Like most Communist Governments, Czechoslovakia had "export" Companies which handled foreign trade in all sorts of commodities. These were not "private" concerns as we understand them, but Government run agencies. ( ie, in Czech terms, a Narodny Podnik...a people's enterprise.)
Omnipol was the agency dealing with Small arms and ordnance exports...the Czechs, despite their allegiance to the Warsaw pact, engaged in fierce competition with Western Suppliers to get foreign exchange for Guns and ammo , especially in Third World Countries, but also sold Very good quality Sporting Arms into First World Countries. Sam Cummings of Interarms dealt directly with them to (a) Supply US customers the quality Sporting Firearms, and (b) to source East Block firearms and ammo to supply the myriad of Military Customers IA had throughout the world. IA also brokered deals with Omnipol to acquire Military Surplus from third countries, so that the Milsurp could be then sold thru IA's US etc. Distributors.
Omnipol was especially useful when sourcing Soviet Bloc Ammunition ( ie, 7,62x54R, 7,62x39, 7,62x25 etc.) both for onward Military sale, and for US Milsurp sales.
Many of the IA-Omnipol deals were also "supervised" by the "Company" ( CIA) as they may have been Politically and Strategically sensitive; it is known from SC's Evidence at Senate hearings in the late 1960s, that the CIA often bought Firearms and Ammunition from IA, especially if it wanted "Plausible deniability" as to source of the guns and ammo. IA in turn would sometimes take back or exchange items the CIA had accumulated from other sources over time...case in Point, the Canadian 7,9 and 9mm Ammo with the "MM" headstamp, acquired at the early 1960s.
CSSR : Czechoslovak Soviet Socialist Republic 1948-1990 ( in Czech it reads almost the same).
I don't know whether Omnipol has survived the Fall of Communism in Cz...I think, probably under another name, but as the individual Gun and Ammo makers in Cz also "Privatised" in 1990-91, they handle all their export trade by themselves ( and have even been taken over by Foreign Corporations -- S&B is now part of Magtech Brazil). If Omnipol still exists, it is a general "Import-export company" dealing in a variety of goods.
Interesting period to study...the Cold War.
Regards,
Doc AV
AV Ballistics.
