Few firearms manufacturers have such a recognizable history as Česká zbrojovka, usually known simply as CZ. The company grew from a Czechoslovak arms factory established in the 1930s into one of the best-known Czech firearms manufacturers in the world.
Its history includes iconic designs such as the vz. 58, vz. 61 Škorpion and CZ 75, as well as a return to military firearms with the CZ 805 BREN and CZ BREN 2.
For Ukraine, the story of CZ has gained another important chapter in recent years. The BREN 2 has become one of the recognizable modern Czech firearm platforms used by Ukrainian forces, and licensed assembly of the rifle has also begun in Ukraine.
Why was Česká zbrojovka established in Uherský Brod?
The history of today's Česká zbrojovka begins in 1936 in Uherský Brod, in southeastern Moravia.
The location was not chosen by accident. Czechoslovakia was moving strategically important industrial production farther away from its western borders because of the growing threat from Nazi Germany.
A completely new arms factory was established in Uherský Brod. At the beginning, it specialized primarily in the demanding production of aircraft machine guns.
The factory quickly became one of the most modern and efficient industrial facilities of its kind in Czechoslovakia.
The company's own historical timeline provides a detailed overview of this development.
Česká zbrojovka - official company history
From the postwar years to the main Czechoslovak small-arms manufacturer
After World War II, the company was nationalized.
The Uherský Brod plant became independent in 1950 and gradually turned into the main Czechoslovak manufacturer of small firearms.
One of its early postwar successes was the vz. 48 series of submachine guns, later renamed vz. 23 and vz. 25. By 1953, hundreds of thousands of these weapons had been produced.
But the most famous chapter of the company's postwar development was still ahead.
vz. 58 - the Czech alternative to the Kalashnikov
In 1959, production of the vz. 58 began.
Although the rifle used the same 7.62×39 mm cartridge as the Soviet AK, its internal design was fundamentally different. The vz. 58 was a distinctly Czechoslovak design rather than a copy of the Kalashnikov.
It became the standard service rifle of the Czechoslovak armed forces and was also exported.
Production continued until 1984, with almost one million rifles manufactured.
The vz. 58 is an interesting example of Czech engineering culture: instead of simply adopting an existing foreign design, Czechoslovak engineers created their own solution around a similar military requirement.
vz. 61 Škorpion - a compact classic
Another legendary CZ design appeared in 1962.
The vz. 61 Škorpion was created to occupy a space between conventional submachine guns and service pistols. Its compact dimensions made it particularly interesting for roles where a full-size weapon was inconvenient.
More than 207,000 examples in the original 7.65 mm Browning version were produced in Uherský Brod by 2000.
The Škorpion became one of the most recognizable firearms associated with Czechoslovak weapons design.
CZ 75 - the pistol that changed the company's reputation
If one CZ firearm became a true international icon, it was the CZ 75.
Development began in 1969 under designer František Koucký, and production started in 1975.
The CZ 75 combined distinctive ergonomics with a double-action/single-action trigger system and a high-capacity 9 mm configuration. It became one of the defining designs of the so-called "Wonder Nine" era.
The pistol was successful not only in its original form. The CZ 75 family eventually grew into a large range of variants for military, law-enforcement, sporting and civilian markets.
By 2007, CZ had ceremonially assembled the millionth pistol of the CZ 75 series. Production of standard-size CZ 75/85 pistols later exceeded one million units as well.
The CZ 75 effectively became the product that established CZ as a globally recognized firearms brand.
From a state factory to a modern company
The political and economic changes of the early 1990s transformed the company.
In 1992, privatization resulted in the creation of Česká zbrojovka, a.s. in Uherský Brod.
The company increasingly focused on developing and manufacturing firearms while also expanding internationally.
In 1997, CZ-USA was established, strengthening the company's position in the important American market.
The following decades brought further acquisitions, international expansion and the development of new firearm platforms.
CZ returns to military firearms
For a period, the CZ 75 family was the company's most recognizable product line.
But in the 2000s, Česká zbrojovka began returning more seriously to the military and law-enforcement market.
In 2006, the company began developing a new generation of automatic firearms.
The result was the CZ 805 BREN, which entered service with the Czech Armed Forces as part of a broader rearmament program beginning in the early 2010s.
The BREN marked an important change in the company's direction. CZ was no longer known primarily for pistols and sporting firearms. It was once again developing complete military firearm systems.
Where does the name "BREN" come from?
The name BREN has an interesting historical connection.
