Sellier & Bellot
Encyclopedia
Sellier & Bellot is the name of a Czech
company situated in Vlašim
that manufactures ammunition
for firearm
s.
In 2005 Sellier & Bellot celebrated its 180th anniversary.
Sellier & Bellot products soon established themselves on both European and overseas markets. As early as 1830 the manufacture of percussion caps was in excess of 60 million and peaked later in 1837 by enormous quantity 156 millions caps.
Dates of Significant Events
5th August 1825
Louis Sellier, a French merchant, received the privilege to manufacture percussion caps for infantry firearms in its newly founded factory in Prague from Franz I., the Emperor of Austria. Shortly afterwards he invited his countryman, Jean Maria Nicolaus Bellot, to join the company. Under his leadership the manufacture quickly gained momentum and Sellier & Bellot products soon established themselves on both European and overseas markets. As early as 1830 the manufacture of percussion caps was in excess of 60 million and peaked later in 1837 by enormous quantity 156 millions caps.
1829
A subsidiary plant in Prussian Schőnebeck was founded.
1870
Cartridge production started. Together with Flobert‘s rimfire and Lefaucheux‘s pin-primer cartridges, first centrefire cartridges appeared in the production program. During few years, the annual output grew up to 10 millions cartridges.
1884
Another subsidiary plant was established in Riga (Latvia) and this soon covered demands for percussion caps in the whole Russia and Scandinavian countries.
1893
The first trade mark Sellier & Bellot has been listed in Prague.
1895
Hunting cartridge cases, quickly followed by hunting cartridges, were brought into the production program. This program was also extended by copper primers for blasting works and ammunition manufacture in Skoda Pilsen.
1914 - 1918
During the years of World War I the production of commercial ammunition was curbed and total capacity used to manufacture rifle and handgun cartridges for the Army. The Steyr 9 mm cartridge was developed and introduced to serial production during this period. After the independent state of Czechoslovakia was founded in October 1918, the Company became the dominant supplier of handgun ammunition for the Czechoslovak army and police. The production of commercial ammunition for competition shooting and hunting purposes was further extended. The Company expanded into the Asian and South American markets where Sellier & Bellot‘s infantry cartridges met with a great success.
Based on the invention of its managing director Mr. Blechta, the Company became the only manufacturer of silver azide in the world. Owing to this, the production of industrial detonators increased significantly.
1936
The Company´s transfer from Prague to Vlašim led to further growth.
1945
Nationalization of the Company and the decision of the Czechoslovak Government to introduce state monopoly for the manufacture of both military and commercial ammunition supplied a key incentive for further development of Sellier & Bellot. The range of commercial ammunition was extended to forty rifle calibre types, ten pistol and twenty revolver types. Shot shells manufacture ranged from 12 to 410 calibre types and total output was soon increased five times. Approximately 70 % of the output was exported. Original 7.62×45, 7.62×39 and 7.62×54R cartridges were successfully introduced into production to cover the demands of the Czechoslovak Army.
1964
Company started to produce antifriction bearings.
1965
Production of packaging machines, now concentrated in the subsidiary company Sellier & Bellot, stroje Ltd. began.
1972
Manufacture of cartridges according to valid C.I.P. regulations was begun.
1992
Transformation of the state-owned company to a joint-stock company - Sellier & Bellot JSC. The company‘s shareholders are Czech natural and legal persons; a part of the equity is hold by Company´s employees.
Almost 70% of production volume is exported through the daughter company - Sellier & Bellot Trade JSC. The company´s products are exported to more than seventy countries in the world.
1998
Sellier & Bellot JSC was granted ISO 9001 Certificate.
1999
Sellier & Bellot has got the bronze medal in Deutsches Waffen Journal readers´ vote for year 1999 in the category of Ammunition.
2005
Sellier & Bellot JSC celebrating its 180th anniversary this year is not only the oldest engineering company in the Czech Republic but also one among the oldest companies in the world. It has been manufacturing products bearing its trade mark uninterruptedly since 1825.
http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
company situated in Vlašim
Vlašim
Vlašim is a town in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has 12,689 inhabitants. River Blanice runs through Vlašim.Medium age of inhabitants is 36.8 years.History...
that manufactures ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
for firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s.
