Vista Outdoor sells it's outdoor and sporting products to Czechoslovak Group

[puma guy]

Vista Outdoor is the parent company to many ammunition makers, including Federal, CCI, and Remington. In October 2023, the company announced that its firearms and ammunition business will be sold off to Czech company Czechoslovak Group for a value of $1.91 billion, pending regulatory approval. In November 2023, another Czech company, Colt CZ Group, sent a competing proposal to merge Vista Outdoor and Colt CZ through a cash and stock transaction.
Among many other businesses Vista owns Bushnell which is not affected by the sale.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/conten ... mmo-speer/

[C-dub]

I'm not very savy about stuff like this. Is this a good or bad thing?

[The Annoyed Man]

I'm not very savy about stuff like this. Is this a good or bad thing?

I remember seeing a video about this not too long ago. The presenter's conclusion was that it probably wouldn’t affect us much…so a more or less neutral thing. He was surprised that it CZ's offer wasn’t the winning bid. Those companies (Federal, etc.) would continue to produce their ammunition here in the U.S., but it gives the buyer an entry into the U.S. firearms market, which is much more robust here than it is in Europe.

If I can find the video I saw, I’ll try to remember to post it here.

[puma guy]

I'm not very savy about stuff like this. Is this a good or bad thing?

I remember seeing a video about this not too long ago. The presenter's conclusion was that it probably wouldn’t affect us much…so a more or less neutral thing. He was surprised that it CZ's offer wasn’t the winning bid. Those companies (Federal, etc.) would continue to produce their ammunition here in the U.S., but it gives the buyer an entry into the U.S. firearms market, which is much more robust here than it is in Europe.

If I can find the video I saw, I’ll try to remember to post it here.

Having spent time in the sporting goods business in the 1960's and early 70's I witnessed the same thing happening, but mostly domestic companies doing the buying, merging and divesting. One example was when Bangor Punta bought S&W. Some back then wondered what the effect would be and as we know S&W has not only survived, but thrived. The firearms industry has always been an up and down affair with profits following those trends. When you study the history of gun makers it's easy to see it's not for the faint of heart. Marlin made razor blades from the 30's to the 1970's.

[DocV]

Czechoslovak Group, CSG, seems to be privately held and is expanding rapidly. CSG also owns most of Fiocchi and is acquiring Armi Perazzi.