The original BREN name is associated with the famous British-Czechoslovak Bren light machine gun developed before World War II. The name itself came from the cities and factories involved in its development: Brno and Enfield.
The modern CZ BREN is a completely different weapon, but the name deliberately connects it with the long Czech and Czechoslovak tradition of military small-arms design.
CZ BREN 2 - the next generation
The CZ BREN 2 was introduced as the second generation of the company's modern military rifle family.
According to CZ's historical timeline, the BREN 2 was developed with input from members of elite special units and based on experience gained with the CZ 805 BREN.
Production began in 2016.
The BREN 2 was designed as a modular military firearm family capable of being configured for different requirements and ammunition types. The first customer was the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic.
The BREN 2 became an important part of CZ's return to the military and law-enforcement market and helped establish the company as a manufacturer of modern service firearms rather than only pistols and sporting guns.
CZ BREN 2 and Ukraine
The story of the BREN 2 took on a special significance in Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion.
The rifle began appearing in Ukrainian military units, including special-purpose formations. Its presence in Ukraine became another example of how modern Western-standard firearms were gradually becoming part of the country's military ecosystem.
But the relationship between CZ and Ukraine went further than simply supplying finished weapons.
Ukraine began moving toward licensed assembly and localization of CZ firearms.
Licensed BREN 2 assembly in Ukraine
In July 2024, an agreement was signed for the licensed assembly of CZ BREN 2 rifles in Ukraine.
Licensed assembly began in November 2024 at a Ukrainian defense-industry enterprise.
The project was designed as a step toward deeper localization, with the longer-term goal of developing the ability to manufacture more of the system in Ukraine.
This is an important development not only from the perspective of one rifle model. It represents a broader shift in Ukrainian defense production toward cooperation with established European manufacturers and the transfer of modern manufacturing technologies.
CZ in the 21st century
Today, Česká zbrojovka is part of Colt CZ Group.
The group expanded internationally during the 2020s, including the acquisition of Colt.
The CZ brand itself remains closely associated with its historic production facility in Uherský Brod, while its product portfolio now covers pistols, rifles and other firearms for civilian, sporting, military and law-enforcement markets.
The company's development over almost nine decades is therefore quite remarkable.
It began as a factory created in response to a geopolitical threat in 1936.
It survived World War II, nationalization, the Cold War and the transformation of Czechoslovakia's economy.
It produced iconic Czechoslovak firearms.
It became an internationally recognized pistol manufacturer.
And eventually it returned to designing modern military firearms such as the BREN family.
What connects the CZ 75, vz. 58 and BREN 2?
At first glance, these firearms have very little in common.
The vz. 58 belongs to the Cold War era.
The CZ 75 represents the development of modern high-capacity service pistols.
The BREN 2 belongs to an entirely different generation of military firearms.
But there is a common thread.
All three reflect the Czech approach to firearms development: solving a specific engineering problem with an original design rather than simply reproducing an existing foreign system.
That continuity is one of the most interesting aspects of CZ's history.
A firearm is not only its design
There is another side of firearms culture that is easy to overlook when talking about famous models and manufacturers.
A firearm is also a mechanical system that requires responsible handling, inspection and maintenance.
For military personnel, competitive shooters and responsible firearm owners, cleaning equipment is therefore just as much a part of the practical environment around a firearm as magazines, cases or other accessories.
This is also why dedicated work surfaces can be useful when maintaining equipment.
At Raccoon Merch, for example, we created the Clarity Gun cleaning mats as a practical accessory for firearm maintenance. The idea is simple: a dedicated surface protects the workspace and keeps small components and cleaning equipment organized during routine work.
Raccoon Merch - firearm cleaning mats Clarity Gun
From Uherský Brod to Ukraine
The history of Česká zbrojovka is ultimately a story about much more than individual firearm models.
It is a story about industrial continuity, engineering culture and the ability of a company to adapt to completely different political and technological eras.
The factory established in Uherský Brod in 1936 produced aircraft machine guns.
Decades later, the same industrial tradition produced the vz. 58, Škorpion and CZ 75.
And in the 21st century, it gave the world the BREN family, including the CZ BREN 2.
For Ukraine, the story continues today through the use of BREN 2 rifles and the development of licensed production on Ukrainian soil.
That makes the history of Česká zbrojovka particularly interesting from a Ukrainian perspective: it is not simply the history of a famous European arms manufacturer, but also part of the ongoing story of Ukraine's transition toward modern European defense standards.
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