchester, and loads all .30-30 combinations. It works in .30-06, in 7mm-08, and even in the .22-250.
Blackout propellant is our canister form of Lovex D063-02 reloading propellant. It is slightly slower in burn speed than Accurate 1680®. The propellant gas generation rate is superior for subsonic 300 Blackout, 7.62×39, and some straight-walled rifle cartridges, where rapid transformation from powder to gas is desired. You would be hard pressed to find a subsonic 300 Blackout propellant that will give you the cycling reliability of the Shooters World Blackout.
Clean Shot propellant is the canister form of Lovex D0 32-03 propellant. Ballistic results for this propellant show it to be highly versatile, with low residue in a myriad of pistol cartridges. The burn rate is similar to Accurate No. 2®. Additionally, we have tested this propellant in shot shell, and found it to be exceptionally clean and consistent in velocity. This propellant can be used in virtually all pistol cartridges. A spherical propellant, it meters through charge plates extremely consistently and will work with a high-speed loader with very good flow. This propellant contains flash suppressant and is optimized for .45 ACP, 38 SPL, some standard velocity 9mm, some .40 S&W applications, reduced loads in .357 magnum, .44 magnum, and others.
Heavy Pistol propellant is our canister form of Lovex D0 37-02 propellant. It is similar in burn speed to Accurate® No. 9. The gas generation rate is appropriate for cartridges of the magnum pistol family and the .300 AAC Blackout, supersonic with light bullets. It does contain a level of flash suppression, incorporated into the propellant. A spherical propellant, it meters through charge plates consistently and will work with high-speed loaders with very good flow. This propellant is bracketed on the fast side by D0-37-01 (similar to Accurate® No 7), and on the slow side by D0-63-02 (similar in burn speed to Accurate® 1680).
Technical Information — CIP vs. SAAMI
Shooters World is in the process of developing reloading data based on SAAMI/ANSI standards. This data will be published on the Shooters World website, as it is generated and proofed in SAAMI test barrels, and compared against SAAMI reference ammunition. Hand-loaders can also reference information in the Lovex Reloading Guide, which has data tested to CIP (Commission Internationale Permanente) standards.
Note that Shooters World has maintained the nomenclature of the Lovex propellants on its reloading canister bottles. Shooters World did this to ensure that reloaders would have maximum access to reloading data — both from European and American standards. Shooters World says: “The charge weights and pressures reported in the Lovex Reloading Guide have been found very reliable”.
The main difference between CIP data and SAAMI standardization has to do with barrel length. CIP barrel length standards and SAAMI barrel length standards do not necessarily correspond. Therefore, the velocities reported in the Lovex Reloading Guide may not directly relate to USA standards. As is always the case, any reloader should start the load development process at a safe “starting charge”, and slowly increase charge weights to desired performance levels. Never exceed a maximum published load.
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The 2013 World Rimfire and Air Rifle Benchrest Federation (WRABF) European and World Cup Championships will take place August 3-16 at the Plzen International Shooting Range in the Czech Republic. Top smallbore and air rifle benchresters from 19 countries will compete, along with junior squads from six nations. With over 130 registered competitors, this should be the biggest WRABF Championship event ever held.
The Championships run for 13 days in August, starting with two official practice days on August 3-4. Then Air Rifle benchrest matches will be held August 5-7. Rimfire 25m matches are slated for August 8-11, followed by 50m matches August 12-15. Awards presentations will be made on August 16th, then all the shooters head for home.
Team Italy created a handsome banner especially for the WRABG Championships:
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Recently, in the Daily Bulletin, we ran a story on Czech Rimfire fun matches. Many readers were interested in starting similar matches at their own clubs here in the USA. The Czech shooters have creatively combined many fun shooting scenarios using a wide variety of targets. One of the rimfire fun matches held by Robert Chlapek’s Czech Shooting Club is an event called “Smallbore Sniper Rifle”. Shown below are some of the targets used.
Robert explains: “For 2009 we prepaired some new stages and targets. We plan to hold six matches for this year at our club, and this new discipline will be shot at at least two other clubs in Czech Republic, running the same stages according to our rules. Each match will have six (6) stages, each carrying equal weight in the final tally.”
STAGE ONE — Cold-bore Shot + Hostage Situation (11 minutes, 10 shots)
Each competitor has one minute to shoot his first “cold-bore” shot (without zeroing) on a bullseye target. The referee checks the target, then the shooter engages nine (9) hostage-situation targets in ten minutes, with one shot per target (re-zeroing allowed). Total time is 11 minutes.
STAGE TWO — Designated Bullseyes with Timer (4 Shots on Command)
There are eight, named bullseye targets (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie etc.), set at 50 meters. Each shooter is assigned a particular number. The Referee will call a shooter’s number and a target title, such as “Shooter FIVE, DELTA”, and immediately start a timer. The shooter has just 3 seconds (between timer beeps) to take a shot on the designated target. Each shooter takes a total of four (4) shots, one at a time, on command.
