Fabryka Broni originally dates to 1925, when it was set up as a factory to make small arms for the Polish military. It was occupied be German forces during World War Two and on the post-war Communist years it was designated Factory 11 – it’s products are identified by an oval around the number 11. It reverted to a state-owned metalworks company in 1990, but went bankrupt in 2000 and was taken over by a private concern. It is currently under private ownership and produces the MSBS Grot for the Polish military (and export sales), as well as Beryl rifles, various handguns, and other small arms. When I visited Poland I had the chance to visit, and the factory was happy to let me film a tour of the operation. This is a really cool look at how small arms factories operate; most such factories do not allow this sort of filming. Thanks to FB for the opportunity!
Submachine Guns
Błyskawica: The Polish Home Army’s Clandestine SMG
The Blyskawica (“LIghtning”) is an SMG developed in occupied Poland to be issued out to Home Army units during Operation Tempest; the liberation uprisings planned for the advance of the Red Army into Poland. The […]
Museum Review
Virtual Tour of the Polish Army Museum
On my recent trip to Warsaw, I spent some time filming guns in the collection of the Polish Army Museum. In an effort to create something of a library of museum tours, I made sure […]
Bolt Action Rifles
RIA: Gewehr 29/40 Mauser
Over the next couple weeks we will be looking at several Polish firearms, and the first one is today: the G29/40. When German forces overran the arms factory in Radom, Poland, they captured in nearly […]
Really great video. I never understood the hammer forged barrel process and this explained it perfectly. Thanks Ian!
Thanks Ian for a fascinating look inside a modern rifle factory and comparing old and new technology. Is there some poor guy who has to cleaning thousands of bores after proof and reliability firing or is that somehow mechanised?
Ownership has now a rather complex structure but I believe Radom is still (mostly) owned by the state.
When one says an “Unskilled” worker used each machine to do different parts… They likely had a good eye; so a skill, in that sense… Given, well I mean I don’t know about you… But all the older guns made by “Said unskilled workers” look better, to me.
And worked better, straight out the factory as far as I can tell… Sooo, all this cnc lark is probably “progress” probably… In certain ways; in principle… Quite.