Czech CSG Group—the company poised to purchase the famed ammunition firms that comprise the Sporting Division of Vista Outdoor—acquired the majority stake in the Italian, family-owned Armi Perazzi S.p.A., on Dec. 14. The agreement boosts the company’s footprint in the commercial firearm industry globally and here in the United States. Late in 2022 it also acquired a 70-percent stake of Fiocchi Munizioni, a small-caliber-ammunition manufacturer with two stateside plants, as well as one in the United Kingdom and another in Italy.
CSG’s pending purchase of Vista Outdoor’s Sporting Division—which includes Federal, Speer, CCI, Remington Ammunition and other legendary firms—is expected to be completed sometime this year. A few regulatory hurdles remain before the deal closes, as well as stockholder approval. That transaction would make the firm, based in Prague, Czechoslovakia, one of the biggest in the civilian sector.
The acquisition of Perazzi, which specializes in premium shotguns with a reputation for winning Olympic competitions, included Perazzi's U.S. base of operations in Azusa, CA. It is the sole importer and distributor of the famed shotguns for the United States market.
CSG was established in 1995 as Excalbur Army, specializing in military equipment and related supplies. Ten years later it acquired its first factory, one formerly used for repair of military vehicles, in Prelouc, Czechoslovakia. By 2010 the company had opened operations in Slovakia and entered the railway industry.
Today it includes more than 100 firms encompassing a variety of industries including defense, aerospace, maintenance and more. It is owned by Michal Strnad, son of the company’s founder.
Perazzi is the firm’s first venture in extremely fine firearms, though. On a good year only 1,500 of the highly prized shotguns roll out of the factory. “We want to maintain the excellence and exclusivity of Armi Perazzi products, bring new customers to the company, and also to leverage its strong brand, especially in connecting CSG further to the shooting sports,” CSG Investment Director Stanislav Kuba said.
