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The communist take-over in 1948 ushered in the use of three-letter codes identifying the manufacturers of military weapons. These are similar in format, but entirely unrelated to, the Second World War German Letter Code (Buchstabencode). The letters are random and carry no known special meaning or significance. These codes remained in use 1948–1993, when the newly-democratic Czechoslovak Repubic was dissolved into separate Czech and Slovak Republics.
The following are codes either acknowledged by the Czech Republic government or observed on military weapons and related items known to have been manufactured in the Czechoslovak Republic. This listing was compiled and edited 2007–2011 by researchers collaborating on gunboards.com, most notably members Kev UK and Andrej 'Andy' Blazicek:
avm—Unknown Czechoslovak factory (code found on fuzes) [probably a damaged aym stamp]
aym—Povazske Strojarne, Narodny Podnik, Povazska-Bystrica, Slovakia
bnt—Unknown Czechoslovak factory (code found on cases)
bxn—Sellier & Bellot, Vlasim (ammunition plant)
czo—Weapons factory, Zbrojovka Vsetin
dtp—Vlarske strojirny, Slavicin
ena—Policka´s machine works, Policka
evr—Powder filling plant in Nyrany
fut—Adamovske strojirny, Adamov
grv—Konstrukta Brno
gts—Powder filling and ammo-assembling plant ZVS, Dubnica nad Vahom, Slovakia
hsu—Kovohute Rokycany
irv—Weapon factory Bojkovice, now Zeveta Bojkovice, Bojkovice
jpw—Zbrojkova Vsetin, plant in Jablunka (code found on 30x210 Br-303 belt link)
ndn—Unknown Czechoslovak factory (code found on 9mm Luger cartridge cases)
nma—Powder manufacturer Syntesia, Pardubice-Semtin
rid—Ceska zbrojovka, plant Strakonice
she—Ceska zbrojovka, plant Uhersky Brod
tgf—Zbrojovka Brno, plant Brno
uxa—Zbrojovka Vlasim, Narodni Podnik, Vlasim, [other name for Sellier & Bellot, Vlasim]
whx—Filling and recalibrating plant VOZ Nováky, Slovakia
xbk—Meopta Prerov - Prerov factory
yal—Meopta Prerov - Prerov factory [probably a different plant]
zyj—Unknown Czechoslovak factory (code found on fuzes)
Sources
https://www.gunboards.com/threads/czech-magazine-identification.208133/
https://www.gunboards.com/threads/letter-codes-on-czech-arms-and-ammunition-esp-tgf.9628/?id=9628
United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA): The Assessment of Implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects of 2001 and of the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons of 2005, The Czech Republic's National Report Presented in 2006, November 24, 2006, page 21.
