CAVIM Model "Zamorana" 9x19mm pistol
The "ZAMORANA" selfloading handgun ("Zamorana" is the name of an historic Venezuelan military leader) is the newest product to come out from the factories of CAVIM (Corporacciòn Venezoelana de las Industrias Militares, Venezuelan State-owned Military Industries Corporation). As it's clear from a quick glance, the ZAMORANA is a license-built Venezuelan copy of the CZ-G2000 pistol made by ARMS MORAVIA, S.R.O. of Czech Republic. The CZ-G2000 is a compact handgun that was made since 1995 under request of the Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, and now massively arms the Security Services and the Special Forces of that Country; regardless of this, the CZ-G2000 saw poor or no success at all on the commercial market: it was offered to civilians only in its homeland and in other eastern Europe countries, with no other exports whatsoever. It is guessable that, since the 1994 "Brady Bill" Assault Weapons Ban was then in course in the USA, and being the USA the main commercial market for ANY civilian firearm that's made in the world, the manufacturers didn't thought that it was the case to bother and try to export what was, after all, just another polymer-frame compact pistol that would have had to face the concurrence of more famous products (like GLOCK, et al.). The ZAMORANA is a standard locked-breech, short-recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol with tilting barrel; it is hammer-fired with external hammer. Barrel locks into slide with single large lug that enters ejection window; unlocking is controlled by the cam-shaped lug below the barrel which interacts with the cross-pin, set into frame. Pistol frame is made from impact-resistant polymer, with removable steel insert that hosts slide rails. Trigger is of double action type, with exposed hammer, automated firing pin block and slide-mounted decocker lever (left side only). Magazines are double stack, magazine release is located at the base of the enlarged trigger guard. Sights are fixed, both front and rear being dovetailed into the slide. As far as for today, there is no indication whatsoever that the Venezuelan government might be evaluating this gun for Armed Forces or Police adoption. But Venezuela has recently undertaken a small-arms modernization program, acquiring lots of AK-104 assault rifles from Russia and is contracting manufacturing rights; furthermore, CAVIM is essentially a military facility that hardly makes something that has no police or military use. Although the factory claims the ZAMORANA to be 100% made in Venezuela, unofficial sources states that some parts might be imported from Czech Republic. --TECHNICAL SPECS-- CALIBER: 9x19mm (a.k.a. the 9 m/m "Luger" "Parabellum" "NATO") CAPACITY: 15 rounds in double-stack column magazine TOTAL LENGTH: 18,8 Centimetres TOTAL HEIGHT: 13,5 Centimetres BARREL LENGHT: 10,2 Centimetres BARREL RIFLING: 6 grooves, RH WEIGHT UNLOADED: 755 Grams WORKING SYSTEM: Semi-automatic, SA/DA, recoil-operated. --MANUFACTURER-- CAVIM - Compañia Anonima Venezolana de Industrias Militares Calle Jalisco, Urbanización Las Mercedes, Edificio CAVIM - Caracas State of Gran Caracas - Venezuela TEL: (0212) 9935211 / (0212) 9931382 FAX: (0212) 9931382 URL: http://www.cavim.com.ve/ More detailed contact informations: http://www.cavim.com.ve/ns/cavim.asp?pag=Contactos.asp
Photos and information from:
Roger Desbois
& Pierangelo Tendas
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E-Image Agency
