HS Produkt
Encyclopedia
HS Produkt d.o.o. is a Croatia
n firearms manufacturing company, best known for design and production of the HS2000 and XDm, a semi-automatic pistol sold in the US market as the Springfield Armory XD
.
, about 50 kilometers southwest of the capital Zagreb
; in 2000 it was relocated to Karlovac
.
At the beginning of 2001, following the success of the HS 2000 pistols on the world market, the company changed its name to HS Produkt.
HS Produkt's current production facility produces about 30,000 pistols per month with a trend of continued growth; ninety percent of production is exported to the United States
. The number of employees rose from around 80 in 2000 to nearly 1000 in 2007, making HS Produkt the leading employer in Karlovac County
.
Founders and co-owners of HS Produkt, Ivan Žabčić and Marko Vuković, are both mechanical engineers; Vuković is the chief designer behind most of the company's products. Vuković also has combat experience as a veteran of the Croatian War of Independence
, in which he was wounded twice.
. The second handgun model was the HS 95, described as an unlicensed copy of the SIG Sauer P226
with some original external features. These early all-metal pistols were considered solid designs, but were plagued by quality issues due in large part to the difficulties of manufacturing during wartime.
The company's most successful product, the HS2000 polymer-framed semi-automatic pistol, was HS Produkt's third pistol in a series developed on the basis of experience gained during the Croatian War of Independence
. It is marketed in the US by Springfield Armory, Inc.
under the XD (eXtreme Duty) brand.
Today the pistol is the standard sidearm of the Croatian Armed Forces and Police. It has attained a niche of its own on the world market; , more than 500,000 pistols have been sold in the US, where it is popular both with law enforcement and the country's civilian market.
The most recent product announced by HS Produkt is the VHS assault rifle
, a 5.56x45mm NATO
bullpup
select-fire weapon. The VHS rifle was first introduced at the 2007 iKA, the annual Croatian innovation display that takes place in the city of Karlovac
. The development was carried on following a request of the Croatian Army for a new infantry rifle to update the individual equipment to NATO standards.
The information on the rifle is still somewhat sketchy. Apparently at least two prototypes have been produced: one superficially resembles the French FAMAS
riflehttp://www.morh.hr/n_pic/bpic/puska19112007_v.jpg, while the other has been compared with the Israeli IMI Tavor TAR-21
. The rifle is 750 mm long, with a 500 mm barrel. Polymer parts are extensively used in the construction, and the weight of the rifle has been variously reported as 2.3 kg and 3 kg.
On November 19, 2007, the Croatian Ministry of Defence placed an order for an experimental batch of 50 rifles to be tested by the Croatian contingent currently deployed in Afghanistan
within the ISAF
. Full scale production began towards the end of 2008, when field testing completed. Other nations, including Kuwait
and Venezuela
have shown interest in acquiring the rifle.
On May 12 2009, the Croatian Minister of Defence Branko Vukelic
confirmed the positive end of a torture test over the rifle and on May 15 officially signed a contract with HS Produkt for the acquisition of 20,000 rifles kit (both versions) for a medium price of 10700 Croatian Kuna
s each.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n firearms manufacturing company, best known for design and production of the HS2000 and XDm, a semi-automatic pistol sold in the US market as the Springfield Armory XD
Springfield Armory XD
The HS2000 , or XD are a series of semi-automatic pistol that are polymer-framed and striker-fired. Manufactured in the city of Karlovac, Croatia by HS Produkt The HS2000 (Hrvatski Samokres (Croatian Pistol)), or XD (X-treme Duty) are a series of semi-automatic pistol that are polymer-framed and...
.
History
HS Produkt was founded as IM Metal in 1990, during the initial democratic changes in the Republic of Croatia. The company was situated in the town of Ozalj, CroatiaOzalj
Ozalj is a town in central Croatia, located north of Karlovac and southwest of Jastrebarsko, on the Kupa river. It is close to Žumberak in the north and the border with Slovenia in the northwest, with Metlika being the closest Slovenian town.-Population:...
, about 50 kilometers southwest of the capital Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
; in 2000 it was relocated to Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
.
At the beginning of 2001, following the success of the HS 2000 pistols on the world market, the company changed its name to HS Produkt.
HS Produkt's current production facility produces about 30,000 pistols per month with a trend of continued growth; ninety percent of production is exported to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The number of employees rose from around 80 in 2000 to nearly 1000 in 2007, making HS Produkt the leading employer in Karlovac County
Karlovac County
Karlovac County is a county in central Croatia, with the administrative center in Karlovac.The city of Karlovac is another fort from the times of the Military Frontier...