STAGE THREE — Shooting after Exercise (3 shots Rapid, Timed)
Here the shooter has to quickly fire three shots on three targets AFTER doing physical exercise (knee-bends or dips). This drill tests the shooter’s skills when shooting with a high pulse rate. When the referee calls “Start” the shooter must do five exercise reps, then shoot three rounds on the clock. The score is the amount of target points (times 5) divided by the time in seconds. In this formula, time counts as much as the target points, so the “sniper” must shoot accurately, but also quickly.
STAGE FOUR — Position Shooting (Two 5-minute Strings)
This involves two 5-shot strings, each completed in five minutes. The first string is shot standing, but the shooter may use a vertical steel post for stabilization — simulating a tree in the forest. In the second 5-minute stage, the shooter must fire five shots (at a smaller target) from kneeling or seated position, but he can use a chair as a rest. This stage is designed to simulate conditions when you can’t shoot prone effectively (such as when there is tall grass).
STAGE FIVE — Roll of the Dice
At random, the Referee will choose one of three target scenarios:
A. “36 Smileys” — Each shooter must find, identify and hit ten targets between 36 other very similar “smiley faces”. Time for this stage is 10 minutes.
B. “Hostages in Windows” — Shooters must shoot very quickly, trying to hit eight (8) targets in just 75 seconds. Points are deducted if you hit the hostages.
C. “Hanging Beer Mat” — This scenario tests concentration and patience. A hanging beer mat suspended from a thin line has three small targets on each side. To “engage” all six targets, you must allow the mat to “twist in the wind”. You are allowed only 6 shots total — one per target.
STAGE SIX — Circles (5 minutes, 5 shots)
The shooter must choose and hit five central target dots, one shot per circle. The smallest dots have the highest score values. A miss counts zero. This is similar to the “know your limits” dot targets used in USA rimfire tactical matches.
CLICK HERE for results of a recent Czech Smallbore Sniper match, with photos.
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AccurateShooter.com has many readers outside of North America. One of those is Robert Chlapek, a precision rimfire shooter from the Czech Republic. Robert shoots a variety of smallbore disciplines, including many ‘Czech Specialities’ with innovative and challenging targets.
The “Best Rifle” for just $250.00
Robert uses an amazingly accurate old Suhl 150 for many events. With his Suhl, Robert has harvested many trophies and awards (see photo at left). Robert obtained the rifle for a song — just $250.00 in US dollars. Robert explains how he acquired this wonderful rifle: “For my disciplines, I needed a very accurate rifle, without too many modifications. And because of my financial situation, I needed a cheap one. One day I met with Mr. Zdenek Jerabek (father of Tomas Jerabek, Czech sport shooting and Olympic representative) and he offered to sell me his old Haenel Suhl 150. He asked about $250 (it was not very good price, because in that time, normal price of Suhl 150 here in Czech Republic was about $100-150). And the rifle stock and finish were in very bad condition. But he said to me, ‘Robert, this is maybe the best Suhl in Czech Republic’ and he shows me the amazing history of top scores by this rifle, so I made a decision and bought it. I put a new stock and new finish on it, bought a Weaver 4-16×42 V16 scope — ideal optics for my disciplines, and started to compete with this wonderful rifle. I have best results with RWS R50 ammunition, perhaps the best for this East German rifle.”
Czech Rimfire Disciplines — Beyond the Ordinary Bullseye Game
In addition to regular bullseye matches, Robert shoots a couple disciplines that are popular in his country. Robert explains: “In Czech Republic, we have national discipline (organized by Czech shooting federation) named ‘Disappearing targets to 50 meters’. This is a 22LR rimfire discipline with two categories. First is with scoped rifle, the second with iron sights. This old discipline has three stages:
1) Shooting 20 rounds at classic round targets at 50 meters.
2) Shooting at disappearing targets from 17 meters to 50 meters.
3) Shooting at disappearing targets at 33 meters and after that, shooting five (5) running targets at 50 meters.
For the ‘Disappearing Targets’ event, maximum score is 460 points. All targets are shot from the prone position. With iron sights, you can use only your rifle sling. In scoped rifle class, you can use a front rest, but the scope magnification is limited to 4X power.”
Smallbore Sniper Matches
Robert’s second discipline is “Smallbore Sniper”. Chlapek told us “This is a new discipline we organized with some friends three years ago and it is now very popular for smallbore shooters in Czech Republic. We have no restrictions on the rifle used. Our stages are very interesting, but a little difficult I think. This discipline is much better than benchrest in my opinion, but we don’t have comparable benchrest tradition as in the USA.” To learn more about Smallbore Sniper discipline, CLICK THIS LINK for match results, photos, and much more.
Shown below are some other interesting targets shot in Czech Club competitions. We love the match-stick targets … now, that’s challenging!
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The 2013 
STAGE ONE — Cold-bore Shot + Hostage Situation (11 minutes, 10 shots)
AccurateShooter.com has many readers outside of North America. One of those is Robert Chlapek, a precision rimfire shooter from the Czech Republic. Robert shoots a variety of smallbore disciplines, including many ‘Czech Specialities’ with innovative and challenging targets.
