Lucznik Arms Factory
Encyclopedia
Łucznik Arms Factory is a Polish
enterprise from Radom
that produces arms
. Present name of the firm is Fabryka Broni "Łucznik" - Radom. Enterprise is a part of Bumar group.
In the past it used to produce non-military equipment, most notably sewing machine
s and typewriter
s, but those branches were deemed unprofitable and were dropped in 2000.
to produce arms for the new Polish Army.
In 1925 the main building, steel hardening shop, power plant, boiler room, woodshop, bath, and the workers’ houses were erected. On December 31, 1927, production was launched when, by an act signed by then Director of the plant Msc.Eng. Kazimierz Ołdakowski, the plant was officially taken over from the local government. Ołdakowski insisted that his workers receive free health care. He also arranged for child care services and regular leisure time, and built gymnasiums, theaters, gardens, and housing for his workers. It was under his directorship that the Vis pistol (pistolet wz. 35 Vis) was developed.
During World War II it was captured and operated by the Germans.
After World War II the factory was renamed: Zakłady Metalowe im. gen. "Waltera" (General Walter's
Metal Works). In 1990 the factory returned to its old name Zakłady Metalowe "Łucznik" (Metal Works "Łucznik"), "łucznik" meaning 'archer' or alternatively 'Sagittarius'. It became a state-owned company (S.A.
). On 13 November 2000 the company was declared bankrupt, however, on 30 June 2000 a company Fabryka Broni "Łucznik" - Radom (Arms Factory Łucznik - Radom) was created by ZM Łucznik and the Industry Development Agency, which took over arms production.
Its past products included (by date of start of production):
Gewehr 98
spinoffs
Soviet licensed weapons:
Polish designed weapons
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
enterprise from Radom
Radom
Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and...
that produces arms
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
. Present name of the firm is Fabryka Broni "Łucznik" - Radom. Enterprise is a part of Bumar group.
In the past it used to produce non-military equipment, most notably sewing machine
Sewing machine
A sewing machine is a textile machine used to stitch fabric, cards and other material together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies...
s and typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
s, but those branches were deemed unprofitable and were dropped in 2000.
History
The company was originally founded in the Second Polish RepublicSecond Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
to produce arms for the new Polish Army.
In 1925 the main building, steel hardening shop, power plant, boiler room, woodshop, bath, and the workers’ houses were erected. On December 31, 1927, production was launched when, by an act signed by then Director of the plant Msc.Eng. Kazimierz Ołdakowski, the plant was officially taken over from the local government. Ołdakowski insisted that his workers receive free health care. He also arranged for child care services and regular leisure time, and built gymnasiums, theaters, gardens, and housing for his workers. It was under his directorship that the Vis pistol (pistolet wz. 35 Vis) was developed.
During World War II it was captured and operated by the Germans.
After World War II the factory was renamed: Zakłady Metalowe im. gen. "Waltera" (General Walter's
Karol Swierczewski
Karol Wacław Świerczewski was a Pole who became a Soviet military officer and a general. He served as a general in the service of the Soviet Union, Republican Spain, and the Soviet sponsored Polish Provisional Government of National Unity after World War II.- Life :Karol Świerczewski grew up in...
Metal Works). In 1990 the factory returned to its old name Zakłady Metalowe "Łucznik" (Metal Works "Łucznik"), "łucznik" meaning 'archer' or alternatively 'Sagittarius'. It became a state-owned company (S.A.
S.A. (corporation)
S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
). On 13 November 2000 the company was declared bankrupt, however, on 30 June 2000 a company Fabryka Broni "Łucznik" - Radom (Arms Factory Łucznik - Radom) was created by ZM Łucznik and the Industry Development Agency, which took over arms production.
