Gun Trade World - January 2023

This unique,
50-piece limited
edition consists of
a pair of legendary,
richly decorated
pistols that are
housed together
in a special case
that not only
celebrates last
year’s merger
of two globally
renowned
manufacturers of
small arms – Colt
and CZ – but also
commemorates
important
anniversaries for
the iconic brands.
With the acquisition of the
American Colt brand in May
2021, an extraordinarily strong
international group was born,
with an ambition to be the
world leader in the manufacture of small arms.
At the core of Colt CZ Group are two renowned
companies: Colt, whose factory is located in
West Hartford, Connecticut, and CZ with its
production plant in the Czech city of Uhersky
Brod. The former celebrated its 185th anniversary
last year, while the latter is exactly one hundred
years its junior.
The idea to produce this unique edition was
born from close cooperation between the two
“sisters”, Colt and CZ. An iconic model was
chosen from each brand to make up the set: the
American Colt 1911 pistol and the Czech CZ 75
pistol.
All decorative engravings on the “Tribute
to Legends” edition were undertaken by the
internationally respected Master Engraver, Rene
Ondra. Serial production firearms that Ondra
transforms into high value works of art have
become sought-after investments in recent years.
Charity auction
Only 50 sets will be produced as part of this
edition.
The Colt CZ Group donated the first set to a
charity auction organized by the Kodl Gallery in
the Czech Republic. Proceeds from the auction
will be donated to the Military Solidarity Fund,
the Police and Firefighters Foundation, and the
fundraising bank account of the Embassy of
Ukraine in the Czech Republic to support the
Ukrainian army.
Sets intended for the commercial market will
represent an extremely interesting collector’s item
and most probably a highly profitable investment.
Please note that both pistols are fully functional
and can only be purchased by holders of a valid
firearm licence.
Decorative touches
Similar modifications have been made to the
American and Czech pistols in the “Tribute
to Legends” edition, which serve to unify their
artwork. The choice of font and engravings was
inspired by descriptions of North American guns
from the 19th century, along with the decorative
touches that were common during that time
period. Creative direction was mainly driven
by the historic Colt firearms, which are famous
in this respect and are of particular interest to
collectors.
The result is an aesthetically matched set of two
magnificent guns that feature the same high-gloss
bluing, polished barrels, gold-plated controls
and maple grips that come with the brand’s logo,
which also serves as checkering.
Master engraver
Rene Ondra is a Master Engraver of firearms,
who ranks among the world’s best in the field.
He is mainly focused on creating highly precise
engravings on CZ products, which take dozens
of hours to carry out and are key in transforming
each firearm into an immensely valuable work of
art.
Ondra started his apprenticeship in 1986 at CZ
and gained experience from the leading master
engravers at that time in the Czech Republic.
Starting in the 1990s, he often made trips
abroad to learn about the latest trends in the
industry, seek out exclusive production materials
and forge relationships with customers. He
was the first Master Engraver from the Czech
Republic to gain international membership in the
prestigious Firearms Engravers Guild of America,
an association of firearms engravers in the USA.
Rene is the designer of many iconic firearms,
including the CZ 75 REPUBLIKA.
Engravings
Both pistols have the frame and slide decorated
with hand-engraved adornments in the style
of 19th century American firearms. A special
custom engraving tool was especially made for
this purpose. The placement of engravings respects
the contours of the model and fits together with
the descriptions and serial numbers on the pistol.
The steel magazine base plate on the CZ 75 also
comes with decorative engravings.
Descriptions and numbering
For each pistol, “Tribute to Legends” is engraved
in 19th century style font right behind the name of
the model on the left-hand side of the slide. Also
on the left-hand side of the slide for each model
is its unique number within the 50-piece edition.
On the left-hand side of the CZ 75 “Tribute
to Legends” frame is the decorative inscription
“Hand made in Czech Republic.” On the righthand
side of both models are decorative elements
commemorating the year of establishment for each
brand. The Colt 1911 has a ribbon with the year
1836 and a bald eagle from the Great Seal of the
United States of America. The CZ 75 has a ribbon
with the year 1936 and a double-tailed lion from
the Lesser Coat of Arms of the Czech Republic.
There is a special series of serial numbers for
this edition, which refers to the year the Colt
and CZ brands were united and expresses the
order of manufacture for each pistol within this
limited series. The serial numbers range from
COLT2021001 to COLT2021050 for the Colt
1911 model, and CZ2021001 to CZ2021050 for
the CZ 75 model. The pistols in each individual set
have matching serial numbers.
Case and packaging
For the first time in the history of limited series
from CZ, firearms in this unique “Tribute to
Legends” edition are stored together in a single,
large case. The case is made of maple with
specially imported thick birch root veneer on
the sides. The protective finish on the exterior
of the case is a combination of oil, varnish and
polyurethane.
Each pistol in the set is delivered in a separate
leather briefcase that includes a warranty card,
user manual, cleaning kit, gloves and certificate of
originality.
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