In 2005 Sellier & Bellot celebrated its 180th anniversary.
Foundation
Sellier & Bellot was founded in 1825 by a French merchant called Louis Sellier. Louis Sellier began manufacturing percussion caps for infantry firearms in a factory in Prague on the request of Franz I, the Emperor of Austria. Sellier was soon joined by his countryman Jean Maria Nicolaus Bellot, who led the company to quickly gain momentum.Sellier & Bellot products soon established themselves on both European and overseas markets. As early as 1830 the manufacture of percussion caps was in excess of 60 million and peaked later in 1837 by enormous quantity 156 millions caps.
5th August 1825
Louis Sellier, a French merchant, received the privilege to manufacture percussion caps for infantry firearms in its newly founded factory in Prague from Franz I., the Emperor of Austria. Shortly afterwards he invited his countryman, Jean Maria Nicolaus Bellot, to join the company. Under his leadership the manufacture quickly gained momentum and Sellier & Bellot products soon established themselves on both European and overseas markets. As early as 1830 the manufacture of percussion caps was in excess of 60 million and peaked later in 1837 by enormous quantity 156 millions caps.
1829
A subsidiary plant in Prussian Schőnebeck was founded.
1870
Cartridge production started. Together with Flobert‘s rimfire and Lefaucheux‘s pin-primer cartridges, first centrefire cartridges appeared in the production program. During few years, the annual output grew up to 10 millions cartridges.
1884
Another subsidiary plant was established in Riga (Latvia) and this soon covered demands for percussion caps in the whole Russia and Scandinavian countries.
1893
The first trade mark Sellier & Bellot has been listed in Prague.
1895
Hunting cartridge cases, quickly followed by hunting cartridges, were brought into the production program. This program was also extended by copper primers for blasting works and ammunition manufacture in Skoda Pilsen.
1914 - 1918
During the years of World War I the production of commercial ammunition was curbed and total capacity used to manufacture rifle and handgun cartridges for the Army. The Steyr 9 mm cartridge was developed and introduced to serial production during this period. After the independent state of Czechoslovakia was founded in October 1918, the Company became the dominant supplier of handgun ammunition for the Czechoslovak army and police. The production of commercial ammunition for competition shooting and hunting purposes was further extended. The Company expanded into the Asian and South American markets where Sellier & Bellot‘s infantry cartridges met with a great success.
Based on the invention of its managing director Mr. Blechta, the Company became the only manufacturer of silver azide in the world. Owing to this, the production of industrial detonators increased significantly.
1936
The Company´s transfer from Prague to Vlašim led to further growth.
1945
Nationalization of the Company and the decision of the Czechoslovak Government to introduce state monopoly for the manufacture of both military and commercial ammunition supplied a key incentive for further development of Sellier & Bellot. The range of commercial ammunition was extended to forty rifle calibre types, ten pistol and twenty revolver types. Shot shells manufacture ranged from 12 to 410 calibre types and total output was soon increased five times. Approximately 70 % of the output was exported. Original 7.62×45, 7.62×39 and 7.62×54R cartridges were successfully introduced into production to cover the demands of the Czechoslovak Army.
1964
Company started to produce antifriction bearings.
1965
Production of packaging machines, now concentrated in the subsidiary company Sellier & Bellot, stroje Ltd. began.
1972
Manufacture of cartridges according to valid C.I.P. regulations was begun.
1992
Transformation of the state-owned company to a joint-stock company - Sellier & Bellot JSC. The company‘s shareholders are Czech natural and legal persons; a part of the equity is hold by Company´s employees.
Almost 70% of production volume is exported through the daughter company - Sellier & Bellot Trade JSC. The company´s products are exported to more than seventy countries in the world.
1998
Sellier & Bellot JSC was granted ISO 9001 Certificate.
1999
Sellier & Bellot has got the bronze medal in Deutsches Waffen Journal readers´ vote for year 1999 in the category of Ammunition.
2005
Sellier & Bellot JSC celebrating its 180th anniversary this year is not only the oldest engineering company in the Czech Republic but also one among the oldest companies in the world. It has been manufacturing products bearing its trade mark uninterruptedly since 1825.
http://www.sellier-bellot.cz/