Products
Its currents products include:- PPSWalther PPSThe Walther PPS is a semi-automatic pistol developed by the German company Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen of Ulm for concealed carry for civilians and plainclothes law enforcement personnel. It is available in either 9×19mm Parabellum or .40 S&W chamberings...
pistol - P99 RadWalther P99The Walther P99 is a semi-automatic pistol developed by the German company Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen of Ulm for law enforcement, security forces and the civilian shooting market as a replacement for the Walther P5 and the P88...
pistol - PM-98 submachine gunSubmachine gunA submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
- PM-06 submachine gunSubmachine gunA submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
- Kbk wz. 96 BerylKbk wz. 96 Berylthumb|300px|wz.2004 Beryl with railed forend, vertical forward grip and receiver [[Picatinny rail]] The kbs wz. 1996 Beryl is a Polish 5.56mm assault rifle, designed and produced by the Łucznik Arms Factory in the city of Radom...
assault rifleAssault rifleAn 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... - MSBS "Radon" assault rifle
- Radom-Sport semi-automatic rifleSemi-automatic rifleA semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
- VisVis (weapon)Vis is a 9 mm caliber, single-action, semi-automatic pistol...
Semi-automatic pistol
Its past products included (by date of start of production):
Gewehr 98
Gewehr 98
The Gewehr 98 is a German bolt action Mauser rifle firing the 8x57mm cartridge from a 5 round internal clip-loaded magazine that was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Karabiner 98k. It was hence the main rifle of the German infantry during World War I...
spinoffs
- Kbk wz.29Kbk wz.29The Karabinek wz.29 - was a Polish bolt-action short rifle based on the German Kar98AZ. Identifying attributes include a 98/05 style mast bayonet lug ending directly beneath the front sight, and winged protective ears to either side of the front sight blade...
(1930-1939) - Kb wz.98aKb wz.98aKarabin wzor 98a was a Polish bolt-action rifle based on the German Gewehr 98.- Design History :After regaining independence, the Polish Army was armed with Russian , Austrian and German rifles...
(1936-1939)
Soviet licensed weapons:
- Mosin (1951-1955)
- TT-33TT-33The TT-30 is a Russian semi-automatic pistol. It was developed in the early 1930s by Fedor Tokarev as a service pistol for the Soviet military to replace the Nagant M1895 revolver that had been in use since tsarist times, though it never fully replaced the M1895.-Development:In 1930, the...
(1947-1956) - PPSh-41PPSh-41The PPSh-41 was a Soviet submachine gun designed by Georgi Shpagin as an inexpensive, simplified alternative to the PPD-40. Intended for use by minimally-trained conscript soldiers, the PPSh was a magazine-fed selective-fire submachine gun using an open-bolt, blowback action...
(1951-1953?) - PPS-43 and PPS-43/52 (1951-1955)
- AK-47AK-47The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
and AKM (1957-1992, 1997-2000) - DP-28 and DPM (1952-1955)
- RPDRPDThe RPD is a 7.62mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov for the intermediate 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge. It was created as a replacement for the DP machine gun chambered for the 7.62x54mmR Mosin rifle round...
(1958-1961)
Polish designed weapons
- PM-63 RakPM-63 RakThe PM-63 RAK is a Polish 9mm submachine gun, designed by Piotr Wilniewczyc in cooperation with Tadeusz Bednarski, Grzegorz Czubak and Marian Wakalski...
(1964-1974) - Radom Armory P-64 PistolRadom Armory P-64 PistolFor the American fighter aircraft, see North American P-64The P-64 is a Polish 9mm semi-automatic pistol designed to fire the 9x18mm Makarov cartridge...
(1965-1977) - PM-84 GlauberytPM-84 GlauberytThe PM-84 Glauberyt is a Polish submachine gun. It is a personal weapon intended for combat and self-defense at ranges up to 150 m with single shot or fully automatic fire mode. It features compact design, minimum overall dimensions, small weight, very good accuracy, and fire stability...
submachine gunSubmachine gunA submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were... - PM-98 submachine gunSubmachine gunA submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
- PM-06 submachine gunSubmachine gunA submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
- Kbk wz. 88 TantalKbk wz. 88 TantalThe karabinek wzór 1988 Tantal is a 5.45mm assault rifle designed and produced in Poland in the late 1980s.-Development:...
(1990-1994) - MSBS "Radon" assault rifle project, prototypes since 2007
External links
- FB Łucznik - Radom home page
- ZM Łucznik (bankrupt) home page
- "Opracowanie historyczne dotyczące Fabryki Broni" ("Arms Factory History Essay")