.
Founders and co-owners of HS Produkt, Ivan Žabčić and Marko Vuković, are both mechanical engineers; Vuković is the chief designer behind most of the company's products. Vuković also has combat experience as a veteran of the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
, in which he was wounded twice.
Early products
Company's first design was the PHP semi-automatic pistol, manufactured from 1991 to 1994. It was based on Walther P38, with some features common with Beretta 92Beretta 92
The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The model 92 was designed in 1972 and production of many variants in different calibers continues today...
. The second handgun model was the HS 95, described as an unlicensed copy of the SIG Sauer P226
SIG P226
The SIG P226 is a full-sized, service-type pistol made by SIG Sauer. It is chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum, .40 S&W, .357 SIG, and .22 Long Rifle. It is essentially the same basic design of the SIG P220, but developed to use higher capacity, staggered-column magazines in place of the...
with some original external features. These early all-metal pistols were considered solid designs, but were plagued by quality issues due in large part to the difficulties of manufacturing during wartime.
HS2000 pistol
The company's most successful product, the HS2000 polymer-framed semi-automatic pistol, was HS Produkt's third pistol in a series developed on the basis of experience gained during the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
. It is marketed in the US by Springfield Armory, Inc.
Springfield Armory, Inc.
Springfield Armory, Inc. is a firearms manufacturer and importer based in Geneseo, Illinois, founded in 1974. It is one of the largest firearms marketers of imported firearms in the United States and is a four-time recipient of the National Rifle Association Gun of the Year Award.-Formation:After...
under the XD (eXtreme Duty) brand.
Today the pistol is the standard sidearm of the Croatian Armed Forces and Police. It has attained a niche of its own on the world market; , more than 500,000 pistols have been sold in the US, where it is popular both with law enforcement and the country's civilian market.
VHS assault rifle
The most recent product announced by HS Produkt is the VHS assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
, a 5.56x45mm NATO
5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
bullpup
Bullpup
Bullpups are firearm configurations in which the action is located behind the trigger group and alongside the shooter's face, so there is no wasted space for the buttstock as in conventional designs. This permits a shorter firearm length for the same barrel length for improved maneuverability, and...
select-fire weapon. The VHS rifle was first introduced at the 2007 iKA, the annual Croatian innovation display that takes place in the city of Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
. The development was carried on following a request of the Croatian Army for a new infantry rifle to update the individual equipment to NATO standards.
The information on the rifle is still somewhat sketchy. Apparently at least two prototypes have been produced: one superficially resembles the French FAMAS
FAMAS
The FAMAS is a bullpup-styled assault rifle designed and manufactured in France by MAS located in Saint-Étienne, which is now a member of the French government-owned Nexter group...
riflehttp://www.morh.hr/n_pic/bpic/puska19112007_v.jpg, while the other has been compared with the Israeli IMI Tavor TAR-21
IMI Tavor TAR-21
The TAR-21 is an Israeli bullpup assault rifle chambered for 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition with a selective fire system, selecting between semi-automatic mode, burst mode, and full automatic fire mode. It is named after Mount Tavor, while "TAR-21" stands for "Tavor Assault Rifle - 21st Century". It is...
. The rifle is 750 mm long, with a 500 mm barrel. Polymer parts are extensively used in the construction, and the weight of the rifle has been variously reported as 2.3 kg and 3 kg.
On November 19, 2007, the Croatian Ministry of Defence placed an order for an experimental batch of 50 rifles to be tested by the Croatian contingent currently deployed in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
within the ISAF
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
. Full scale production began towards the end of 2008, when field testing completed. Other nations, including Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
have shown interest in acquiring the rifle.
On May 12 2009, the Croatian Minister of Defence Branko Vukelic
Branko Vukelic
Branko Vukelić is a Croatian politician and former Minister of Defence, and member of the Croatian Democratic Union.Vukelić graduated from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, in 1981, and is married with one child....
confirmed the positive end of a torture test over the rifle and on May 15 officially signed a contract with HS Produkt for the acquisition of 20,000 rifles kit (both versions) for a medium price of 10700 Croatian Kuna
Croatian kuna
The kuna is the currency of Croatia since 1994 . It is subdivided into 100 lipa. The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute....
s each.